Beth smirked. “He’ll need them. I mean, the first time he sees you at midnight, bouncing off the walls because you had too much coffee and spent all day inside reading, he might just run for the hills.”
Kim gasped in mock offense.
Then, as if remembering something, she nibbled her bottom lip. “By the way… I’m moving into a support family’s basement. Rent-free. Our lease is up in a month, and I know it’s short notice, but now that you’re married…”
Beth finished her friend’s sentence. “… I can move in with my husband, and you can move into a rent-free basement.”
“Yeah…”
Beth sighed. “I’m going to miss living with you.”
Kim grinned. “Movie night?”
Laughing, Beth grabbed the snacks while Kim queued up the movie.
Beth returned, took one look at the screen, and launched a pillow at her friend.
“You’re dead to me.”
The title flashed:What Happens in Vegas.
CHAPTER 14
By nine o’clock the next morning, Beth was ready and waiting for Bryce to pick her up. She’d been up since six, battling a stomach that had apparently declared war on her. For a couple of miserable hours, she was convinced she’d have to call and cancel, but after managing to keep down some dry toast, she took a shower and felt human again.
The swelling around her stitches had gone down overnight, leaving only the faintest bruising. She stood in front of the mirror for several minutes debating whether to try and cover it with makeup—then decided against it. It wasn’t worth the risk of irritating the skin… and besides, Bryce had already seen worse.
Deciding to power through, she got ready for their “date,” as Bryce had called it.
Now, dressed and with time to spare, she brewed a fresh pot of coffee and curled up on the couch withThe Fake Dateby her favorite author. The sweet military fake-relationship romance had always been a comfort read—but today, the ladies’ man and the bookworm dynamic felt a little too familiar to ignore.
She was so engrossed in the story that the doorbell startled her. Marking her place, she tossed the book into her purse and headed for the door. She didn’t bother checking the peephole—it had to be Bryce.
What she wasn’t expecting was what he held.
A dozen—no, wait, eleven—long-stemmed white roses.
“Good morning,” Bryce said smoothly, offering her the bouquet with a slow, teasing grin.
Beth just stared at them in confusion. Bryce jiggled the flowers, as if she might not have noticed them.
“Lizzy, these are for you,” he prompted, his eyes dancing with amusement.
Beth finally took them but shook her head. “I mean… thank you. But… why?”
Bryce gasped, feigning offense. “Excuse me? A devastatingly handsome man shows up at your door with flowers, and your first response is confusion? Clearly, I have my work cut out for me.”
Beth laughed despite herself. “It’s just… I wasn’t expecting
them. And you picked my favorite color and kind.”
“Of course I did. What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t?” He smirked, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Did you think I’d bring you a bouquet of weeds?”
She shook her head, still baffled. “I’ve just never had a guy bring me flowers before.”
Bryce groaned. “That is a travesty. He raked a hand through his hair. “I need to right this wrong immediately.”
Beth chuckled. “I think you just did.”
