A Guide to Being Just Friends, page 17
“Can I come work at your salad shop?” Cassie asked Hailey.
Hailey grinned. “I’d love that but I already have two employees. But, you guys could come down next Sunday and make your own salads.”
The kids looked at their mom. “Can we?”
Piper shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“You could leave the kids with me so you two could get some shopping done,” Hailey said, licking icing off her finger.
Nick and Piper exchanged a glance, then both looked at Hailey like she’d offered them her first child.
“What?”
“Are you serious?” Nick asked.
Hailey smiled. “Yes.” She drew the word out, wondering if there was something she didn’t know.
“Baby, when was the last time we did anything together, just the two of us, outside this house?”
Piper sighed. Deeply. Like her body sagged with the effort of trying to remember. “Well, we’re going to go to Finnegan’s.”
“Are you serious?” Hailey looked back and forth between them. “Why don’t you hire a babysitter?”
“We have and we do but not so we can go out. With Nick’s schedule, me finishing up my master’s, the kids in activities, it just hasn’t worked out.”
She made a split-second decision. “Next Sunday, I’ll come here. You two can go out for a few hours.”
The kids cheered. Piper looked like she might cry.
Nick shook his head, patted her on the shoulder. “God bless us everyone.”
Hailey laughed. “You guys are a nutty family.”
“You’re our family, too,” Alyssa pointed out.
She wasn’t wrong.
* * *
By the time Wes picked her up for shopping the next afternoon, she’d mostly worked through the weird jealousy—if that was even the right word—she’d felt about Ana.
“What did you do last night?” Wes asked as they walked into the mall. “I texted you when I got home.”
Yup. She’d ignored it. Her maturity—telling herself she’d overreacted—hadn’t kicked in until after coffee this morning.
“I went to my cousin’s. We decorated cookies, hung out. They have an artificial tree so they set it up, took out all the ornaments so they could decorate today.”
“That sounds nice. You’re not missing out on that, are you?”
“No. That’s a family thing. Will you put up a tree?”
He stopped, looked at her, a serious expression on his face. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it. Will you?”
“It’s Christmas. Of course.”
He smiled. “I don’t know why I asked. Why don’t I just help you with your tree? Then I can keep my place clean. Do you get a real one or fake?”
“Real.”
“I’m allergic,” he said, wincing.
She laughed. “Fake it is. Where’s your list?”
His smile made her feel like they were back on easy footing. Even though she wanted to ask about his date, she didn’t want to change the tone.
Wes pulled his phone from his back pocket. “Right here. I need to get something for Ari, my mom, Grace, and Everly.” He put his phone away, looked at her. “And you. But not while you’re here.”
Her stomach plummeted. She couldn’t shop in his price bracket. “We don’t have to exchange gifts.”
Plus, what if by Christmas, he was with Ana? She didn’t seem like the type of woman who wanted her boyfriend buying his female friend a gift.
“What will you put under your tree?” He tugged a lock of her hair gently, smiling at her with an affection that put her both at ease and on edge.
“Presents for Piper’s family.”
“We can do a limit if that’s what you’re worried about. It can be free. We can make our own.”
She narrowed her gaze at him, then started walking. “Unless you want a meal for Christmas, I don’t know about that. But I like the price cap thing.”
They agreed on an amount, making her feel better. She loved giving gifts. Apparently, Wes did, too. He held up two Kate Spade bags, one in pink, one canary yellow.
“Should I get Ari both of these?” He didn’t even look at the price.
“Does she love bold colors?” Hailey picked up a soft blue shoulder bag.
“Absolutely. The bolder the better. She’s … vibrant. Like our mother.”
“Your voice changes when you talk about them. It gets softer, more affectionate. Why don’t you invite them for the holidays?”
“Can I take those to the cash register for you, sir?” An attendant appeared at Wes’s side.
He passed the purses. “Yes, thank you.”
