I loved Ellie. After she got serious with Jack, the little pixie became the sister I never had. They were a great couple—one who shouldn’t have to deal with all this sickness so young.
“I hope you guys took what you want because she’ll cut your hand off if you go in for another bagel,” Jack teased. Ellie nudged him with her elbow as she stuffed her face.
I stood up from my seat and grabbed my purse.
“I better get going. I’ll call you guys later—I promised Mom I’d stop by this morning.”
“So soon? You just got here!” Ellie was double fisting bagel halves as she pouted at me.
“Mom is a little more overbearing than usual. A visit will put off the guilt trips about not calling.” I gave her and Jack a quick kiss on the cheek as I headed for the door.
“You’re still coming to the barbecue next week right?” Ellie pleaded through a mouthful of bagel and cream cheese.
I nodded. “How can anyone start summer without your Memorial Day barbecue? Don’t worry I’ll be here.” I winked at her and turned to Evan.
“It was really good to see you, Evan.”Should I kiss him good-bye, too?We hugged hello, what was the big deal?
Evan rose from his seat at the table. He leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek. His lips were soft and warm, and they lingered on my skin a little too long to be friendly, but not long enough to be inappropriate. I quietly sighed, as that kiss on the cheek was better than sex with Chris during the last two months of our relationship.
“See you soon,” Evan whispered in my ear. Every hair on my neck stood up. He gave me a sweet smile as he pulled away. I smiled and nodded in response as I made my way out.
What the hell was that?
“SO REALLY, HEjust kissed you on the cheek?”
“Yes.”
“And then what did you do?”
“Left.”
“And this is what has you so hot and bothered?”
I nodded, making my friend Natalie chuckle and shake her head. She’d been my best friend since elementary school. Myrealbest friend. After the Coral-Chris debacle, I got back in contact with a few of my old friends that I’d lost touch with. We had a standing breakfast date at the diner on Sundays that I always looked forward to. Life was a lot nicer when you filled it with people who actually enjoyed your company.
“Yeah, you need the rabbit . . .”
I threw my napkin at her and tried to hold back a smile.
“That’s all you got? Really?”
“If you get a rabbit, he can play with Buster!” Natalie’s six-year-old daughter, Angelica, looked up from her coloring book with a huge grin. She was thinking of a much different rabbit. I was pretty sure her pet didn’t run on batteries.
“Maybe, Angelica. Keep coloring until your pancakes get here.” Natalie smirked at me from across the table.
I didn’t know why I was so thrown by one kiss on the cheek either. I’d known Evan since I was a teenager, but there was . . .somethingabout him now. He was the first man that caught my interest in I couldn’t remember how long.
“It pisses me off that,”—she looked over at her daughter—“those twostill get to you. I want to see you happy, or at least getting a little on a regular basis.”
“He’s Jack’s friend. What if I imagined the whole thing and it gets awkward each time I see him. And now he works with Jack, too.” I groaned, I wanted to see if there was the possibility of something with Evan, but was petrified of rejection. I’d been out of the game for a pretty long time. I didn’t even know how to approach him.
“You know what? If you did misread him, you’ll move past it and at least you can say you tried, right? And I’d like to see all grown up and hot Evan sometime.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I sat back in my seat and rolled my eyes. “I’m sure Connor wouldloveto hear you say that.”
“Hey, I’m married, not dead. You owe this to me. Let me live vicariously through you and your sexy time with a new boy toy.”
I chuckled at her. “So how do I do that? Just approach him and say ‘Listen, when you kissed me on the cheek, did you feel anything? Want to go out?’”
