Page 10 of The One With The Secret Crushes

She gave my cheek a pat. "Sure did. Have fun, sweetie!" And with that, the entire TBCIMA book club left. I stood staring at the door in stunned silence. Part of me in shock and the rest dying in flaming embarrassment.

It's only Flaming Embarrassment if it's from the Flaming region of Mortified In Front Of The Whole Town.

"You like mac & cheese bites?" Scott said as easily as asking about the weather. "I had enough for the group already in the fryer."

I spun around. "We're letting them get away with this? What happened toI find my own dates?" I didn't know whether to be angry, embarrassed, or relieved.

"Well, I also don't look a gift horse in the mouth." He shrugged. "We're back to being friends, aren't we? Let me feed you." There wasn't a trace of pity on his face.

In fact, he looked hopeful. What was happening? And why didlet me feed yousound so damn sexy? "Okay. Sure. Fine. But you don't have to."

Scott rolled his eyes as he stepped around the bar and pushed open a swinging door. "Do I look like the kind of man who does anything he doesn't want to? Kitchen." He jerked his head.

Well this was new. Decisive and demanding were not words I previously would have used to describe him, but it sure fit now. And it looked good on him. "No you don't." I gulped and did as he said.

"Besides, this is hands down the most fun that group has ever been. You got them to stop talking about murder. You might be my new favorite person."

Favorite person but not the one hewanted.

In the middle of the kitchen sat a large stainless-steel table. Scott pulled out a stool. "Take a seat. You're in luck. I have a bourbon tasting group booked for 2pm so I was about to prep their lunch, which means you don't have to subsist on jalapeño poppers and nuts."

"No chicken wings?" My dad got takeout wings from the saloon once a week after mom passed.

Scott shot me a look. "That's on the rotating menu. If I keep them around all the time Big Al turns this place into a mess. Bones and sauce everywhere."

"Good to know some things never change, unlike this bar. Someone's been busy." Still Standing was the very definition of a dive bar. Well, itwas. Now it was borderline trendy.

Scott's cheeks turned slightly pink as he turned away, busying himself with the fryer. "Uh, yeah. Uncle Jerry grumbled and said it was a waste of money, but now that our profits have tripled, he's keeping quiet."

I whistled. "Tripled? Nice work."

"Thanks." He set a plate in front of me with cube-shaped fried macaroni and cheese and a white dipping sauce. "How does a salad and a pimento cheese chicken sandwich sound?"

My mouth instantly began watering. "You're seriously making me lunch?"

The intensity of his gaze took my breath away. "I'm seriously making you lunch, Mackenzie. You in?"

This was not a date. This was two friends catching up after a long time apart. Aunt Sharon wanted there to be something here and there simply wasn't.

Even if my heart was more confused than ever, this was a good step in repairing a friendship that once mattered to me more than anything else. "I'm in."

Four

Scott

We're just two old friends sharing a lunch.

After takingit slow foryearsI was now careening down the road with all gas, no brakes. A few hours ago this exact situation would have had me second guessing everything, but now I was enjoying the ride.

Generally speaking, I was a laid-back guy. I let other people do the talking. I listened and observed. I didn't overreact or jump to conclusions. And because of that some people thought I didn't know what I wanted or didn't care.

That was, in fact, not the case at all.

At. All.

I cared a great deal and I knew exactly what I wanted. And in this particular case, I wanted Mackenzie. Now that I knew there was a better than decent chance the feeling was mutual, I wasn't holding back.

"Where have you traveled?" The quickest way to her teenage heart was to talk about all the places she wanted to visit.

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