The Bachelor's Little Bonus (Proposals & Promises 3)

She hadn’t shared this bed often. Joe had rented a loft downtown, which had suited him better than this sedate, family-friendly neighborhood. He’d called her place boring, his tastes leaning to modern industrial—soaring ceilings, open pipes, exposed bricks and numerous musical instruments.

Shaking her head to clear her mind of the past, she unpacked her bag and put away her things, then combined a couple of drawers to make space for Cole. It would take a while to get everything arranged, of course, but she wanted him to feel immediately welcome.

She walked back into the living room only to stop short in the doorway to admire the appealing scene that greeted her. Cole was sound asleep in the chair, one hand still resting on the cat dozing in his lap. His hair was rumpled around his face and he looked younger and more unguarded than usual. She had no doubt he would be on his feet instantly if she said his name, but she tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to rest.

The past two days had been as eventful for Cole as they’d been for her, she mused, trying to put herself in his shoes for a moment. Did he feel the weight of his actions on his shoulders, the responsibilities of the promises he’d made to her and her child? Of course he did. That was just who he was. He was going to have to learn to let someone else take care of him occasionally, she thought firmly. Because that was just who she was.

Moving as quietly as possible, she settled at the kitchen table with a cup of herbal tea while she checked email and texts on her phone. The phone vibrated in her hand and she checked the caller ID. Seeing one of her two best friends’ names on the screen, she moistened her lips. She didn’t want to break her big news on the phone, but she didn’t want to lie to her friend, either. She hoped neither option would be necessary as she said, “Hi, Tess. What’s up?”

“Just checking in. Scott and I just got back from a weekend in New Orleans.”

Stevie was a little surprised. “I didn’t know you’d planned a New Orleans weekend.”

Tess sighed happily. “He surprised me after we left the office Friday by driving straight to the airport for a Valentine’s Day getaway. He’d been planning it secretly for weeks, with the help of his brothers’ wives. We spent two nights in a lovely hotel in the French Quarter and we hardly mentioned work all weekend. Even though it was a little chilly and it rained quite a bit it was heavenly to get away for a couple of days.”

“Nice.” And an illustration of how much workaholic Scott’s priorities had changed since he’d become engaged to Tess. A whole weekend away from the busy, successful construction business that meant so much to him was definitely a demonstration of his commitment to his bride-to-be. “I’m glad you had fun.”

“Now I’m looking forward to our honeymoon,” Tess admitted with a laugh. “I can’t wait to get on that warm beach in the Cayman Islands after this cold, dreary winter.”

Tess and Scott were to be married in mid-June on the spreading back lawn of his parents’ West Little Rock home. Their guest list would be as small as they could politely manage, their theme restrained and elegant. A sweet, simple wedding, as Tess frequently described, was her preference. But “simple” was a matter of perspective, Stevie thought wryly, remembering her own little ceremony with Pastor Dave and Luanne.

“Tess...”

Oh, goodness, how to even start?

“Yes?” her friend prodded after a moment.

On a sudden inspiration, Stevie blurted, “Can you come to my place tomorrow evening? Around seven? I know it’s short notice, but it won’t take long if you have other things you need to do. I’m going to ask Jenny, too.”

“A girls’ night?” Tess asked after a momentary hesitation that indicated she’d heard something odd in Stevie’s voice.

“Not exactly. I’ll explain tomorrow, okay? It’ll be easier in person. Can you come?”

“I’ll make time. Stevie...is something wrong?”

“Everything’s good,” Stevie assured her. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Her call with Tess completed, she shot a quick text invitation to Jenny, who accepted immediately.

“Everything okay?” Cole asked from the doorway.

She looked up from her phone to find him studying her expression in concern. “I’ve invited Tess and Jenny to drop by tomorrow evening at seven. I’ll tell them everything then.”

“Sounds like a good plan. I’ll do some work over at my place while they’re here to give you privacy for your talk.”

Grateful for his understanding, she nodded. “I’ll text you after I’ve explained everything to them. I want you to meet them.”

She wasn’t sure why he’d never met Jenny and Tess. They’d heard her talk about her neighbor and knew Stevie and Cole had become friends, but they’d never all been in the same place at the same time for introductions. In a way, it was almost as if she’d been keeping her friendship with Cole to herself. Those pleasant evenings over tea with him and his cat—they’d been special to her, she admitted now. She could never have dreamed then where they’d lead, but she’d privately treasured them.

And now it was time to bring those separate components of her life together.

“What about you?” she asked Cole. “Do you have friends you’ll want to bring together for the big announcement?”

He shrugged. “I’ll spread the word among my friends in the next week or so. I have a few local buddies, but no one as close as Jenny and Tess are to you. I need to call my mother, but I’ll wait until the morning since it’s an hour later in Florida.”

“I should call my mom, too. It’s still early enough in Hawaii for me to call her now. I’ll send a text to my brother later. He?

?s not much for talking on the phone.”