Scandalous Engagement

But that was a fantasy. They were friends, doing each other a favor, and they’d tumbled into bed in the process.

It was as simple and complex as that.

He grinned. “What do you think of this place?”

“You put an offer in on this cabin?”

Reese tucked her hair behind her ear, then rested his hand over hers, which was on his chest. “I love this outdoor setup overlooking the mountains. The interior would need to be updated to my tastes, but that’s just cosmetic. I love the layout and the setting.”

“Was it for sale?”

His brows drew in. “Did it need to be? I want a second home and for the right price, I bet the owners would be all too happy to find another cabin to buy and use as a rental.”

That was Reese. Find something, make a plan, obtain it. He’d done the same with his Manhattan restaurant. He wanted to move on to a broader customer base and he’d done it without thinking twice.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with Sam and Nick or even if this distillery of Rusty’s is even going to be an option, but I want to be present when I’m needed and I’m growing to really love the mountains.”

Yeah, she was, too. This was their third night here. They were flying to Manhattan in the morning, but they’d shared some special memories here... memories she’d have to keep locked away once all this was over.

“I invited the guys and their fiancées to the opening,” Reese went on. “They said they’d be there.”

Josie smiled. “You’re really bonding with them. I’m glad. You all seem to really mesh well together.”

“It’s like we’re old friends,” Reese stated. “It’s strange, really, but I’m comfortable around them.”

“Have you talked to your parents about them?” she asked.

He nodded. “I called them earlier while you were in the shower. They’re happy for me, that I’m forming a relationship with Nick and Sam. They apologized for how the meeting with Rusty went and I realized I had no expectations for that meeting, so it’s not like I’m let down. I have the greatest parents of all time.”

Josie couldn’t argue there, but she didn’t want to get swept up in thoughts about her late mom or her absent dad. She wanted to focus on the positive and the happiness that was stemming from all of this chaos.

Reese’s finger slid over the ring on her hand. She cringed, feeling like a fraud every time she looked at it.

“Why did you marry Chris to begin with?” he asked.

The words hung between them and Josie didn’t want to give him the truth. If she gave him the truth, that would just be another shove away from being “just friends.”

Risking more terrified her. She’d rather have Reese back in that friend zone than to keep moving toward something that could crumble. She wasn’t the best with relationships; she’d never had anything serious that lasted, so what did she truly know?

“Jo,” he prompted.

She blinked her focus back to him. “It was a rash decision.”

“Obviously, but what snapped inside that head of yours and made you rush to the courthouse? You had only dated him a few months.”

Maybe she should be honest. Maybe that would be the best therapy and they could discuss what exactly was going on with all of these emotions. They’d talk and figure out why it was best that they just remain friends.

“You were engaged,” she stated simply. “It made me realize that we were entering new chapters in our lives.”

She stared down at him, wondering how he’d take her response. But that was the truth. She’d realized she might not be the only woman in his life forever. There would be someone else he’d share secrets or inside jokes with.

And she had gotten jealous.

There. Fine. She could admit it...to herself. She was human and she didn’t like sharing, okay?

“Making a rush in judgment isn’t like you,” he told her. “You plan everything. Hell, you have an alarm to check your planner. But you married someone because I was engaged?”

“I made a mistake,” she defended herself, sitting up a little more. She crossed her legs in front of her, needing just a bit of distance between them in this small space. “I wasn’t in love with Chris. He was a nice guy, I feel terrible that I hurt him, but honestly I don’t think he loved me, either. He just wanted to be married because his family had been putting pressure on him.”