Page 144 of Falling for the Enemy

She hated how much she needed to hear that. “Thank you. I couldn’t have pulled it off without your help.”

“You could have. I’ve seen what you’re capable of.”

His compliment was exactly the kind of validation she needed in that moment. Rising on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re a good brother, Logan. And a great friend.”

“Anytime.”

They peeked out the window again, looking for any sign of Greyson’s truck or Wren’s jeep.

“They’re coming!” someone hissed from the window, and Jocelyn turned, smacking her head into Logan’s jaw.

“Ouch!”

“Crap. Sorry!”

White light burst behind her eyes, momentarily blinding her as chaos suddenly turned everyone into idiots.

“It’s okay. Shh! Everyone quiet!” She blinked as her vision returned and watched Greyson’s truck slide into a parking spot a few doors down. “Everyone duck down! Here they come!”

The crowd surged into formation, bodies compressing toward the entrance. Seventy grinning faces coiled tight, holding their breath around the coming shout.

Jocelyn’s heart raced. Wren and Greyson believed they were meeting a massage therapist from The Haven for a modest employee birthday lunch. Neither one suspected a roomful of friends.

Jocelyn pushed closer to the door. The kitchen clatter dropped to a simmering hush as the staff watched from the back. Her stomach dropped when she reached for her phone, remembering too late that it wasn’t on her.

“My phone… I need pictures. I don’t have⁠—”

“I’ve got it.” Logan already had his phone lifted, the camera open, his thumb poised over the shutter. “You play hostess. I’ll be sure to catch everything.”

The crowd pulsed with anticipation as seconds stretched on bated breath. Her heart hammered wildly behind her ribs.

He should be here⁠—

The door swung open with a flash of sunlight, and everyone yelled, “SURPRISE!”

Wren’s hands flew to her mouth, and Greyson staggered a full step back, quickly recovering to steady his pregnant wife.

Jocelyn laughed, her relief so extreme she was unexpectedly ambushed by tears. By the stunned looks on their faces, they were definitely surprised.

“You guys!” Wren covered her face, hugging the staff members who had lied to get her there under false pretenses.

Jocelyn quickly dashed the wetness away from her cheeks with the back of her wrist and pressed through the crush to reach her best friend.

“You did this, didn’t you?” Wren accused through priceless laughter. She seized Jocelyn in a hug, her infectious happiness radiating into her like a jolt of electricity. “I love you!”

Jocelyn pulled back and laughed. “You really had no idea?”

“None. I thought we were meeting Freya and the others for lunch.” Wren gasped, her eyes luminous, then gathered Jocelyn’s hands and pressed them to her belly. “The baby’s surprised, too.”

Breath caught in her throat as the strangest little flutters danced under her palm. “Wow,” she breathed, having never felt anything so precious before.

Wren was quickly pulled away as others wanted a chance to feel. Jocelyn stared down at her hands, empty and trembling.

It’s funny how loneliness can sneak up on a person sometimes, even when one isn’t necessarily alone. There she was, in a room full of friends, more aware that something was missing in her life than conscious of all the beauty surrounding her.

“You sneaky, sneaky people. Every one of you,” Wren accused lovingly.

Jocelyn shook off the unwelcome feeling and chastised herself for even going there. It only took one look around to see how incredibly grateful she should be for having so many amazing people to call friends.