Page 22 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

Mia chimes in, "And you know we're always up for a good challenge. Let's make this unforgettable."

With the plan in motion, Mia starts jotting down ideas, her enthusiasm contagious. I can't help but smile at her creative energy.

"So, Em," Zoe says with a sly grin, "you and Sterling came up with this idea together, did you?"

I chuckle, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. "He's been wanting to do this for a long time, and I offered to help organize a fundraiser to get it off the ground. We're hoping to make a real impact in Cedar Creek. That's it, of course.”

But I can’t hold back a grin. I definitely won’t mind spending more time with him, but I’m not going to tell them that.

And there's no chance I'm mentioning my thank you massage and kiss. Clearly, I didn't think through. I knew it was moving past friendly but I'm not sure I wanted to stop it, either. I was definitely enjoying myself.

Mia glances over at her cupcake and lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Strictly business."

I shoot her a playful glare. "You two watch too many rom coms. Sterling's been a great friend, and I'm just happy to be working with him on this project."

Half-truth, moving on.

Zoe smirks. "Ok, maybe we’ll start to believe you if you stop blushing every time you say his name."

Mia adds, "We’ll be here waiting when the ‘just friends’ façade starts to crack.”

I shake my head, laughing at their antics. "You two are incorrigible."

Mia grins. "What are best friends for?”

"Listen, I'm going back home at the end of the summer, and I-"

"Oh," Zoe remarks, "you're staying the whole summer now, are you? That's new. What changed?"

I can't help but chuckle, shaking my head at their silliness. "Well, Sterling and I-"

Zoe and Mia look at each other, then start laughing so hard they both fall off their chairs, purposely landing in a heap together.

“Oh, Sterling, I’m so sorry. I definitely don’t mean to accidentally on purpose fall on top of you every couple of days while we’re innocently working on our project together,” Zoe says.

Mia gets in on the act. “Oh, Emma, it wasn’t you, it was me. I’m just so clumsy sometimes, even though I’m very athletic and muscular. Good thing there’s not like a tiny mouse around or it could happen again at any time. I’m easily tripped up by the smallest of animals.”

They start making kissy faces at each other.

“Sterling, could you help me up, please?" Zoe bats her eyes at Mia.

“Of course.” Mia reaches out her hand for Zoe and they start to stand, but then fall down… again.

“Oopsie, Emma, like I said, so clumsy. Could you fall a little more to the left so you’re actually close enough to kiss me this time?” Enter more kissy faces.

Their laughter echoes through the bakery. I can’t imagine the shade of fire engine red my face must be. Especially since their little act is more accurate that they realize.

“All right, you two. You’ve had your fun. Now let’s get to work.” Zoe and Mia pull me into a group hug.

“That was fun,” Zoe adds. “You know we love you, Emma.”

“I know.” I give them both a quick squeeze.

Mia gets us refocused. "You need the summer for the project. We understand. Now, tell us more about the nitty-gritty details of this event. What else do you need from us?"

I dive back into the plans, discussing logistics, potential contacts, and ways to maximize community involvement. Mia and Zoe offer valuable insights and suggestions, their enthusiasm matching mine. As we brainstorm, the atmosphere in the bakery becomes charged with creative energy, and I can't help but feel grateful for the support of these incredible friends.

Once we've covered every angle, Zoe leans back, her gaze thoughtful. "This sounds like it's going to be quite the event."

---