Once Upon a Friendship

“I’d be there for him.” Tendrils of Marie’s blond hair had escaped from her ponytail after a full day of working over steaming pots. “But...you’ve gone off alone with him, twice now, and in twelve years you’ve never done that before. Plus I’ve seen you look at him. It’s like...how a woman looks at a man. And your voice changes when you talk to him these past few days.”

“I do not have a thing for Liam!” The idea was absolutely preposterous. “You’re imagining all of this.”

“You’ve never lied to me before.” The disappointment in Marie’s voice was something she never wanted to hear again. Ever.

Jumping up, Gabrielle walked right across the top of her piles of papers, regardless of any mess she might make, and helped herself to a diet cola from the refrigerator. Only then did she face her friend.

“I am not falling for him,” she said. “I’m not going to risk us—the three of us—ever. And falling for Liam would do that. Big-time.”

“You know I love him, too,” Marie said. “I’d give my life for him. He’s a great man. But we both know how he is with women. He’s monogamous, always faithful, but he moves on. Even with Jenna. He stuck with her longer than most, but...”

“I know.”

“But?”

“But nothing.” In the years they’d all been friends, Marie had never even intimated that she thought there was anything other than friendship between Liam and either one of them. “It’s just...”

Marie’s face fell, her gaze filled with worry. “It’s happening, isn’t it?”

“No.” She wasn’t going to let it happen. “I just... He’s changing,” she said. “Haven’t you noticed?”

“He’s finally standing up to his old man, if that’s what you mean.”

“And carving a life for himself. By his own sweat and blood.”

“And the help of his trust. None of which has anything to do with what we’re talking about. You’re attracted to him, aren’t you?”

Gabrielle tried to deny the charge. But this was Marie. And she’d just told herself she wasn’t going to lie again. “I don’t know. Maybe. But it will pass.”

Shaking her head, Marie looked as if she might cry. “I sure hope so. He’ll break your heart, Gabi. And then where will we be?”

The threesome. Their family.

“I know.”

“Does he know? Has he said anything to you?”

“No! Of course he doesn’t know. And even if he did, Liam wouldn’t ever do anything about it. He’s our protector. The older brother neither of us had.”

“Except he’s our same age.”

“You know what I mean. And no. He has no idea that...well, anyway. It doesn’t matter. It’s going to go away as quickly as it came. Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to change as far as the three of us are concerned.”

Marie studied her a minute more and then said, “So how about we make a grilled chicken salad and take it upstairs?”

She’d never have suggested it herself. Not after the conversation they’d just had. But with Marie at the helm—Marie, who always had her back and didn’t want anything between her and Liam any more than Gabrielle did—she didn’t mind chopping veggies and making her honey mustard dressing. And she was perfectly happy to take the flight of stairs up to his apartment to spend an hour sharing a single glass of wine and a salad with Liam Connelly. Just as friends.

And with Marie at the helm.

* * *

BASED ON THE number of times Marie had asked him how he was really doing, she wanted him to spill his guts. Liam couldn’t blame her. He’d been doing so since the night they’d all met. Had established a pattern—one upon which their friendship was based. And she knew he had more to spill now than ever before.

In a weird kind of way, he owed her that.

But as he sat in his apartment Sunday evening, enjoying the fresh salad and bread they’d brought, Liam couldn’t find words to convey what was going on inside of him.

Truth was, he didn’t want to find the words.