I hadn’t known Roc before the accident, but I didn’t think he had really changed much since I had been staying with him. He still said whatever was on his mind, and all he thought about was racing.
Harlyn leaned toward Delaney with a smirk on her lips. “She’s too close to what is going on to see it.”
“Oh, you are so right about that,” Delaney agreed.
I looked back and forth between the two. “I’m not sure I like you two ganging up against me.”
“We’re not against you, Mave. We’re actually for you and Roc getting together.” Harlyn high fived Delaney. “You’re exactly what my dad needs.”
I shook my head. “Your dad and I aren’t together, Harlyn.” Were we?
“Uh, yeah you are,” she insisted.
“I don’t even know why we’re talking about this. I’m just helping Roc get back on his feet. That’s all.” I needed to have this discussion with Roc before I had it with Delaney and Harlyn.
“Okay, okay.” Harlyn glanced over at Delaney with a smirk on her lips. “Maybe we’re seeing something that isn’t there.”
“You’re right.”
Were they? Lord have mercy, this was confusing as hell. There was something going on, but I didn’t know what would happen after I went back to work and Roc got back on his feet. I wanted it to, but I wasn’t sure what Roc wanted.
“Yep,” Delaney laughed. “I guess there isn’t anything going on if Mave can’t see it.”
Harlyn held out her hand in front of her and inspected her nails. “I think there was a woman he was seeing before the accident. I’m sure he’s still talking to her.” Her eyes darted to Delaney with a sly smile on her lips.
She was trying to get a rise out of me, but I knew I needed to keep my cool. Though what she had said bugged me. Say what? Roc was interested in someone else before the accident? Why on earth hadn’t he told me that?
“He hasn’t said anything about it, but good for him.”
“Right,” Harlyn drawled. “Good for him.”
I cleared my throat. “I told you I was talking to a guy, but I’ve put it on hold ‘til I get back home.”
Delaney sat forward. “You mentioned it, but you’ve been keeping this guy and the details to yourself.”
I fidgeted with my hands in my lap and crossed my legs. “We were just talking. I met him on some app. He’s really into his career right now.”
It was nothing because I hadn’t talked to him in weeks. The fact he hadn’t reached out to me either showed there wasn’t anything between the two of us.
“As are you,” Delaney pointed out. “So you told him about being here with Roc?”
That was a big, fat negative. I didn’t even know the guy’s name, and we had basically stopped messaging each other at the same time.
“Yeah, I let him know I was helping a friend. We plan on meeting up once everything goes back to normal.” So many lies that I was going to have trouble keeping straight.
“Interesting,” Harlyn hummed. “You’ll have to keep us posted on what happens.” She sipped her wine and smiled. “Sounds like things are going good.”
I nodded slightly and smiled. “Why don’t I go check on dinner?”
I had slid a pan of lasagna into the oven when Harlyn and Delaney had gotten here, and it was about time for it to be done.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Delaney asked.
I shook my head. “Nope. I just need to pull it out of the oven and grab the salad out of the fridge. I’ll holler when it’s ready.”
Delaney and Harlyn both smiled at me. “Sounds good,” they said in unison.
I headed into the house, and my eyes connected with Roc’s as soon as I stepped through the front door.
He narrowed his gaze on me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I walked over to the oven and pulled down the door. “I do?”
“Pale.” He wheeled into the kitchen and stopped on the other side of the oven door. He watched me pull the lasagna and garlic bread out of the oven.
“The lasagna or the bread?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “The lasagna and bread looks amazing. I was talking about you. You sure you’re feeling okay?”
What do you care if I’m okay or not if you’re seeing someone else? Ugh. I shook my head and forced a smile. “I’m feeling great. Not sure why I’m pale.”
He eyed me knowingly but didn’t say anything more about how I looked. “Need help with anything?”
“You wanna grab the salad and dressings?”
He nodded curtly. “Can do, Doc.”
I turned off the oven and grabbed plates and forks. “I’ll tell Harlyn and Delaney it’s ready.”
Roc glanced at me. His eyes scanned me from head to toe. “You sure you’re okay? Thought maybe I could sneak some time with you before they came back in.”
I pushed out a laugh and plastered a smile on my face. “Later, Chief.”
Chipper. I need to act chipper and happy. Not like Delaney and Harlyn had just broken my heart after they told me about Roc seeing someone. I shouldn’t feel that way since there wasn’t anything going on between Roc and me.
It was just a few kisses.
Okay, a ton of kisses, but that’s all they were. I was just here all of the time and it was convenient for Roc. He was a hot-blooded man, after all.
I moved to the front door and peeked my head out. “Dinner, girls.”
Harlyn beamed up at me. “Awesome.”
There was something going on behind her eyes. I didn’t know her well enough to know what it was, but it was there.
I ducked back in the house and headed back in the kitchen to see Roc add the large bowl of salad and three different dressings.
Harlyn and Delaney came into the house, and I filled our wine glasses while they filled their plates.
I sipped my wine while I watched Roc fill his plate and roll over to the table. “You gonna eat, Doc?”
Snap out of it, Mave. I forced a smile and took a sip. “Yeah, I just wanted to make sure there was enough.”
Harlyn looked down at the pan of lasagna. “You made a full pan of lasagna. There is more than enough food left. We don’t have Remy or Jay’s appetite.”
Delaney laughed. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure Jay eats for two. Him and his inner jackass.”
Roc roared with laughter, and Harlyn nodded knowingly.
“Girl, same with Remy. I asked Meg the last time I talked to her if Remy was going through a second growth spurt. Swear to God, he is eating us out of house and home.”
“They’re just growing boys,” Delaney giggled.
“You see Meg lately?” Roc asked.
Harlyn shook her head. “Not since the barbeque.” She sat down at the opposite end of the table from Roc. “I think her and Lo were thinking of coming down the end of September but I’ve come to find out the wind could pick up and Meg could get a wild hair to come down here.”
“Dear God,” Delaney laughed. “I still remember Meg and her friend in Brooks’ pool. They really are a hoot together.”
I filled a plate with food and grabbed my wine. “Meg is Remy’s mom?” I asked.