Page 13 of Forever, Finally

“I don’t know that I’d mind that.” She reached for the bowl of cut-up fruit she’d set in the center of the table. “Any other house rules you want to discuss?”

“How about no sleepover dates?”

“I don’t want to crimp your style.”

“I mean for you.”

She froze with a spoonful of fruit half way between the bowl and her plate. Her eyes widened, then her lips curved.

“You are so kidding. Me? Have a man around? Not likely.”

“Giving up so easily?”

“The disaster that was my ex-fianc;aae was many things, but easy wasn’t one of them. In the immortal words of my generation—been there, done that.”

Jake had been sure there wasn’t anyone significant in her life, but he’d wanted to ask just in case he’d missed something. Now that she was getting over Michael and settling in with the idea of a baby, he needed either to come clean with how he was feeling or get over her. Only three things held him back: finding the right words, the concern that he was changing the rules and therefore their relationship, and the realization that the first time he’d started to tell her he was in love with her, she’d announced she was in love with someone else, and the second she’d told him she was pregnant. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what would happen the third time around.

She finished dishing up her fruit. “So we have the house rules in place? I promise not to leave my lingerie hanging in the bathroom and you promise to compliment me on my cooking.”

“You have your own bathroom, but either way I wouldn’t mind the lingerie.”

She laughed. “Let me tell you, when a woman gets seriously pregnant, her lacy things take a quick turn for the practical.”

“I might think they were sexy, too.”

“I doubt it.”

She was wrong, but he didn’t tell her that. She wouldn’t believe him and he didn’t want to try to convince her. Not when she had to leave for her shift at the hospital in a few minutes. But soon, he promised himself. Very soon.

CHAPTER 3

On Saturday, Lily found herself once more in the kitchen. After fixing pancakes for Jake, she started boiling potatoes and chopping up celery.

“Morning,” Jake said as he strolled into the room.

He was fresh out of the shower, wearing jeans and little else. Lily’s attempt at a greeting got stuck in her throat when she saw his bare, broad chest and tight abs.

“For the, ah, picnic,” she said, gesturing to the pot. “I’m making the potato salad.”

He crossed to the coffeepot. “So you’ve arrived in the Stone family. Mom is trusting you with a sacred duty.”

“I know. It’s pretty exciting. I have her recipe, so I should do okay.”

He poured a cup of coffee then moved next to her and lightly kissed her cheek. “Sleep well?”

“Uh-huh. Great.”

He smelled of soap and something else. Something male and appealing.

Get a grip, she told herself. This was Jake. Her friend. He wasn’t a guy she could lust after. Sure, he was good-looking and all that, but she’d known him forever and they just didn’t have that kind of a relationship.

But that didn’t stop her from wanting to turn and step into his embrace, despite the lack of potential romance when her belly got in the way.

But she didn’t move, didn’t do anything. Mostly because she didn’t want to see pity in Jake’s eyes when he explained why they would only ever be friends.

Not that she wanted anything different, she told herself. She didn’t. She liked things exactly the way they were.

“Earth to Lily,” he said. “You’re frowning and holding a very large knife. The combination makes me nervous.”

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