The Off Limits Rule (It Happened in Nashville 1)

“Okay,” I say, focusing this time and situating myself with better posture—perfect for focusing. I let my eyes scan her body again, but this time only paying attention to the clothes. She’s wearing black dress pants that look as if they’ve seen better days and a fancy blouse that, personally, I’d only consider pulling out if the queen suddenly showed up for tea. “That’s quite a few ruffles on the neckline.” I wiggle my fingers at my own neck, signifying the problem area.

Her shoulders drop in defeat. “UGH. I know. I hate this shirt. I only wear it to funerals.”

“Maybe not the best vibe to bring with you into a date, then.” I think that shirt should have been buried along with the casket at the last funeral she attended.

“You’re right.” She holds up a finger. “I’ve got something else that might work, hang on.” And she disappears into the bathroom again.

I lie back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what it would take to get her to stay here with me tonight where I can keep her all to myself. It’s selfish, I know, because it’s not like I can offer her anything besides friendship—at least not for a while. My hope is that Drew will see me settling down and feel more comfortable about me dating Lucy. Is it too much to ask that she not kiss, date, or flirt with other men until that time?

Yes.

So that’s why I’m helping her get ready for her date. If I can’t be the one to take her out, I want to spend time with her up until the moment she leaves the house. Thing is, I’m more than a little scared that Lucy is going to find someone before I can toss my hat in the ring. What if she goes out tonight with this guy and they hit it off? There’s a very real chance that, by sitting on her bed right now and helping her approve outfits like one of her girlfriends, I’ve inadvertently solidified my friend-zone status, and every man knows that’s a hard hole to climb back out of.

“Okay! It’s a little bold, but what do you think?” Lucy says, opening the door.

I shoot back up to a seated position and immediately grimace. “Ah, no. Take it off; you’re burning my eyes out.” I hold up my arm to shield myself from the light her floor-length dress is emitting.

She laughs, stepping forward to yank my arm down. “Stop it! You’re being dramatic.”

“No…that,” I say, pointing to the bright-yellow dress, “is dramatic. Where did you even find something like this? And why does it go all the way down to the floor?” I reach out and run the scratchy-shiny fabric between my thumb and index finger. In the process, the backs of my knuckles brush against her thigh through the fabric. Heat rushes through me, and I look up to see Lucy staring down at me with her signature wide eyes.

“I—” She shakes her head lightly and steps out of reach. “It’s called a maxi dress, and I got it from one of those Instagram influencer ads. It looked cute on the model…but I’ll admit it’s a little bright on me with my auburn hair.” Her whole demeanor deflates. “You know what? This is stupid. I’m going to call Ethan and cancel. I can’t go to a fancy restaurant looking like the sun ate a carrot and sprouted hair.”

“Yeah, but a pretty sun who ate a carrot. And on the plus side, the restaurant will save money on electricity when you’re able to light it with the power of your dress.”

Lucy gives me a mocking smile then sighs dramatically. She looks so downcast now, and my soppy-lovesick heart aches at the sight. Suddenly, I will do anything for her. Absolutely anything to make her smile. I will re-enact every single romance

and female empowerment movie montage I’ve ever seen where the friend takes the heroine shopping, and we will max out my credit card until we find the perfect dress that makes the special music turn on and warm lighting appear.

Levi runs back in the room with super-speed, looking like that little boy in The Incredibles. He’s clutching the coveted dinosaur pants. “See!” he says, holding them up super close to my face with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.

Lucy sits down beside me, and the mattress sinks with her weight. My arm presses against her, and I feel like a boy again. The smallest touches from Lucy feel monumental, like I’m touching a woman for the first time again.

I take the pants from Levi and hold them up for inspection. “These. Are. The. Coolest.”

Levi beams. “I told you!!” He says it like we just confirmed a great conspiracy. “My mom can order you some, too, if you want. Then we can all match.”

I freeze, dinosaur fabric clutched in my hand, and stare at Levi. Because when looking at his big round blue eyes that perfectly match his mother’s, I turn into ooey-gooey mush. I want this. I want a life like this. No, not a life like it—this one, specifically.

Levi blinks up at me with those hopeful eyes, and my first thought is to say Hell yeah, I’ll match you, buddy. Then, I remember he’s a child, and Lucy probably doesn’t want me cursing around her four-year-old, so I clamp down on that and nod. “I’d definitely be down for matching. Are you too young to watch Jurassic Park?”

He scrunches up his face. “Yeah. It’s for big kids,” he says like a responsible adult, and I can’t help but reach out to ruffle the top of his hair. He’s cute—something I’ve never before in my life thought about a kid. He’s also very busy. Not even one second later, he’s taking his dino pants with him and running out of the room. Do all kids move this much?

“Okayyyyy, well, I’m glad you two have your fashion emergencies all sorted, because mine definitely isn’t important or anything.” Lucy shoots up off the bed and goes to her nightstand to pick up her phone. “I’m canceling. Clearly, it was too last minute. I shouldn’t have even said yes in the first place. I looked desperate. No one wants to look desperate…”

She keeps blabbering on like she does when she’s nervous, and as much as it hurts me to do it, I stand up and take the phone out of her hand. “You’re going on this date, Lucy.” Even if it kills me. She deserves to go out and have a good time.

I go to her closet next, taking matters into my own hands. Personally, I love that her whole wardrobe is made up of jeans and tees. She wears them better than anyone else I’ve ever seen, that’s for sure. But tonight, she needs something dressy that makes her feel more like a woman than a mom.

I push past almost all of her clothes, nearly losing hope, before I spot something red in the back. My body feels oddly tingly as I make contact with the soft fabric and remove it from the hanger, holding it up. Holy crap, this is hot. It’s a short cocktail dress in a deep red that makes my heart race.

“That one?!” Lucy asks, coming to stand beside me. “I didn’t get this one out because I haven’t worn it since I had Levi, and I doubt it will even fit me anymore. And also, it’s a little…sultry for a first date, don’t you think?”

Okay, yes, it’s a little sultry. But for the most part, it’s just a good-looking dress. I think it’s ridiculously sweet that Lucy considers this dress to be too much for a first date. For reasons I can’t even pinpoint, it makes me like her more. Lucy is real—what you see is what you get. Which is why it is full-on torture helping her pick out a dress that is going to catch another dude’s eye.

“I gotta see it on you before I can cast my official vote.”

She gives me a skeptical grin because she’s on to me. She knows I just want to see her in this dress. Snatching it out of my hand, she’s marching it with her into the bathroom. After shutting the door, I hear the sound of a zipper and resist groaning at the mental picture forming in my head.