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"You'll get over it."
The words dropped like stones between them. He jerked back as if slapped, and her heart crumbled into tiny pieces that she feared would never be able to be sutured back together.
"Is she that much of a coward?"
"She's that much of a realist," she said brokenly. "You need to go out with Mary."
Wolfe cleared his throat. "Okay, this is way over my head. Why don't I leave you two alone?"
Nate clenched his jaw. Disappointment, and a deeper emotion she didn't want to name, emanated from his defeated stance. "No, Wolfe, that's okay. We're done here."
He turned and paused in the doorway. "I'll text Mary and take her to dinner this weekend. Thanks for the advice, Ken. You truly are an excellent matchmaker."
Her knees trembled as she watched them walk out the door. She stumbled to the bench to grab on to her composure, trying to settle her nauseous stomach. What had she done?
The right thing. The only thing. Right?
Feeling faint, she placed her head between her knees and dragged in long breaths. She heard her name being called from a distance, but she didn't look up, just concentrated on getting oxygen in her lungs. When she raised her head, Kate knelt in front of her.
"Sweetie, did you drink that much champagne already? You need to pace yourself better. We found Gen, and she's with David. Are you okay?"
"No. Something happened."
Her friend's face lit with alarm. "What?"
She gulped. "I slept with Nate Dunkle."
"Oh, my God. When? You didn't tell us. Was it good? Are you happy? Is he off the client list?"
Kennedy mashed her fingers against her mouth. "No, it's terrible, well, the sex was off-the-charts amazing, but this whole thing is terrible, I made a big mistake, and now I think I screwed him up. He needs to fall in love with Mary, not me. Oh, please let him fall in love with Mary this weekend so I can go back to my normal life."
Kate sighed, rummaged for her phone, and tapped the screen. "This is too much for one of us. I'm going to Skype Arilyn in so we can discuss."
"But she has the flu."
"She can talk from bed. She probably needs a distraction anyway, she was so upset she couldn't make Gen's party. Hang on."
Ken waited. After a few minutes of back-and-forth texting, her screen flashed on. Arilyn was propped up in bed, her nose bright red, glasses on, her hair a bird's nest of a mess, and a grim expression on her face. "Tell me nothing dramatic happened. Did Gen call off the engagement?"
Kate frowned. "No. Why? Did you suspect something?"
"Gen hasn't been happy lately. I got a bad feeling. What's up?"
"Kennedy has a crisis. She slept with Nate Dunkle."
A coughing fit mixed with a gulp of surprise. "The rocket scientist?"
"Aerospace engineer," Kennedy corrected. "Yes. Him."
"Once? Twice?"
"About fifteen times over last weekend."
"Bitch," Kate murmured. "You need a rest, not an intervention."
"Kate, focus," Arilyn said.
"Fine. But I think my record is twelve. Slade has to work harder."
"Sweetie, why are you panicking? Kate slept with her client and they're happy. Sure, it's against the rules, but sometimes rules are meant to be broken. I can contact the dates you set him up with and straighten out the situation. I'm sure it will be fine."
Kate sighed. "No, Arilyn, you don't get it. Kennedy wants him to fall in love with someone else and already set him up with Mary for a date."
Arilyn cursed. "What is up with you guys pushing the men you want into another woman's arms? I feel like we're doing the Slade thing all over again."
Kennedy shook her head. "No, it's different. I can't have a relationship with Nate."
"Why?" Kate asked.
"Because! I don't do long-term relationships. I get itchy and restless, and I'm a bitch to deal with, and he needs someone sweet and smart to complete his life and give him babies and all that stuff I can't."
Arilyn sniffled, wiped her nose, and glared at the screen. "Back up. You are all of those things. You deserve happiness, too, Ken. Why are you so reluctant to take it?"
"I'm not! I'm being realistic about what I can handle and give back. You guys are always saying I find things wrong with men all the time. I'm not ready for forever."
"Okay, give me a list of everything wrong with Nate and why it wouldn't work," Kate demanded.
Kennedy sniffed. "Too much to name."
"Give me one."
"He loves golf."
Silence. Arilyn glared through Skype. "You went golfing with him and told us it wasn't bad."
"Once was okay. Twice maybe. Not every weekend!"
"Lame," Kate declared. "Next."
"He's too intellectual."
"So are you. You're a complete Gemini--two halves of a coin. You love Science Today as much as Vogue, and don't deny it."
"He doesn't respect my food choices. Always makes me try unhealthy things."
Kate laughed. "Well, amen, sister. About time to join the land of the living, and salad makes you a cranky bitch. You're toast. You love him."
"No! I don't love him." She moaned and clutched her stomach. "I don't, he's going to marry Mary."
Arilyn groaned. "God, you're just as delusional as Kate was. Listen, babe, we can beat you over the head with the truth, but you need to find it within yourself first. You need to let go of these restrictions from your past finally. You're worth everything, and Nate would be lucky to have you. Trust yourself to love him ba
ck."
"No."
"Bitch," Kate muttered. "I knew she'd be the toughest out of all of us. You are meant for Nate. I know this."
"How?"
Kate shrugged and didn't meet her gaze. "I just do."
"I don't want this intervention anymore. My head hurts, I'm in a bad mood, and I just want to drink and celebrate Gen's engagement. Okay?"
Kate and Arilyn shared a deep look over the iPhone. "Fine," Arilyn said. She sneezed. "Take some photos for me and give Gen a hug. Miss you guys."
"Bye, A."
Kate clicked off. Frustration beat from her in waves, but she stood up and offered her hand. Ken took it. "I am going on record to say your plan is asinine and you will end up together, either the hard way or the easy way. But I will drop the subject and drink with you. Slade is designated driver. Now, let's hit the fountain."
"I love you, Kate."
"Back atcha, babe. Back atcha."
fifteen
NATE CUPPED HIS hands around his microbrew and watched his brother trudge into the bar. It had been the week from hell, between endless work hours and coming to terms with the fact that Kennedy didn't want him. Of course, he was the biggest dumbass on the planet. Who else confessed his love in third person? In front of another guy? In code?
He deserved for her to walk.
Connor slid into the booth, and ordered a Coors Lite from the waitress. "Bad day, Con? You didn't even hit on her."
He waited for his brother's easygoing laugh and a crude retort, but Connor only shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. What's going on with you?"
Besides losing the woman he loved? "Thought we had a breakthrough with a formula, then found out we didn't. Wayne almost cried like a baby. Told him he needed to get out of the lab or he'd go loco. How's the new job?"
"Fine. Same group of guys, so no surprises." His brother snorted. "Not that there's any surprises in my life."
Nate frowned. The beer came, and his brother guzzled it down like water. "What's up? You're not yourself."
Another shrug. "Nothing. Jay caught his girlfriend cheating on him and went nuts on the job. She's a nail technician, remember? Really hot blonde. Told you, little brother. Stay away from those women; they'll nail you and watch you bleed for fun."
