Page 14 of When Love Comes Home

"That’s putting it mildly," I counter.

"You should do it," Aaron says. "Maybe having you at the office will help Katherine warm up to you. Now that you're back in Cold Spring, your relationship with the Linders is bound to pick up where it left off. In short, you two need to work it out."

"It's not me," I say defensively. "I can't force her to like me."

"What you can do," he counters, "is dispel the notions she's built up in her mind all these years. You're not her enemy. Sooner or later, she has to see that. If you can't move into the house, then move into the office Jon is offering you."

"What does Julie think about all this?" I ask, already knowing Aaron’s wife is nearby listening in.

"What do you think, Honey?" Aaron asks, his voice carrying that familiar ease.

"You know what I think," Julie chimes in, sounding like she’s sitting right next to him.

"Tell me," I say, waiting for a sensible response, one that agrees with me: that all this would be a really bad idea.

"Julie thinks you’re in love with Katherine," Aaron says slowly.

"Excuse me?" I say, incredulous.

"Yeah," he continues, unfazed. "She thinks you’ve been falling for her ever since the last time you saw her."

"No," I say, my tone sharper than I intended, feeling defensive, almost offended by the thought that Julie, or anyone, would believe I could be in love with one of Jon’s daughters. "Absolutely not! She had just turned eighteen the last time I saw her. You know how wrong that sounds?"

"You asked, man," Aaron laughs. "You've been dropping hints about your feelings toward Katherine for years. We're just picking up what you're putting down, Brother."

***

I’m sitting in a booth, staring into my coffee, replaying last night’s conversation with Aaron and Julie. Their words still echo in my mind, unsettling and impossible to ignore. Lost in thought, I don’t even notice Justin walking in until he’s standing right in front of me.

"Hey," he says, sliding into the seat across from me. "Sorry I’m late."

"No problem," I reply, shaking off my thoughts. We’d agreed to meet for a late breakfast after running into him at Jon’s place the other night.

"I’m glad you’re back in town," Justin says, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Loren and I would love it if you could be one of my groomsmen."

"Absolutely," I say, returning his smile. "I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You know how much I love Loren, and you and I—we’ve been friends all these years. I’ve always thought of you as a little brother, too."

"There's just one little, tiny detail," he says, his tone slightly nervous.

"What is it?" I ask, narrowing my eyes as I pick up on his hesitation.

"My best man is married, and his wife is also in the wedding," Justin says cautiously, as if testing the waters. "They’d like to walk in together, so we’ll need to make a few adjustments to the procession."

"Alright," I reply, unsure where this is going.

"You’ll be partnered with Katherine," he says, his smile tinged with apology.

"Does she know?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Because I don’t have a problem with that, but she might."

"Loren’s going to talk to her about it," he says, exhaling. "We just wanted to make sure you were on board first."

"I'm going to take an office at the firm," I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "I have a standing invitation to Saturday dinners, and now I'm her partner at the wedding. None of this is going to make her happy."

Justin smirks, leaning back in his chair. "Well, maybe it’s time she gets used to you being around. Like it or not, you’re back and a part of the family."

"Yeah, a part of the family that belongs to her," I mutter. "She didn't sign up for this."

"She'll come around," Justin says with a shrug. "Katherine is stubborn, but she'll come around."

---