“Just helping with her bag. I wouldn’t dream of interrupting girls’ night.”
Delaney took the bag back from me. “Thanks for carrying it in.”
“No problem.”
“I guess you two already met in the driveway?”
“Sort of,” I said. “She can explain.”
Pia looked back and forth between us. I hadn’t meant that to sound so conspiratorial.
“Have fun, ladies.” As much as I didn’t want to leave, it was time to go. Delaney was watching me, but I couldn’t pinpoint her expression. It wasn’t interest, unfortunately. More like curiosity.
“Thanks again,” she said, disappearing back into the kitchen with Pia.
I stood there a few seconds more, thinking back. Howwasit possible we’d never met? When exactly did she move back to Cedar Falls? Since Pia had arrived in the fall, I’d heard Delaney’s name. I thought about the events at Heritage Hill. The New Year’s Eve party. Was she still dating the ex then? He was from out of town, and I remembered Pia saying she visited him a lot. But still, that she and Pia were so close and this was the first time we’d run into each other…
Realizing I was still standing in the entranceway, I headed back out. Into the cold. Knowing the second I got to Cedarwood the questions would come. Being around her a few more minutes, carrying Delaney’s bag, would come with a price.
One I’d gladly pay.
7
DELANEY
“What is it?”
Holy shitballs.“Nothing.”
“I know you better than that,” Pia said, putting chips into a bowl. “Something is definitely up.”
It was him. VitalFlow guy was Parker. Mason’s Parker.
“Nothing,” I repeated, unloading my own bag.
We were in the kitchen, getting ready for the others. Pia, unfortunately, was watching me, knowing I’d lied through my teeth. I couldn’t tell her, confidentiality and all. But she knew something was up.
So I said the next best thing that also happened to be true.
“Parker is cute.”
“Duh. I told you that already. Probably the next cutest of the four of them, besides Mason. Actually, Cole’s pretty hot, in a Clark Kent-ish kinda way. And Beck is… Beck.”
I got what she was saying. If you didn’t know Beck, he was probably the most classically good-looking of them all, excluding Cole who I’d never met. But the fact that Beck dated every woman in Cedar Falls, plus most of the pretty tourists that came through in his preferred age range, dulled the whole hot-factor thing.
“He looks a little like a cowboy. Not that I’ve ever met a cowboy, but that’s what I’d imagine one looks like. Strong jaw. Very rugged looking, you know?”
If I was talking fast, it was to convince Pia that was all there was to it. A cute guy sighting. Nothing more, or less.
I peeked at her just as Pia poured two wines. She was anything but convinced.
“It’s the boots,” she said. “You’re acting weird.”
“Maybe it’s just because I haven’t seen a guy that attractive in a while. So soon after Makis and all.”
The last thing I wanted to talk about was Makis. Even now, saying his name gave me a huge pit in my stomach and reminded me that it had been, what? Like two hours since I last thought of him? When would this guy freaking leave my brain?
“Uh huh.”
