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“Maybe.”
She’d lost her mind. What other explanation could there be for her telling Josh to look for a dog when they got back? It wasn’t that Courtney hated dogs. Even though she’d only had one in her life, she liked them. But the last thing she wanted was to get attached to a dog, because at some point Josh would move out and take the dog with him. Whether it happened two months from now or in eight months, it would be difficult enough. She saw no need to add to the pain.
And no question about it, there would be a lot of pain—a fact she could only blame on her herself. She’d told herself from the beginning to keep her distance and make sure their relationship stayed platonic. But had she listened to her advice?
Nope.
She’d done the complete opposite and let him into every aspect of her life. Now there was no turning back.
Yep, her heart was fully invested in their charade, whether or not she liked it.
With a sigh, Courtney tore her eyes away from Josh, who was working on a fire, and back toward the chess game they’d started when they returned. He’d won last night’s game, and she wanted to beat him tonight.
At the sound, he turned away from the fireplace, a bunch of kindling in his hand. “Something wrong?”
Yeah, I love you. If she told him and he didn’t feel the same, it’d make the next several months of living together awkward. Perhaps at some point she’d risk it and tell him the truth but not tonight.
“Just wishing we bought some Schnauzer doodle cookies. They looked good.” A little humor was just the thing to lighten her thoughts.
“We can go back tomorrow and grab a Boxer Biscotti too. Or you can order online and have them shipped to you.”
“Maybe we should wait until you have a dog to feed them to,” she suggested.
Josh went back to arranging the wood while she focused on the chess pieces. If she had any hope of winning, she needed to keep her mind on the game, not Josh’s cute ass or the way she felt about him. Her cell phone on the coffee table rang before she settled on her next move.
A glimpse at the screen confirmed the caller. “It’s my sister.”
Had her mom enlisted Juliette’s help in convincing her to postpone the wedding because of the possible storm? Courtney dismissed the notion as quickly as it came. If her mom had enlisted anyone’s help, it would be her brother’s. Before she picked up the device, Josh’s phone rang too.
After checking it, Josh looked back at her. “Be right back. It’s Ben.”
She didn’t know who Ben was, but with Josh gone for the moment, she’d see what her sister wanted.
“Welcome to the club.” Juliette skipped a proper hello.
“Most people start a conversation by saying hi. Some even ask how the other person is doing,” Courtney replied. “What club are you welcoming me to?”
“The being interviewed by Aimee Trainor one. Your little heart-to-heart was on the show last night.”
Courtney rolled her eyes. That was one club she didn’t care to be a part of.
“My favorite part was your response when she brought up Josh’s past. Reminding her of how similar Trent had been before meeting Addie was brilliant. It really drove your point home.”
She was glad Juliette approved. At the time she hadn’t considered how Trent might feel about having his past brought up. If she could redo the interview, she would’ve left his name out of it. “Since when do you watch her show?”
“Usually I don’t, but Tory called and let me know about it. She saw it while at the airport. I couldn’t resist checking it out on the website.”
On the positive side, Courtney doubted Trent had seen it. Her cousin detested anything and everything about the Star Insider. His wife never watched it either, so unless someone told him, he’d never know she mentioned him Thursday night.
“What are you up to tonight?” Juliette asked, thankfully moving away from the interview. “Allison arrived this morning, and Leah’s in Providence. I thought we could have a girls’ night out since you don’t want a bachelorette party. The four of us can spend the night in Boston. Check out the Excalibur.”
She loved her sister, but their ideas of a fun night out were vastly different. Even if Courtney was around, she might have come up with an excuse to avoid going out with Juliette and their cousins, because dance clubs weren’t her favorite places. She visited them occasionally with her sister or her friends. Often she was ready to leave after about an hour or so.
“Josh and I are up in Bar Harbor until Tuesday.”
“Oh. As in Bar Harbor, Maine? What are you doing up there?”
Unless it involved a tropical beach location, her sister preferred to be in and around the city. While Bar Harbor might have a downtown area, it wasn’t anything like downtown Boston or New York.
