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“Is everything alright with you and Mason?” Lily asks, and my gaze snaps back to her.
“Of course, why do you ask?”
She bites her lips and I gesture for her to continue. “Well, it just looked like the two of you were arguing before you came over here,” she whispers and I laugh.
Just at that moment, Mason looks over at me and smiles. I feel the look all the way to my toes, but I pretend to not see him looking at me.
“It’s because we were. Mason was upset because he thought one of the players held my hand too long and was flirting.”
Lily raises her eyebrows. “Was he flirting? The player?”
“He might have been but what does it matter? Mason and I are just friends.”
“Are you sure about that? Because I’ve never had a friend look at me the way he looks at you.”
“Mason and I have known each other forever, he and my older brother are best friends. I’m pretty sure that anything you see is just that. There was a moment,” I sigh and shake my head, “... but that was silly, we are just friends.”
Before she can answer Mason turns and asks if we want to peruse the appetizers.
“What was that little conversation about?” Mason asks, leaning down to whisper the words in my ear.
“She just wanted to know what we were talking about before we came over and if we were fighting. I told her that you were being the overprotective brother type and I had to tell you to back off.”
“Brother?” He asks and I look up to see emotion swirling in his eyes.
“Of course,” I say with a bit of uncertainty. “You’ve always been a bit overprotective, even when we were younger. Just like Jack. We are just friends—you don’t want anything else…do you?” My eyes widen as the words slip out of my mouth. I bite my lip and watch as his gaze slips to my mouth and then back up to my eyes.
“Yeah Em, we are just friends,” He says flatly. He turns to the appetizer table and starts loading a plate.
I close my eyes for a moment and absorb the hurt of that statement. I thought maybe just once someone was going to pick me. That I might have one of those romance book moments where the man I’ve loved most of my life looks down into my eyes and tells me that he wants me for all time. That he loves me before he sweeps me off my feet and out the door. Kissing me like he can never get enough of me.
I pick up a plate and blindly put food on it. It all looks amazing, but I know it’s going taste like sawdust. Despite my assurances to everyone that Mason and I are just friends I got my hopes up. Like a silly naïve girl. I straighten my shoulders as I grab a glass of champagne off of the end of the table and down it before grabbing another one.
I’m not letting Mason ruin my mood. I look amazing, and I feel amazing in this elegant dress. I’ve never felt this good before. I’m not going to let his friend zone affirmation steal this feeling from me.
“Hello Emily, would you like to dance?” The deep voice has me turning to see Adam standing in front of me with his hand out.
He looks over at Mason and gives him a smirk. “Word on the street is that the two of you are just good friends so you won’t mind me taking this beautiful creature for a dance, will you?”
I hold my breath waiting for Mason to fire back at Adam. Tell him that I’m his and no other man can touch me.
“You don’t need to ask my permission, but you do need to ask hers,” Mason says, his voice devoid of emotion.
Adam looks at me with a sparkle in his eye. “Emily, would you like to dance with me?”
I put on a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “Yes, thank you.”
I stand up and place my small hand in Adam’s large warm one. He leads me out to the dance floor and takes me in his arms. I can feel Mason’s eyes boring into my back as we start to dance.
“This is a beautiful town, Emily. I can see why you live here,” Adam says as he moves me around the floor.
“Cottage Grove is pretty amazing. I am glad that you are getting to appreciate our piece of heaven on earth.”
He smiles down at me with a mischievous glint that is actually a bit intriguing. “The city is overrated. I’ll be retiring soon and looking for a place to land. This could be somewhere that I would consider. I’d love to have a tour but would need a guide. Are you available tomorrow afternoon?”
The music ends and I look back to the table where Mason is glaring at us.
I look back at Adam and smile. “Yes, I’d be happy to take you on a tour.” He leads me back to the table.
