Palmer and his wife, Jocelyn.
“We met at the Toasted Pelican,” he said to Jocelyn, forcing himself to be social when all he really wanted to do was wallow in memories and misery at how purely hollow holding this baby made him feel.
“We didn’t exactly meet,” Jocelyn corrected him, an amused look divided between him and the baby. “But it’s nice to see you again.”
“I better give this guy back to his rightful owner,” he said, looking around for Lacey but landing on Tessa, who stood a few feet away with the third couple, a look of sheer disbelief and wonder on her face.
Their eyes met for several heartbeats, and the whole patio stayed eerily silent for that same amount of time.
“Here.” Lacey ended the awkward moment by swooping in and taking Elijah back. “He needs to be put down and you need to…” She hesitated for a moment as if she had so many different options for finishing that sentence, she didn’t know where to begin.
“I need to meet the rest of your guests,” he said smoothly, walking over to Tessa, who still stared at him. He felt the heat and hope in her look, burning him with shame.
If his plan succeeded, he’d have what he wanted and she’d—
“This is Zoe Tamarin and Dr. Oliver Bradbury,” she said quickly, blessedly ending his thought.
While shaking the doctor’s hand, he nodded to Zoe’s stomach. “I see congratulations are in order.”
Zoe beamed back. “You know what we say about Barefoot Bay? Kick off your shoes and fall in love.”
Tessa choked softly. “Zoe, please.”
“What? It’s our new marketing slogan. Haven’t you told him about that, yet?”
Ian shook his head and Tessa held up a hand. “I haven’t really…”
“Did you tell him about the wedding business?” Zoe asked.
Ian blinked at her, a flash of panic. “What wedding business?”
“No need to look terrified,” Tessa said with an uncomfortable laugh. “It’s some really important guests you’ll have to dazzle with your culinary skills.”
That he could do. “Who am I dazzling?”
“You didn’t tell him about the wedding-planner board?” Jocelyn asked.
“We haven’t talked about weddings,” she said quickly.
“Yet,” Ian added. All six of them looked right at him, an incredibly brutal silence descending. “So why don’t you all tell me?” He put a casual arm around Tessa. “And give poor Tess a break. I’ve been grilling her all night learning everything I can about her. She didn’t have a chance to talk business.”
Clay poured some drinks and they gathered around a long table, small talk flying while Lacey headed out to put the baby down. Ian suppressed the desire to take one last look at the wee lad, instead smiling at Tessa as she responded to Lacey’s tug.
“Come help me, please?” Lacey whispered to Tessa.
When Tessa stepped away, Zoe dropped right into the empty seat next to him. “So.” She grinned, a smile full of meaning and interest.
He gave one right back. “Let me see if I have this right,” he said, pointing at her. “You’re the instigator, correct?”
She shrugged with a smug smile. “Guilty as charged. I was also the party girl, but my wild child days are over now.” She rubbed her belly again and notched her chin toward the doctor. “All settled, content, and in love.”
“Sounds good.”
“Does it?”
He laughed, her meaning obvious. “I like that you all look out for your friend.”
Her expression grew suddenly serious. “We more than look out for her,” she said. “We love her and want to see her happy.”
Then shouldn’t he leave her alone? Because he could never be real, could never be anything but heartache for her.
“Tessa deserves to be happy,” he said.
Jocelyn moved a chair closer, jumping into the conversation. “Yes, she does,” she agreed. “She’s been through a lot.”
He nodded. “She told me.”
“Do you like her?” Zoe asked.
He looked right into the bright-green eyes that pinned him with a look full of warning and curiosity.
“Very much.” Not a lie, not even close. “In fact,” he said, thinking about each word before he said it, “I like her…a lot.”
“Then you should know her soft spot,” Zoe said.
“Zoe!” Jocelyn chastised, leaning into the conversation.
“Not that soft spot.” She grinned. “The one that could implode this budding relationship.”
Jocelyn rolled her eyes, but Ian was intrigued. He might need to implode the relationship. “What is it?”
“That girl will run, and I mean she will haul ass fast and furious, if you keep a secret from her.”
He blinked at her, losing the fight not to let anything show on his face. Including dismay. “Excuse me?”
“Zoe’s right,” Jocelyn said. “Secret-keeping is her number-one, do-not-violate code. Although”—she winked at Zoe—“a couple of us have broken the rule and paid the price.”
“What’s the price?” he asked.
“Oh, she’ll cut you off,” Zoe said. “I mean, with us, we had to make her understand why we kept our secrets, but with a guy? She’ll be gone before you get up to brush your teeth if she finds out you kept something from her.”
Oh, bloody hell. “Then I won’t.”
“Keep something from her?” Jocelyn asked.
He smiled. “I won’t ever leave her alone in bed.”
Zoe let out a hoot. “Dude, are you legit?”
Only three years of fighting natural physical responses gave him the ability to keep from giving away the truth in his expression. “I’m as legit as they get.” The lie tasted like pure shit, but he said it anyway. What the hell else could he do?
This was for his
Chapter Eleven
With Lacey’s excited cooing and Zoe’s unsubtle hinting and Jocelyn’s quiet nodding of approval, Ian was fairly certain he’d passed the Friend Approval test. Of course, the
“You want to come in?”
Score. But was it the right move? He eased the truck into Park and took a slow breath. “I guess.”
Tessa’s smile wavered. “Well, that’s damning with faint enthusiasm.”
He turned, instantly sorry he’d replied that way. “It’s not that I don’t want to, Tess.”
She waited for him to continue, but he reached across the small space that separated them and twirled one strand of her hair around his finger.
“It’s that I really do,” he said softly.
“Worried about work complications?”
He was worried about every complication as he barreled forth with his plan to pretend to be completely into Tessa. The problem was, a few hours ago, kissing her on the sidewalk so overwhelmed him with guilt that he’d sprung
Caring about her was not in the cards. That pinprick of guilt stabbed again, somewhere between his cold heart and burning gut. It was easy enough to soften that stab, and he did, pulling her closer and letting their lips
