A nod. “I’m good, Katie girl.”
Relief slid through her. “That changes, you let me know.”
“Will do,” Heidi said, “but I’ve already begun applying other places. Luckily, there aren’t too many people who can do what I do. I know it won’t take long to find something.”
“Smarty-pants.”
“Liar pants,” Heidi countered with a lifted brow that seemed to say, “your turn.”
“I haven’t even finished my first glass of wine yet,” Kate muttered, though there was hardly more than one drop left.
“Here.” Heidi topped her off then did the same for her own drink. “Second glass commencing.”
Kate pouted. “Bully.”
“Assertive,” Heidi said.
“Pain in my ass,” Kate muttered.
Heidi nodded. “Damn right.”
Kate sighed. “Annoying.”
“You love me,” Heidi sing-songed.
Kate did love her friend. So freaking much. Which was why she didn’t want to admit what she’d done. Heidi would understand, but Heidi would also . . . understand too much.
She knew all about Kate’s superpower.
“Can’t we just pretend you didn’t hear what you heard?”
“You mean, can’t I just pretend that you’re not fake engaged when your mom calls me and tells me we have to plan a surprise engagement party for you and the mysterious Jaime, and we have to do it fast?” Heidi shook her head. “No can do, babe. We can’t pretend that didn’t happen.” A nudge of her shoulder against Kate’s. “And you’re damn lucky she called me first and I could write my shocked-into-silence off as distraction by something in my lab instead of her calling Kels or Cora first. They would have balked and spilled the beans, and you know it,” she said, naming their other two closest friends. “I told her I would do a survey of everyone’s availability and get back to her, but Katie . . . this is a big lie.”
“I know.” She tried to swallow down the guilt and asked quietly, “How’d you know it was a fake engagement?”
“Really?” Hazel eyes bored into her. “We all had dinner not even a week ago, and you went on and on about how you were worried you’d be re-virginized because it had been so long.” A roll of those eyes. “That convo ring a bell?”
Oh. Yeah. That.
“Pretty short courtship for a real fiancé,” Heidi said.
“I—”
Heidi cut her off. “Why’d you do it?”
Kate made a face. “My mom was going to set me up again, and I just blurted something out. I didn’t even really mean to say I was engaged. It just slipped out and then it was out, and she was so thrilled that I didn’t know how to take it back and—”
A nod. “Thus, the lie grew.”
Kate winced. “Yeah.”
“So, who is he?” Heidi asked.
“JaimeTheVet,” she said.
Heidi blinked. “The Instagram guy with the man bun that you’ve drooled over for months?”
Kate nodded. “Though he doesn’t have the man bun anymore. He cut it off because he didn’t think my parents would approve of him having long hair.”
“Really?” Heidi exclaimed. “But his hair was so nice—” She stopped herself midsentence with a wave of her hand. “That’s not the most important conversational hurdle at this point. Did he teach you how to do that flawless bun?”—her gaze went to Kate’s, who shook her head—“Damn. Okay, we’ll circle back to that glorious hair later. The more important part of this story is that he doesn’t know you, so why would he agree? Are you paying him?”
A shake of her head. “No,” she said. “I messaged him after I talked to my mom. I knew it was an insane thing to do. I mean, I totally get that. But then I asked him, and he said yes, and we agreed to go to dinner on Thursday, and he was late because he was doing a procedure on a guinea pig with a heart problem, and then he held my hand, and we walked to the pier, and then he kissed me, and it was hands-down the best kiss of my life.” She gulped down more wine. “I like him, Heidi. A lot.”
“But does he like you?”
Ouch.
Kate dropped her stare to the granite, taking in the flecks of silver amongst the pale blue, blinking hard.
Does he like you?
That was the crux of all of her fears, wasn’t it?
Did he like her, really? And if he did like her genuinely, would that like last? And if it lasted, would that lasting be days or weeks or months before he betrayed—
Heidi’s hand covered hers. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she murmured.
Kate’s throat burned, but she squeezed out. “I know.”
“No,” Heidi said, “I don’t think you do.” Her friend tugged the glass out of Kate’s hands, gripped her wrists tight. “You are one of the best people I know. You’re smart and funny and kind . . . even though you have a weird redheaded connection thing with Hermione Granger.” Kate snorted. “You do,” Heidi said, lips tipped up at the edges. “But I love you, and you’re my fucking best friend, so believe me when I say that there is no person on this planet who deserves to have everything they want more than you.”
“A big but is coming,” Kate muttered.
“Yes,” Heidi said. “Except, the but is that I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
Neither did she. It was why she kept throwing up barriers between herself and Jaime even though she really liked him. It was why her mind kept pulling her back even though her heart continued to encourage her further.
“He says he was drumming up the courage to ask me on a date when I messaged. That he took the opportunity to get to know me. He says he wants more dates and wants to prove that I can trust him.” She sighed. “He says he knows that takes time, but that he can be patient. And—” Her gaze flicked to Heidi’s. “He brought me breakfast and paid attention enough to know that my favorite breakfast is from Molly’s, that I love mochas. And he’s the oldest of four and is great with babies—he even managed to get Lacy to not have a meltdown for almost a half hour. Then he handled my mom and dad and brother and sister with aplomb and kindness. And he takes care of a rooster named Barry, who walks on a leash.”
Chest heaving, she pulled out of Heidi’s grip, shoved her hair out of her face.
“And I’m fucking terrified,” she said, eyes burning. “Because I like him, too. Because this was just a stupid lie, and I hardly know him. Except, I do know him.” She thumped a fist against her chest, just over her heart. “I know him here. From the moment I met him, it was like I had this connection to him. And not even all physical, because of course he’s beautiful and sexy, anyone could see that. But because he-he’s—”
“Different.”
She glanced up at Heidi. “Yes. He’s different.”
“And you don’t want to get hurt again.”
“I’ve jumped into things with men too many times in my life, Heidi. I’ve thought they were all different, that they were all good, and when they didn’t work out, I thought that it was just a matter of finding a man who could be the one. That I just needed to keep looking.” She closed her eyes. “Then I realized that lightning doesn’t strike in the same place over and over again. Then I realized it was me. I was the thing that connected us, and I’m the thing that’s wrong in every relationship I’ve had.” Another thump of her fist to her chest. “I’m the messed up one that makes everything implode.”