Pretty sure? That didn’t sound like Nick. He might be relatively easygoing about many things but not vast amounts of money. “What happens if she defaults on her loan?”
“This is your best friend you’re talking about. Jess might be many things but she’s got a savvy business brain. Hell, you trust her with your business. You trust her with your children.” He threw her a disbelieving look. “What’s got into you?”
Libby didn’t understand it either. All she knew was her gut was squirming, advising her this wasn’t a good idea. “I think it’s easier all round if she rents from us. It’s not like we’re ever going to kick her out.”
“Jeez, Libby. I don’t get it. We do just about everything with Jess, but I get a lecture when I suggest we have a family sail without her. You’re constantly offering me up as her handyman even though I’ve told you I’m sick of it, but when I come up with a way of helping her get out of a decrepit house and the rental market so her money can work for her, you reject it. I can’t bloody win.”
Nick’s arm fell away and Libby stood to avoid falling off his lap. On one level his words made complete sense. On another, something felt off. She was still trying to work it out when her phone rang.
“Please don’t answer it.” Nick said wearily.
But he’d unsettled her and she needed a distraction—time to marshal her thoughts. “Hi, Jess. How’d the interview go?”
Nick grunted, spun on his heel and stalked outside.
“Who knows. It was over so fast my head spun. How’s Nick?”
Acting weird. “Much better,” Libby said too brightly.
“Great. I thought he sounded more like himself.”
A whoosh of prickling goosebumps rose on Libby’s skin and she closed the deck door against the cool breeze. “You’ve spoken to him?”
Jess laughed. “Of course I have. He phoned me with your amazing offer for Sulli’s place. I’m still pinching myself that I’m a homeowner.”
“Me too …” Libby managed faintly. Disconnected pieces of information floated into her mind. It was like treading water amid flotsam and jetsam and trying to grab onto something—anything—that linked it all together to keep her afloat.
“Now I know why there’s a bottle of Veuve in your fridge!” Jess squealed “I can’t wait to crack it the moment we sign the papers next week.”
Libby’s heart kicked into overdrive and she suddenly wanted to end the call. “I’ve got another call.”
“No worries. Call me back. Love you.”
Jess hung up and Libby stared at the phone as if the device would make sense of the conversation. Nick walked back inside, cautiously holding a deep maroon rose. Its rich color and delicate fragrance belied the viciousness of its large and protruding thorns. It was a Mister Lincoln, her favorite rose, but right now she didn’t care that Nick knew that or that he’d picked it for her.
Her arm shot out and her forefinger pointed accusingly. “You told Jess your idea about buying Sulli’s place with her before you told me?”
He flinched at her shrewish tone. “Libby, I can explain.”
“Good! Because right now I don’t understand how you could have committed our money without discussing it with me.”
He set the rose down on the table. “If you don’t want to be financially involved, you don’t have to be. I’ll use my money.”
“Your money?” What the hell was happening? “When we buy houses, we don’t have your money and my money. We have our money.”
“Yeah, okay.” He ran his hand through his hair and his curls spiked. “The thing is, I’m looking for investments. If you don’t want to be part of this one, then you have the equivalent amount to invest in something else. That’s fair.”
Her fingers pressed her temples as if the pressure would somehow clear the fog of his skewed logic. It didn’t. “I don’t get it. In the last few months there’ve been times when I’ve wondered if you still like Jess and now you’re buying a house with her?”
Sweat beaded on his top lip. “Her place is falling apart around her. I ought to know, I’ve shored it up often enough. This way she gets out of the rental market and you get your best friend living next door. Jesus, Libby! I did it for you.”
His face and neck were puce and he was heaving in breaths as if he’d run a marathon. She visualized his blood pressure and panicked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell and stress you out. It’s just all of this is so …” Unlike you. “Out of the blue.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be out of the blue.” He fell onto the couch, his face haggard, looking like he’d aged ten years in twenty-four hours. “Jess shouldn’t have told you.”
The blame rankled and it swept her back to the source of her anger. Nick should have told her. Hell, Nick should not have committed to buying the house with Jess without first discussing it with her. “I know you did it for me and Jess, but as nothing’s signed, I don’t think we should go ahead.”
His eyes shot open, their gaze frantic. “I can’t break a promise.”
And she knew he couldn’t. His code of honor wouldn’t allow him to and she loved him for it. “You don’t have to. I haven’t promised her anything, so I’ll do it. I’ll tell her we’ve re-crunched the numbers and we’re sorry, but we can’t manage it. She’ll understand.”
“She won’t. For God’s sake, she does the practice’s books! She’ll know you’re lying.” He grabbed her hand. “Think about it. Do you really want to risk your friendship with her?”
His fingers dug in so hard her hands hurt and she tugged them out of his grasp. “Then I’ll tell her the truth. I’ll say I’m worried about what this could do to our friendship. How it’s too important for us to ever risk falling out over money.”
“Please. Don’t.” The request was barely
