Page 65 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
I glance up, and she’s smirking at me, one eyebrow arched. “Like, really happy.”
Shit. How does she always know?
“What? No, I—” I stammer, but the words die on my lips. Because she’s right. I feel…I don’t even know. Warm and glowing andalivein a way I haven’t in a long time.
“So?” Hailey presses, leaning closer, her grin widening. “What’s going on? Who put that smile on your face?”
I open my mouth, then close it, my heart racing. Jace’s face flashes in my mind—those intense eyes, the way he looked at me like I was his whole world.
But then, just as quickly, Ben’s face replaces his, the feel of his body against mine, his lips murmuring words against my skin. And Tanner’s, with his hands and his teasing smile, the way he devoured me in that kitchen like I was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted.
Oh, God.
I force a laugh, shaking my head. “Nothing,” I say quickly, waving her off. “I’m just…I don’t know, my best friend is getting married. Of course, I’m happy. I’m extremely happy.”
Hailey’s eyes narrow. “Don’t give me that crap, Em. I know you. Something happened.”
“It’s really nothing,” I mumble, my gaze darting down to the table.
Of course, she doesn’t knoweverythingthat’s happened. And thank God for that, because how the hell would I even begin to explain it? Hey, Hailey, guess what? I slept with your brother, but also, I kind of did stuff with two of his friends and oh, by the way, I’m more confused than I’ve ever been in my entire life.
Right. That’ll go over well.
“Emily?” Hailey’s voice pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I blink up at her. Her brow is furrowed now, her teasing smile replaced by concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say quickly, forcing a smile. “I’m just…I guess I didn’t sleep much.”
Hailey eyes me skeptically, but Sam leans forward before she can say anything else, resting his elbows on the table. “Give her a break, Hails. Maybe she’s just in a good mood.”
Hailey rolls her eyes but sits back.
The waiter sets our breakfast plates in front of us, and I try to focus on the food instead of the tornado of thoughts swirling in my head. Hailey digs into her scrambled eggs with gusto, seemingly more relaxed than I’ve seen her in days. Sam’s next to her, sipping his coffee, his eyes crinkling with a quiet smile as he watches her eat.
“Well, at least the food’s still good, even if everything else is falling apart,” Hailey says with a sigh, giving her plate an appreciative nod. “I needed this.”
I smile weakly, picking up my fork. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Hey, at least we got some news this morning,” she adds, wiping her mouth with her napkin. “Looks like we’re stuck here until the storm lets up.”
“Really?” I say.
“For how long?”
Hailey shrugs, a resigned expression on her face. “A few more days, maybe a week. The roads are a mess, and there’s no way we’re getting out of here until they’re cleared. We’re thinking of postponing the wedding by a day or two to get everything in order.”
I put my fork down, leaning forward. “Are you sure? I can make it work with the time we have left.”
But Hailey shakes her head, smiling softly. “Em, I know you’re Wonder Woman and all, but I’d rather have a good wedding than a rushed one. I don’t want it to feel like we’re scrambling last-minute.” She shrugs, glancing at Sam, who nodsin agreement. “We’ll take a couple of days, get everything set up properly, and then—boom. Wedding of the year.”
I blow out a breath, nodding slowly. “Okay. That makes sense, I guess.” I try to muster a smile for her, even though I can feel the tension coiling tighter in my chest.
“Tanner was helping you out with the cake, right?”
“Yep,” I say distractedly. Shit the last time I saw the cake; it was in the oven. I totally blanked on it, considering everything that happened afterward. But I can’t tell her that. “Tanner was surprisingly helpful. In fact, he’s awesome.”
“What about his friend?” she says with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Excuse me.”
