Page 14 of When Love Is Unexpected

"Maybe I will," he says, calling my bluff.

"Really," I say. "So, you find her attractive?

Zoe has platinum blonde hair cut into a pixie. She's maybe five feet tall and has a curvy body. She wears a lot of jewelry, including a few earrings in each ear and one in her nose. She has the name Shawn tattooed on her wrist. I wonder if that's her child or her ex.

"Laila Marie Linder," he says, "are you jealous?"

"Absolutely not!" I say vehemently.

"I think you're jealous," he says again—this time in a teasing tone.

When I cross my arms, he starts tickling me.

Suddenly, I think of Jon and how he arches his back when I tickle him. Is tickling Sam's love language, too?

"Stop!" I say. "Stop!"

I laugh, and he laughs. Next thing I know, I'm resting in his arms, with my back on his chest. He puts his hand up, and I put mine over his.

"Your hands are huge!" I joke.

It feels different when he shifts his hand and interlaces his fingers with mine. Intimate. I've held his hand this way plenty of times, but when he does it just now, my heart skips a beat.

"When we're in San Diego," he says, "we have to act like we're dating."

"Okay," I say, feeling the warmth of his skin touch more than my hand. I feel it inside my soul.

"My family is very affectionate," he says.

"So is mine," I counter. "You've seen my sisters with their husbands. Shoot, my mom and dad!"

"So, how exactly should we handle the public display of affection necessary to pull this off?" he asks.

"Holding hands is a must," I say, squeezing his hand.

"Expect me to put my arm around you more often," he says. "They'll be expecting that."

"I think we'll be okay in that regard," I say. "We're pretty close friends, and we don't feel awkward around each other."

"Well," he says, "I've been gone, so we have a little catching up to do."

"Thus, the handholding right now," I say, pulling up our intertwined hands as proof.

"I think we got this," he says, smiling.

"What about kissing?" I ask.

"What about it?" he asks. "I'll kiss you on the cheek."

"If we go two whole months without one kiss," I say, "they'll know something's up."

"I'll tell my family you're uncomfortable showing affection out in the open."

"Do you think that'll suffice?" I ask.

"Well," he says, "what do you suggest?"

"We're both adults," I say. "I think we can give each other a peck here and there. They wouldn't be expecting us to make out in front of them anyway, right?"

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