Page 5 of A Flighty Fake Boyfriend
Blue followed me into the room and hopped up on the bed after I got in.
Despite the emotional pain of Luis’s wedding—despite the pressure building as work went undone—as soon as I laid my head on the pillow in Daniel’s inviting guest room, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Two
The sun had set before I woke up. Groggily, I made my way to the kitchen where I found Daniel feeding the dogs.
“Hey, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I can’t believe I slept that long.”
“You must have needed it.”
“I probably won’t sleep tonight, though.”
He brushed his hands off on his jeans. “We can get dinner and walk along the boardwalk. Let’s stop by the firehouse and say hi to my man.”
“I’m up for dinner and a drink or two. Nothing like last night.”
“You got that right. Let me get changed then. Back in a bit.”
“Me too.” My clothes were rumpled and a little damp from sleeping in them. “I’ll be out in a few.”
Still on the fuzzy side of waking, I rummaged in my suitcase for something appropriate. The temperature had dropped. I opted for a white T-shirt, jeans, and a thin sweater. When I saw Daniel, I asked if he thought I’d need a jacket.
“Probably, if we’re going to walk on the beach. The wind can really cut through knits.”
“Okay,” I went back to the guest room and got a lightweight blazer. “You mind driving?”
“Not at all. Let me just make sure the dogs are set.” I heard running water before he came back, ready to go.
As we walked to his car, I glanced back at his house. With the porch light on, it welcomed visitors with ruthless charm. This was nothing like what I expected, but it suited this happier, less-driven Daniel well. I envied him.
“You have a pretty awesome life here, don’t you?”
He smiled fondly. “Oh, yeah.”
We got into his car and buckled up. “You ever see BreeAnna?”
“Yes, she remarried, and they have a kid. I wouldn’t be surprised if by now she had another on the way. She’s a great mom.”
“So you’re still friends?”
“Improbably, yes.” He pulled onto the road. “I think we’re better friends now than ever.”
“That’s good.”
“It will get easier between you and Luis too, you know. Let him have his moment without resentment.”
“I don’t resent him for finding someone else. I resent him for…I don’t know. Inviting me? Making me feel bad about my choices? Couldn’t he have just left well enough alone? It’s as if he’s taunting me.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case.”
“I should have refused to go. Instead, I arranged for this date with Laurie, and—”
“You call Lawrence DunbarLaurie?”
“Everyone does. It’s the name he came with.”
“Ah.”
