Page 45 of In Bed with Mr. Wrong

“It’s rude to ignore your best friend’s calls.”

Bri screamed for the second time. “What the hell, Avery? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

She hopped onto the counter next to Bri and swung her long legs out. “That depends. How long are you planning on avoiding me? Because I’d hate to have to take drastic measures. I mean, I’m in a library right now. That’s pretty drastic.”

“I haven’t decided if I’m angry at you for the cabin thing. I need time.”

Avery rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. If you don’t know if you’re mad, you’re not.”

“That’s not how real life works.” In reality she’d let a man who could very well have been her Prince Charming walk away without a fight. The very thought, no matter how absurd, made her want to cry.

“Will it make it any better to know that Drew and I spent three hours picking through the damn place, making sure we found all the condoms we’d stashed? Because that was a giant pain in the ass. Also, informative. You guys used quite a few of them.”

Bri wanted to shake her friend, mostly so she didn’t have to consider the implications. Had they counted the missing condoms? “Are you even listening to yourself? You stranded me in the middle of nowhere with a strange man forthree days.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic. It’s not like we picked up a hitchhiker and threw you two together. It’s Ryan. And you two were pretty damn cozy when you were crashing his Suburban into a stoplight.”

She realized it didn’t matter what she said—Avery wouldn’t listen. Bri vowed right then and there she’d get some sort of revenge on the Twosome, no matter how long it took.

“Speaking of Ryan, what the hell happened? You two went from being cuddled up in a very naked way to icy silence that managed to make evenmeuncomfortable.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Ever.

“Bullshit. Obviously something isn’t right and, if I know you—and I do—then it’s going to eat you up until you figure it out.”

She kind of hated Avery for knowing her so well. Bri crossed her arms over her chest and forced herself to meet her best friend’s gaze. “What’s your point?”

“My point is, hashing it out with me will help.” She motioned. “So, hash it out.”

As much as she wanted to be left alone to nurse her wounds, Avery had a point. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Don’t suppose you have beer stashed somewhere around here?” She laughed when Bri sent her a look. “Didn’t think so. Tea would be great.”

She led the way into the little back room she’d converted into a break room when she took over as head librarian. Mrs. Cleaver had used it to stash her in-progress knitting projects, but Bri bought a comfy little chair and a table for her automatic teapot. Going through the motions of filling the teapot and setting out mugs calmed her nerves. By the time she turned around, she was as ready as she’d ever be to have this conversation. She took a deep breath. “He left.”

Sympathy bloomed in Avery’s dark eyes. “Sweetie, it’s not forever.”

“Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier. He’s running off to take over for a guy who might havedied.” Whodiddie for all she knew. Her brain wanted to point out that this had been coming since the moment she met him, but she’d somehow convinced herself it would work out—right up until the moment it came time for him to say good-bye. “Even if we try to make something work, he’ll always leave. Maybe even for good.”

“Well, you can’t do anything about the last bit, but if you’re not willing to follow him to the ends of the earth, maybe you should give him a reason to stick around. He’s been looking for one ever since he left.”

“What are you talking about? He’s not going to settle here.” In Wellingford, Bri had found a real home, and she wasn’t sure she could bear the thought of leaving. Even for Ryan. The fact that she’d considered it in the first place was a token of how deep her feelings for him went.

“He had a rough time of it growing up with his asshat of a father. He and Drew had to fend for themselves for the most part, so they got into more than their fair share of trouble. The whole burning-down-the-high-school mess only capped things off.” Avery shrugged. “But the long and short of it is that Ryan needed time to find his own identity and some peace, but when he’s ready to put down roots again, this is where he’ll come.”

Hope blossomed, made all the more terrible for how potent it was. Bri ruthlessly crushed it. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m not.” She kicked out her heels again. “Maybe he just needs the right reason to make him ready.”

Her friend was saying all the things she desperately wanted to hear, but Bri couldn’t bring herself to believe it. “He’s avoided this place for ten years. That isn’t something you just set aside. Plus, he loves being a pararescuer. I could never ask him to choose between me and a career he loves.”

“Then don’t.”

“You arenothelping.”

“Well, I guess that depends on what kind of help you’re after. Do you want the truth, or for someone to pat you on the ass and tell you that you’re right and Ryan’s a big, bad asshole? I love the man, but I can go either way if it’s what you need.”

Bri gripped her mug tighter. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

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