Page 95 of Kiss and Tell

“The lame kind. I told him we didn’t have the right to ask her to give up her job or her life on the farm with her family. I said it could negatively impact our jobs. I told him I didn’t want to be part of a threesome beyond the bedroom.”

Padraig tilted his head. “Wow. That really was quite the grocery list. You were fighting your feelings hard.”

Miles rubbed his temple. “Yeah. The worst part is, it’s the first time ever I convinced Joey to do something he didn’t want to do. Leave Lucy behind.”

Padraig grinned. “That guy really isn’t very easily swayed.”

“You can say that again,” Miles grumbled. “Of course, there’s a very good chance Lucy won’t leave the farm.”

“Long-distance relationships aren’t unheard of,” Padraig pointed out.

“You’re right. They’re not.”

“You’re over the first love, right?” Padraig asked.

Miles nodded.

“You’re in love with Lucy, and you don’t mind sharing with Joey, right?”

Miles nodded again.

“So?”

“So…” Miles mused.

“So stop drowning your sorrows and go get the girl,” Padraig summed. “Because I’m really not seeing a problem here.”

And just like that…Miles didn’t feel quite so down in the dumps.

He was in love with Lucy. Joey was in love with Lucy. The three of them fit together—and they deserved a chance to see if this thing reallywasas special as he believed.

He was ready to take a chance on love again.

Miles laughed. “You’re right. Thereisn’ta problem.”

Or, therewasn’t.

Until Miles heard a voice he really—REALLY—didn’t want to hear.

“Hey, Miles.”

He spun the barstool around, gritting his teeth. “Rhiannon. What are you doing here?”

Rhiannon looked over his shoulder, her forehead creasing. He could just imagine what Padraig’s face must look like. It almost felt as if Miles had summoned her like fucking Beetlejuice, simply by saying her name too many times.

“I was wondering if you and I could talk,” she said before shooting another glance behind him. “Alone.”

Miles knew when he’d sent that email, he hadn’t heard the last of Rhiannon. But after so many days of silence, he hoped that maybe she’d taken him at his word and was ready to move on as well.

He gestured toward the front door of the pub. They could grab a table in here—there were plenty of empty ones—but he didn’t want to drag this out any longer than he had to. While it was November, Baltimore was having unseasonably warm weather this week, so they wouldn’t freeze outside.

She led the way, Miles following. He didn’t bother to glance in Joey’s direction, hoping his best friend hadn’t noticed Rhiannon walking into the pub. His plan was to reiterate what he said in the email, then send her on her merry way.

The two of them walked away from the entrance of the pub.

“How did you know where I was?” Miles knew she had his filming schedule, courtesy of his mother, but it sure as hell didn’t say he’d be drinking a pint at Pat’s Pub tonight.

“Your mother. She knew I’d traveled down to see you. I was hoping to reach the construction site where you were filming before you finished, but apparently I missed you. When I called your mom to see if she had the address of where you were staying, she mentioned she’d spoken to you.”

---