The woman looked at Hailey. “Excellent choices, ma’am.”
Wes smiled at Hailey when the woman walked away. “Do you want one?”
Her eyes widened. “What? No.”
“Wow.” He leaned in, his breath tickling her skin. “You really don’t like Kate Spade.”
She poked him in the arm. “Shh. I do so but I don’t want you to buy me a purse.”
He nodded, still smiling. “Noted. No purses.”
Not what she meant but good enough.
Hailey did her best to swallow down the question that kept trying to pop out of her mouth. As she looked at gorgeous trinkets without seeing them, she finally asked, “How was last night?”
He picked up a blue wallet, similar to the color of the purse she’d put down. “It was fine. What I thought it would be. I met clients, made small talk. I did get a chance to talk to someone who’s worked with my father recently. That was an interesting conversation.”
Hailey swallowed around the thickness in her throat. He didn’t sound overly enamored. It’s none of your business. But it is. You’d ask if it were Fiona. Friends ask questions. Friends are all about the details. “Will you go out with her again?”
Wes was staring at her, that little V forming between his brows. “No. Not like I think you mean. Do you not like Ana?”
Hailey put her hand on her chest, like she could push back the guilt. “Me? Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Way to sound chill.
Wes’s brows arched. “I’m not sure.”
Hailey tried to laugh it off as they walked to the register. “Ana is great. You guys look fantastic together.”
He gave her another strange look. “Just what I’m looking for in a partner, someone who looks good at my side.” His tone was dry but he was still looking at her like he didn’t understand something.
Join the club. I don’t understand me right now either. “Speaking of dates,” she said too loudly. “I have one Friday night.” Why? Why did you say that?
His gaze darted past her head, his jaw giving a subtle twitch. “That’s great,” Wes said. For one millisecond, she thought maybe he was questioning their status as well but then he looked at her and smiled. His real smile.
There you go. He’s happy for you. Because friendship is all there is between you two. Which was perfect because it was all she wanted.
“Thanks. We’re going to Finnegan’s.”
“I’ve heard great things. Who is he?”
They moved forward in the line. “He works with my cousin’s husband.”
Wes paid for his purchases, took his bags. They walked out, heading toward the food fair because Hailey wanted a drink. She turned her head, watching his profile as they walked. His jaw was tight. Was he holding back? Was she? Why was she so confused right now? She’d gotten so good at reading him but right now, he was a closed book.
“I think it’s good you’re dating,” Wes said as she sipped the soda he’d insisted on buying.
He sounded like he meant it but the usual spark in his eyes, the one that made them look like shimmering ocean water, was missing. “It’s just a dinner.”
Wes shrugged. The Wes she knew was not a shrugger. He was a perfect-posture kind of man. “That’s how it starts, isn’t it?”
She shrugged, mimicking him. “I’m not sure I know anymore.” If that’s true, he had dinner with Ana last night. Maybe he’s just trying to be discreet or maybe it’s really none of your business.
He pressed his soda to hers but didn’t smile when he said, “To new beginnings.”
Hailey blinked too many times in a row. She didn’t want to begin again. She wanted to keep going exactly the way they were. She’d been so worried about falling in love again, about being left, she hadn’t considered that not all friendships lasted either. That won’t be true for us. We’ll add it to the guide. Our friendship stays strong even when we find our people.
She huffed out a breath, pasted on a smile. “Who’s next on your list?”
“My mom. I’m going to get her an iPad.”
Hailey shook her head. “I’m so glad we set a limit.”
23
Wes looked around the space. Vaulted ceilings, gorgeous windows that looked out at hillsides of other homes.
“This place is fantastic,” Wes said.
“What do you think?” Noah asked Chris.
“It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“You could buy it, give it to Everly for Christmas,” Noah said, slapping a folded flyer against his hand.
Chris laughed. “Are you out of your mind?”
