“Wait—” My jaw dropped as I adjusted the laptop over my thighs. “Your father is there? And he’s getting married? Do you know who she is?”
“Her name is Darlene, and he’s in love enough to grow a beard.”
“Oh my.”
“Exactly. He wouldn’t ask her until he told me, so as I was leaving work today, I had a surprise visitor. He told me over dinner.”
“Wow, that’s a big day. How do you feel about it?”
He shrugged. “I’m happy for him. It’s still odd to think of him with anyone other than my mother. Or to know that he’s been dating women all this time. He said he didn’t want to tell me unless he met someone worth introducing me to.”
“Seriously? I hate to break it to you, but your father is a silver fox. I am sure since you left Connecticut, he’s dated plenty.”
“Ugh, Jules.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Don’t call my father a silver fox.”
“A few more gray bristles in your beard and you’re heading in that direction, buddy.”
“Oh yeah?” He ran his hand over his jaw, brow arched, shooting me a playful scowl. Our friendship was built on teasing back and forth, but the way his dark eyes narrowed at me gave tonight’s teasing a much different connotation.
“Like you don’t know. Anyway—” I cleared my throat when I noticed the rasp in my voice “—when does New York happen?”
“I’ll be up in a few weeks to hopefully sort out an apartment and the office space we’re renting. Dad wants you to come to dinner with us to meet Darlene, so I’ll let you know what weekend I’ll be up.”
“He does? I love your dad. I’d be happy to meet her, and yes, I can clear my schedule of doing nothing that day for you.”
“I appreciate it,” he said. There was the crooked grin again. “How did the recruiter go?”
“Very well, and my old boss contacted me this morning about a part-time freelance project. So things are looking up, finally.”
“That’s awesome, Jules. See, I told you.”
“You did.”
“You’re feeling okay?” His cocky smile softened as his brow furrowed. The poor guy would always be worried, and I’d made it worse by lying for so long. I would have felt guilty at the way he chewed on his bottom lip if it weren’t so hot.
“Yes. Great, actually. I got a ton of sleep yesterday and had a wonderfully productive day. The girls on my old team even commented on how good I looked.”
“You’re beautiful, Jules. I think I told you that too.”
He was the beautiful one. Not only because of his perfect face. He had a big, gorgeous heart he’d pretend was closed but always opened wide for me—every time. Maybe if I’d let him in from the beginning, when I’d first become sick, I wouldn’t have taken so long to get the confidence to try to be myself again because he would have pushed me to get there. He loved old me and new me unconditionally, and I’d always felt the same way about him.
As much as I didn’t want to see him in this new light—the one that made me not only miss him but made me jealous of the computer across his lap because I wanted to bethatclose to him—it wouldn’t turn off.
“Back at you, doll,” I teased, getting a chuckle out of him as he shifted on the bed.
“I like seeing your face on-screen again,” Landon said, moving his laptop closer.
“Try to give me a little more notice next time. I’ll wear the good pajamas.”
“I see nothing wrong withthosepajamas.” His eyes flicked to my chest as a flush ran up my neck. I was overattuned to body parts that felt hot or clammy, but this heat had nothing to do with lupus and everything to do with my hot best friend.
“I better get some sleep. I’m on a good energy streak of one day, trying to go for two.”
“Yes. That’s important. I’ll text you in the morning.”
I set the laptop next to me and turned on my side.
“I admit I got a kick out of my ‘Good morning, wife’ text.”
