Page 15 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

She slips her phone back into her purse and turns to me, her eyes bright. "Guess what? Since I'm back in town, Mia wants to start back up with our weekly girl's night at Zoe's place later. Would you mind driving me there instead of the hotel?"

It takes every bit of strength I have to keep the disappointment from showing on my face, but I somehow manage it. That’s twice the ladies have cut our time short.

I’d love to spend some time searching the corners of Emma's mouth for more cookie crumbs but as a good friend I reply, "Of course, whatever you need."

Chapter seven

EMMA

When we were in high school, Zoe, Mia, and I made it a point to get together once a week. We'd meet at one of our houses or at the lake and spend the day chatting, sunbathing, or playing board games. As we got older, the board games stopped, but we found other ways to entertain ourselves.

We're best friends, and even after I moved away to go to college in the city, we kept the tradition alive via video calls. This is the first time we've had our Friday night get-together in person in ages, and to say I'm excited is an understatement.

They ordered pizza and Mia made her famous sweet iced tea. The girls are already giggling away as I stroll into Zoe's place. Zoe's a real estate agent in town. She has dark hair and eyes that sparkle. With her long legs, she stands significantly taller than me so I'm always balancing on my tip toes to hug her. She was an excellent athlete in high school, and her personality lights up every room she enters.

Zoe bought this cute little house with a backyard, just around the corner from my hotel. It's a little older, but she's managed to spruce it up and make it cozy and warm.

Even with the smell of the pizza, I catch a whiff of Mia's blueberry scones. Mia has the most amazing long red hair and blue eyes that delight in making people happy with her creations.

She owns a bakery downtown, and she sometimes brings a treat with her for girls’ nights. I'm just thrilled I get to eat them this time instead of just watching them stuff their faces over the computer screen. Since I just had dinner, dessert is likely all I'll have room for so I'm glad she brought one of my favorites.

"Emma, there you are! You disappeared on us at the festival. What happened?" Mia demands, arching a perfectly manicured eyebrow as I approach.

I take a seat between them, feeling a bit guilty for not giving them a heads up. "Sorry, I got caught up with something. A stray dog knocked Sterling and me over. And then we saw that the poor thing was hurt, so we brought him back to his clinic to check for a chip. There wasn't one, but Sterling did some x-rays. It was this whole thing."

"Uh, huh," Mia says, her eyebrows rising again.

The two exchange skeptical glances. I roll my eyes, anticipating their teasing.

"A stray dog, huh? Knocked both of you over?" Zoe says with a smirk. "Interesting choice of excuses. Did Sterling also rescue the damsel in distress? It’s amazing how you two keep “falling” on each other."

She uses air quotes when she says falling. I playfully nudge her. "Oh, hush. It was just the dog."

"Mia says you were at his parents' house when she called you," Zoe comments as she pulls her ankle up underneath herself and sits. "Care to explain?"

I glance at Mia, and her blue eyes look full of curiosity. "It was nothing. It was his dad’s birthday, and since we were already out, he asked if I wanted to stop by for a bit, you know, catch up and all that."

"Uh, huh," Mia says with a cluck of her tongue. She only seems to have one response tonight.

"It wasn't a big deal, okay? They're really nice, and his mom made this delicious pot roast dinner," I explain. "You both know how much I adore them."

"But that's not why you went," Mia insists.

I cover my burning face with my palms and shake my head. "Guys, come on."

Mia leans forward and taps my knee. "Emma. We've known you forever. You always had a soft spot for Sterling."

I feel my cheeks flush even more, and I try to steer the conversation away from its current topic. "It's not like that between us. Sterling is just my brother's best friend. We're friends, too, but nothing else."

Zoe smirks. "That's what they all say."

I shake my head, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "Seriously, guys, I'm not looking for anything right now, especially after the mess with Dean."

"I don't blame you," Zoe relents. "If I were you, I'd want to avoid the dating scene for a while, too."

"Exactly," I agree.

"Have you heard from Dean since the wedding?" Mia asks.

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