“I haven’t been dodging?—”
“When’s the last time you came by the shop?” Felicity crossed her arms.
“Or the bookstore?” Austen added.
“I’ve been busy. Kellan just got back and?—”
“Exactly.” They spoke in unison, which was creepy as hell.
“Get up.” Austen tugged my arm. “We’re going to Mario’s.”
“I can’t. I have work to do and?—”
“The work will be here tomorrow.” Felicity steered me toward the door. “But right now, you’re going to have wine with us and spill about this engagement situation.”
My stomach dropped. “There’s nothing to spill.”
“Oh, honey.” Austen’s knowing look made me squirm. “Your face says otherwise.”
“Look, I appreciate the concern, but?—”
“Nope.” Felicity popped the p. “We’ve given you space. We’ve watched you avoid us. Now it’s time to talk.”
I glanced between them, knowing I was trapped. These two wouldn’t let up until they got answers. And maybe I needed to talk about it. About how this fake engagement had turned into something very real. About how I’d fallen into bed with my best friend and discovered that maybe everyone else had seen what we couldn’t.
“Fine.” I grabbed my jacket. “But let’s do this at Austen’s place. I don’t want to have this conversation in public.”
“Deal.” They grinned, victorious, and hustled me out the door.
We climbed the narrow stairs to Austen’s apartment above the bookstore. The moment we stepped inside, Austen’s massive cat, Cliffhanger, wound between our legs, nearly tripping me twice before I made it more than two feet inside.
Austen disappeared into the kitchen and returned with three mismatched wine glasses and two bottles. “I’ve got a pinot noir or this moscato that my mom brought last time she visited.”
“Anything.” I sank onto her oversized couch, which had definitely seen better days, but remained the most comfortable piece of furniture in town. She’d really perfected the cozy-reader-core vibe.
“So,” Felicity curled up in the adjacent armchair. “How’s living with the soldier boy?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question? Word is you and Gabe are getting pretty cozy these days.” I knew she’d moved into Gabe Bishop’s house when her rental flooded. His grandmother was her landlord and had made the arrangements. Except apparently Felicity was still there now that he was home from deployment. I knew she’d crushed on him all through high school, and I wondered how all that was going.
Her cheeks pinked. “We’re not talking about me.”
“And what about you and Clint?” I turned to Austen. “Serena said she heard you two were seen looking awfully chummy at the bowling alley last week.”
“Nice try.” Austen handed me a glass of the pinot. “But we’re here about you and that engagement that appeared out of nowhere.”
I set the glass on the coffee table before my trembling hands could betray me. “How much do you know?”
“Well, there was that adorable write up in the local paper.” Felicity ticked off on her fingers.
“And that landscape magazine article.” Austen nodded. “Which, by the way, I’ve had to special order six times now because apparently everyone in town wants a copy.”
My stomach lurched. “Six?”
“Don’t change the subject.” Austen leaned forward. “Spill it, sister. How exactly are you engaged to Kellan?”
“I’m not.” I pressed my palms flat against my thighs. “I mean, I wasn’t.”
“Wasn’t?” Felicity pounced on my word choice. “As in past tense?”
