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“You know why I can’t,” I said firmly.
“I didn’t necessarily mean as a lover.”
I sighed, leaning my head against his chest. “With you and Vivian, it was so easy. I’m happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.”
“That’s the thing about happiness, M. It doesn’t have fixed parameters. It can grow and expand.”
“Are you trying to tell me politely that I’m a third wheel and you want me to fly from the nest?” I was teasing, but this was the first time I’d really considered I might be in the way of my best friends’ relationship.
Daniel gripped both my forearms. “If anything, I’m worried about the day you decide to be on your own. While I want you to have the most out of life, selfishly I want you to always be with us.”
Tears clouded my eyes, and I swallowed hard. “I always will be. My place is with you and Vivian.”
“Glad we got that cleared up.” He winked at me, and I smiled. “May I check on the burgers or are you going to bite my head off about it too?” he asked, casting a glance at Stone, who was watching us carefully. Hidden behind Stone’s easygoing facade was a trace of tension. His fingers tightened around his bottle of beer.
“You’re going to do it anyway,” I said, feeling the first semblance of normalcy since Stone had joined us. “Want another beer?”
“Please,” Daniel was already poking around in the grill.
I grabbed one from the bucket, twisted off the cap, and flicked it at him before setting his drink beside him. He turned and gave me a look, at which I grinned as I swiped the cap off the ground. Now I felt I could be more like the hostess I usually was.
“What about you, Stone? Are you ready for another?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I flicked the cap at him once I had it twisted off and it hit him square in the chest. He lifted an amused brow, and I handed him the cold beer, holding my hand out for the cap lying in his lap. That was a mistake. As soon as his fingers brushed mine, I sucked in a breath and his eyes flared. I snatched my hand back, losing big chunks of the composure I’d just cobbled together. With trembling fingers, I set the bottle cap on a side table. The champagne bottle was a magnet for my rattled nerves. I refilled Vivian’s and my flutes to capacity, ignoring her smug look.
“I just love making new friends, don’t you, M?”
I clinked glasses with her. “It’s the best,” I returned sarcastically.
“I better check on the hamburgers and put the buns on. Daniel can’t do anything without me.” Vivian almost skipped over to the grill, leaving me on my own with Stone.
“You can sit down. I don’t bite,” he said, patting Vivian’s vacated lounge chair.
Tentatively, I dropped and stretched out my legs. The sun sank lower in the sky, although it was impossible to see with all the buildings blocking it.
“So what brings you to New York?” I asked, instantly regretting the lame question. I may as well have asked what his sign was.
If he minded, he was good at pretending he didn’t. “Promotion for a new movie I’m in. It premiers next week.”
“Congratulations. You must be excited.”
He shrugged and took a sip of his beer. “I guess.”
“Or not,” I observed, twirling the stem of my glass.
“This is my first rodeo with all this stuff. I’ve done a few interviews, but red carpets, not so much.”
“Are you nervous?” I asked, yet another silly question. Stone Jacobs seemed like the kind of man who had nerves of steel.
“Nah. More put out by being away from my horses for a few days. Fortunately, I’m a nobody, so I can keep most of the attention off me.” He looked up at the blue patch of sky as it turned indigo.
“If you don’t like the attention, why did you become an actor?”
He chuckled at that. “Good question. About two years ago, some big Hollywood studio types came to our ranch offering a decent amount to use the place as the set for a movie. The money was too good to pass up. I stuck close to make sure the horses were treated humanely. The guy who was supposed to be the lead couldn’t mount one and say his lines at the same time. I tried to give him some training, more for my horse’s sake than his, but it was useless. He spooked one of my stallions and got thrown off. He had a fit, flung a few phrases I can’t repeat, and walked off the set. Next thing I know, I’m saying lines and kissing some lady actor I was supposed to have heard of but hadn’t.”
A little “hmph” escaped me as I was hit by yet another unfamiliar feeling. For some reason, the thought of his lips on another woman’s did not sit well with me.
