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“No. Not at all. You probably are happy. It’s just that love can bring an even greater joy. Don’t forget what I said though. It also brings pain, trouble, arguments, worry, and pretty much anything else you can think of. What I’m saying is…If you find the right woman, it’s all worth it.”
“I don’t even know what love would look like.”
“How do you feel about her?”
“Well, I was pretty irritated when some guy asked her out yesterday. I like hanging out with her. I like doing things to make her smile. She has some neurotic tendencies, but they don’t bother me like they would with another woman.”
“If it’s not love, it’s a start. You should see where it goes.”
While Spencer and Adam had been best friends for years, they didn’t sharefeelingsmuch, so this heart-to-heart was off-the-charts rare. It didn’t feel as weird as he thought it might, but he still wasn’t sure he was ready to take the plunge into a relationship.
“I appreciate the advice, man.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Spencer said. “Now, buy me lunch, and let’s go check out your new place.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
By Thursday morning, Adam had made his final decisions. The only change was that he’d moved the fixer-upper strip mall to the number one spot. It didn’t take Kate long to make the changes, and he’d just finished signing the paperwork. Kate was giving it a last onceover before emailing it to Colton.
Adam was hunched over in his chair, trying to coax Luna into fetching a chew toy he’d thrown about a foot away. She ignored the toy and instead tried to climb Adam’s leg.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adam give up, pick up the dog, and plop her onto his lap. Kate’s heart warmed at the sight of Adam absentmindedly stroking her back with one hand while twirling a pen around in the other.
Not good, she thought.Stop it, heart.
“We’ve been working super hard,” Adam said. “Let’s celebrate.”
Kate cocked an eyebrow. “We’ve…?”
“Okay, fine.You’vebeen working super hard. Let’s take the rest of the day off and have some fun.”
Her immediate reaction was to say no. It was a workday, and she’d said no dates, but shewasin a mood to celebrate. She’d promised herself a pedicure after turning in all the paperwork, but that seemed like a lame reward for all she’d accomplished. And would it be so bad to take an afternoon off?
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
“How about I surprise you?”
“Have you met me? Does that sound like something I’d go for?”
He stared at her, daring her to refuse. Okay, if he wanted to play his stupid game, she wouldn’t back down. “Fine. Just tell me where and when and what to wear.”
“Yes,” he said, pumping a fist. “I’ll even do something you want to do afterward. Deal?” They shook on it.
An hour later, Kate was dressed in black and sitting at The Drip, nibbling on a snack before going to meet Adam. She couldn’t believe she’d let him talk her into a game of paintball. She wasn’t too worried about running into anyone she knew, but this was so not in her wheelhouse.
They arrived at the paintball arena with a few minutes to spare, and after getting geared up, went to sit through the short lesson on the rules and how to use the guns. The helmet and goggles messed up her hair, and she was already sweating, but she refused to complain. She was loosey-goosey Kate today.
After the briefing, Adam asked if she had any questions.
“I don’t think so. Just like a real gun, only the bullets are different.”
“You’ve shot a gun before?”
“Sure. My dad used to take us all the time. Skeet shooting and handgun practice at the range. And actual duck hunting too. I’m actually not too bad a shot.” She winked. “We’re going to be on the same team, right?”
He stared at her open-mouthed and took a minute to recover from his shock. He shook his head in disbelief. “Yes. Stick next to me, and you’ll be fine.”
The bell rang to start the game. They were playing a version of capture the flag, so their objective was to cross the field and get the other team’s flag before they got theirs. Adam and Kate were on offense with a few teammates that had been assigned to them in the briefing. Two others stayed to defend their flag.
