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My jaw dropped. How did she know? I thought I’d hidden it so well. “I...what? No, I mean...” I sputtered, my cheeks burning.
The girls burst out laughing. Even Bailey stirred on the couch, blinking at us groggily.
“Oh come on, Paisley,” Dakota giggled, bumping my shoulder playfully. “You really thought none of us knew there was more goin’ on with you two than just fightin’ and bickerin’?”
I gaped at them. “Well...yeah. I did,” I admitted sheepishly. “Was it that obvious?”
“Yikes, a blind man could see the tension between you two from a mile away,” Rory said. “In fact, Travis has been helping me write this enemies-to-lovers romcom, and we’ve been using you and Adam as our main case study.”
“You what?” I yelped.
Rory grinned mischievously. “We’ve been watching your body language, listening to your arguments. It’s given me a ton of great material for my book. The longing glances, the way you invade each other’s personal space when you fight...”
I covered my flaming face with my hands and groaned. I couldn’t believe this. My own love life had become someone else’s research project.
But I couldn’t deny it, because honestly? I wasn’t so sure anymore. Working in such close proximity to Adam these past few weeks had stirred up feelings I thought I’d buried long ago.
“I can’t believe it actually worked,” Aubree mused, shaking her head with a satisfied smile.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Can’t believe what worked?”
Aubree glanced at Laney, who shrugged and nodded.
“Well, rumor has it that you and Adam just needed a little nudge in the right direction,” Laney explained. “So when Peggy Ann retired from the call center, we all figured if you took her place, bein’ around Adam all day every day...nature might finally take its course.”
She winked, and my mouth fell open. “Wait a minute. Is that why y’all were so dang mean to me when I was just tryin’ to help out around town? So I’d have no choice but to take the dispatcher job?”
Guilty looks were exchanged all around. “Guilty as charged,” Dakota admitted with a sheepish grin. “We didn’t mean any harm, honest. We just thought you and Adam needed a little push, that’s all.”
I slumped back against the couch cushions, my mind reeling. Suddenly, a passing comment Hope had made my first day at the call center clicked into place. Had everyone been in on this?
I felt strangely manipulated, like I was the last one in on the joke. But at the same time...I couldn’t deny their meddling had been effective in its own way.
Being forced into Adam’s orbit day in and day out, verbally sparring with him over the radio, catching glimpses of his softer side...it had changed things between us. Reignited a spark I thought had long gone cold.
I just wasn’t sure if that change was for better or worse. Because opening my heart to Adam again? Trusting him not to break it this time?
It was a terrifying thought. But maybe, just maybe...a tiny part of me wanted to try.
I sighed heavily, meeting my friends’ expectant gazes. “Y’all are some meddlin’ busybodies, you know that?”
“We prefer to call it helpin’ love along,” Aubree said breezily.
I took a deep, steadying breath, trying to gather my swirling thoughts. “I guess...I guess I need to figure out what I’m gonna do about Adam. About these feelings that just won’t stay buried no matter how hard I try.”
“Well, why don’t you start by tellin’ us what happened?” Dakota suggested gently. “With you and Adam, I mean. Y’all obviously have a history.”
I bit my lip, hesitating. I’d kept the truth about that New Year’s Eve party locked away for so long, it felt strange to even consider sharing it. But looking around at the earnest, encouraging faces of my friends...I knew it was time.
“Okay,” I said softly. “It all started at this fancy masquerade party Laney threw a few years back...”
As the words started flowing, it was like a dam had burst inside me. I told them everything—how Adam and I had met that night, not knowing who the other was. How we’d talked and laughed and danced, lost in our own little world. How it had felt like pure magic...right up until my brother Tyler had shown up drunk and belligerent, picking a fight with Adam and shattering the illusion.
“After that, things between me and Adam just... fizzled,” I finished quietly. “We went right back to bickerin’ and avoidin’ each other like always. Like that one perfect night had never even happened.”
Aubree let out a low whistle. “Dang. That’s heavy.”
“And you never talked about it? Never tried to clear the air?” Rory asked, her brow furrowed.