Noah looked over at Wes for backup. “It’d be totally romantic, right? A house? That’s an epic fucking gift.”
“No, Noah. It’s something two people buy together. I can’t buy a home without letting Everly see it.”
Noah folded his arms across his chest. “Ahh. So you just don’t know what she likes, huh?”
Wes chuckled, wandering the hardwood floors, loving the open concept between the kitchen and living areas.
“You’re an idiot. How did you get Grace to fall in love with you?” Chris wandered the kitchen, running his hand over the granite countertop.
“Looks, charm. I’m basically the whole package.”
Chris stopped, looked at Wes. “What do you think? Buy a woman a house as a gift?” His lips quirked like he was trying not to laugh.
“Hailey wouldn’t even let me buy her a purse.” His chest tightened with how naturally he’d made the comparison. What he had with Hailey was obviously very different than what his brothers had. Especially since she’d all but told him he and Ana were picture-perfect. The words made his jaw ache. “I think Everly would kill you. For that matter, Grace would do the same.”
Noah looked defeated. “Fine. I thought it’d be cool. You get her a tiny little box, put just the key in it. She unwraps it and is all, what’s this?” Chris and Wes watched in amusement as Noah mimed the scene. “She looks at you and you’re all, our future, baby.” He gestured dramatically.
“For the love of relationships everywhere on earth, please stop. Also, maybe you should run Grace’s gifts by us,” Chris said.
Noah laughed. “I know you can’t buy it without Everly seeing it, wanting it too, but seriously, what do you think?”
Chris gave a smile Wes had only seen a handful of times. Absolute contentment. “She’s going to love it. Let’s set up another walk through.”
When they climbed into Chris’s SUV, Noah took the front seat because, as usual, he’d called it first. Wes scrolled through his phone, checking his emails.
“How’d your thing go the other night?” Chris asked, meeting his gaze briefly in the rearview.
“With Ana? Fine. I sure as hell don’t miss those types of events.” Wes leaned back in the leather seat but he didn’t miss the look that passed between his brothers. It made his neck itch.
“You know, we didn’t have to take on CoreTech. If the Pergo siblings are high-maintenance, we can cut them loose.” Noah turned in his seat as he spoke.
“I worked my ass off to get them. Why would we do that?”
Chris, ever the mediator, glanced back again. “We just don’t want you taking on jobs you aren’t passionate about. We broke out on our own because we wanted to follow our own paths. It’s not about amassing the biggest companies for our portfolio. We aren’t trying to prove ourselves to anyone this time.”
“I know that. But CoreTech looks great in there. They’re opening up a New York office. They offer both physical and digital security. It’s a good match and once I finish analyzing their current system, I’ll have a better idea how to strengthen and expand it. I do think we’re at the point we could stand to hire a couple of assistants though. I’m tired of fielding emails.”
“We could talk to Penny Lee at the community center. They’re doing some résumé-building workshops. People are always looking for work. She said you guys were pleased with the candidates for the board?” Noah turned back around, staring out the windshield while Chris drove.
“Three women, two men. Two of the women were former athletes. They’re all a great fit.”
They chatted about other investments, their current holdings. They circled around their father, silently agreeing to put a pin in that issue. They pulled up to the radio station a short while later, where Wes and Noah had left their vehicles.
In the parking lot, they finished up their conversation about business.
“Do you want to meet at the gym later?” Chris asked Wes.
“Not particularly but I will,” Wes said. He liked running, preferably on a treadmill, which he had in his bedroom. Chris and Noah were a bit more into the gym scene than he was.
“Ask him if he wants to play Wii sports. You’ll get more enthusiasm,” Noah said, shoving his shoulder.
“I don’t see him asking you to go to the gym.” Wes smirked. He knew it was just because Noah lived farther away.
“We should run a game of pickup ball at the rec center. If you guys see Rob tonight, ask him about it. I feel like we should do something for the holidays there.”
