Page 37 of Somebody To Love

“It is. And the new restaurant looks amazing, Bravo. You kids are doing such a marvelous job here.”

“Thank you. You better take your seat. We’re about to start.”

Karen headed off to her seat, and Penny breathed a sigh of relief. She was all for helping Charlie deflect her aunt’s nosy questions, but that didn’t mean she felt comfortable when the tables turned on her.

“Hey, why the hell didn’t she ask you about marriage and babies and shit?” Charlie smacked BJ on the arm.

“Ow!”

“Wuss.”

“Witch.” He stuck his tongue out. “Go get in line. Cassie said we’re starting in five.”

Charlie stuck her tongue out right back, then glanced at her with a smile. “Thanks for being my deflector shield.”

“No problem.”

She watched Charlie turn and head into the restaurant, where she assumed everyone was gathering to line up for the rehearsal. “Guess we better follow.”

BJ didn’t move. She looked to see his eyes focused on her. They were bright and…heated. An emotion she wasn’t used to seeing directed at her. Especially not from her best friend.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

He thought she looked beautiful? Her heart melted a little. No, crap, no heart melting. She’d been making her pro and con list for the last few days. While the pro was currently in the lead, something still held her back from agreeing to his proposal.

“Thank you. You look great too.”

He did. In dark, pressed slacks and a charcoal gray V-neck sweater, he looked like he just stepped off a magazine cover. Yummy. That’s the word she would have used to describe him. He’d even left his hair down tonight. The light brown waves, moving in the slight breeze. She wanted to run her fingers through them, pull his head down and caress his lips with her own.

Down, girl. We haven’t agreed to his plan yet.

But she was leaning toward yes. Or, more accurately, her stupid, horny, haven’t-gotten-any-in-over-two years self was leaning toward yes.

BJ held out an arm. She gave him a hesitant smile, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. They walked back into the restaurant to take their place in line. The rehearsal went off without a hitch. Del and Cassie positively glowed as they stared into each other’s eyes. Even though it was only the rehearsal, many people teared up. Penny even wiped moisture from her own eyes.

After the formalities were taken care of, everyone moved inside to enjoy some delicious food. A soft run of the restaurant opening, perfect for the rehearsal dinner. Penny enjoyed her penne pasta as she watched people talk and laugh. As part of the bridal party, she sat at a table with the Jackson siblings. BJ sat next to her, and she couldn’t deny her body was aware of him.

Very aware.

One long arm stretched out along the back of her chair. His hand rested on her shoulder, fingers rubbing sensual circles on the bare skin. She had to cross her legs under the table to try to relieve some of the ache deep in her core. It didn’t help. Just when she thought she’d burst into flames from lust, an adorable little girl—no older than ten—with dark brown curls and bright blue eyes rushed up to their table, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a windup toy.

“Cousin BJ, come dance with me!”

He grinned at the cute ball of energy. “You know I can’t say no to you, Rosie.”

Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, he whispered. “Be right back.”

But he wasn’t right back. Penny sat at the table for the next hour, staring in awe at BJ as he danced with his cousin and then tousled and played with almost every child in attendance. He let the little ones climb him like a jungle gym, took the girls on twirls around the room. He even encouraged a few of the older boys to ask the girls to dance.

“Oh my.” Her ovaries were damn near exploding at the sight. The soft yes she’d been contemplating all night turned into a hard ‘yes sir!’ Watching him interact with the kids at the party reminded her why she wanted BJ to be her donor.

He had a truly kind soul.

Even if things got awkward after the sex, he would never abandon her. BJ would be in the kid’s life no matter what because they were friends. So why not conceive her child with her best friend? Friendship was a kind of love, and wouldn’t it be a better story to tell her child?

She might be rationalizing so she could get it on with her sexy as sin best friend, but at the moment she didn’t care. BJ was right. She could have her cake and eat it, too.

Mind made up, she rose from her seat, making her way to the improvised dance floor they’d created in the middle of the restaurant.

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