“Everly asked about that. The station sponsors so many community food and clothing drives but maybe we should talk to Penny and see if there’s specific needs at the rec center. A way for us to get personally involved.”
“Grace would want in on that. How about Hailey?” Noah asked, looking at Wes.
His heart hiccupped. Noah asked like Wes and Hailey were a … unit. A couple. They might not be the latter but he sure as hell felt like they were the former.
I think it’s good you’re dating. Why the hell had he said that? Especially since the words felt like rocks in his mouth. The night of the speed dating, he’d kept her in his sights, wondering if she’d say yes to anyone. He’d had this odd sense of relief when she hadn’t found anyone she connected with. At the time, he told himself it was because no one there had been good enough for her.
But then she’d said he and Ana looked good together. Kept acting like they were a foregone conclusion. Was that what she wanted? The idea of Hailey with someone who made her happy shouldn’t have left him winded. Maybe he should put that in the guide: we will be happy for each other when the other finds a partner. This didn’t feel like happiness. More like he’d been struck from behind.
“I can ask her. We’re just friends.” His voice must have come out sharper than he intended. Both of his brothers were looking at him with matching curious expressions.
Noah held up his hands. “I wasn’t implying anything different. You guys hang out a lot. She hired Leo. I thought she might want to be part of whatever we do.”
Wes nodded, rubbed his hand over his mouth. “Yeah. I’m sure she would. I should get going. I want to put together a pitch for the CoreTech programmers.”
Again, his brothers exchanged a glance. It was starting to piss him off. “What?”
“Why don’t you design the software?”
“What?” He stared back and forth between them.
Chris stepped forward. “You’ve backed off on designing the apps but you’re really good at them. You like it. We were just thinking, you used to love the design piece. You could customize for CoreTech.”
“That would take a significantly longer time,” Wes said. He was not only good at it, he loved it, but that made him feel like he wasn’t really working or doing his part.
Noah lifted both arms, looked up at the bright-blue California sky. “What the hell else are we doing?” He lowered his chin, pinned Wes with a curious gaze.
“I’m not really designing anything at the moment.” Though he’d had several story ideas and played around with some gaming development programs. Which was just to keep his brain busy. It was a hobby at best. Except for Hailey’s Christmas present. That was more than a hobby to him. It was almost finished.
“We’re just saying that we all get to do what we love. What we want. Chris and I feel pretty settled but we’re not sure you do. Don’t feel like you have to keep expanding our assets, adding on companies. That’s not what we’re about anymore.”
That was part of the problem. They both knew what they were about personally and professionally. Wes had always been secure in his professional path but right now, everything felt up in the air. He didn’t know where anything would land. Worse, he didn’t even know where he wanted anything to land.
“Thanks for the permission to live my life.” He was being an ass but he felt like his skin was too tight. Why did the idea of being able to do what he enjoyed full-time feel like he’d be letting them down?
“Whatever, man. Do what you want,” Noah said, waving a hand dismissively at him.
Wes sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I want to do. Sometimes it feels weird for both of you to be so settled. I felt like I was in New York but here, I haven’t found my footing yet.”
“Well, we have an appointment to walk through the San Verde Square property. Once we have an actual office space we can all agree on, we’ll sit down, hammer things out, and decide where we all want to go.”
Chris clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s okay to be happy, man. We earned it. Figure out what’s going to do that for you and grab on.” That advice could have applied to his personal or professional life, but he was confused. The things bringing him true happiness could easily slip away. Then what?
With a smile, he said goodbye to his brothers. He really did need to figure out what his piece in their puzzle was. Noah had shifted from corporate, large-scale real estate purchases and development to a much smaller scale. He and Grace had bought a bungalow near Laguna Beach with the intention of remodeling it together. He was more than content. He was happy. So was Chris. He was technically an advisor for their holdings. He took care of the companies directly connected to the radio station but he didn’t seem concerned about branching out beyond that.
