Page 31 of Eligible Best Friend

“Good lord, Ford. Don’t spout Cass’s nonsense to me.”

“What was your type before Samuel, other than the girl you kissed that I’d bet my paycheck was probably a bet you couldn’t back down from?”

It was at one of the few frat parties I went to, and yes, it was absolutely the result of a drinking game. She remained one of my friends in San Francisco, though, like the rest, I no longer talk to them. I met Samuel the next month. He was five years older, so that ended the party scene. I had to act mature to prove that my twenty-year-old self was sophisticated enough for a divorced, budding politician.

“Just because you’re right doesn’t mean I’m not also correct. Cass resents the decision you made and she’s taking it out on you.”

He shrugs and picks another bite, gaze unfocused as he chews. But I know what he’s thinking. Cass’s parents’ opinions poisoned her and she’s infected Ford with them. She doesn’t realize that it wasn’t just the birth certificate move that forever severed things between them. He wasn’t allowed to be there for her from the end of her pregnancy through, basically, now. The scenario paralleled what his birth father did to Maggie, even if Ford tried everything to make it different. No way would Ford risk that situation again. He’d rather be alone than fail another relationship.

“I feel like we should do more than just meet for sex,” he says abruptly, yanking me out of my thoughts.

“Wouldn’t that be dating?” The idea of dating Ford frightens me as much as it intrigues me. He’s sweet, considerate, and caring. Yet I know he keeps himself at a distance from women, and why. I’ve got to tread carefully. To protect both of us.

“No, we’d hang out like friends and not just coworkers. Save the country club BS for our families. What’s that thing you do on your days off?”

“Laundry?” I ask wryly and snag the last cheesecake bite. Double chocolate. He saved it for me. “Geocaching.”

“Okay. So we go geocaching.”

“Geocaching and then back to my place?” I mean it to be playful, but the reality of what we’re planning pumps unbearable heat through my body. Heat that feels like only Ford can release. He’s certainly the reason for it.

His gaze grows so intense it steals my breath. “Yeah. That thing, and then back to your place. I guess we can do mine too, since Cass knows about you, but I’m worried she’ll come up with an excuse for not dropping Jayden off if she keeps seeing your car there.”

One sentence, and my desire cools to arctic temps. Ford continues to cater to that woman’s whims, but then, if he didn’t, I might’ve succumbed to Samuel. “No. My place it is. I don’t need ex drama.”

Am I saying that to agree with him or as a warning to myself?

Nine

Ford

I’m oddly excited to go geocaching with Lia—and nervous. Here I am, fretting over what to fucking wear. As a dude, I’ve had the luxury of never really worrying about it for a date. Add to that how I never really dated, just going out and hooking up, and this is a new experience.

We aren’t going to sit in some bar and flirt for hours before going back to her place. We aren’t going to come up with a thousand different titles before we settle on a movie we’d both enjoy. We’re going to be active, and I’ll break a sweat in a way that I’ve never done before.

I decide on nicer workout clothes than my regular gym shorts and ratty T-shirt. I’m about to walk out the door a little early for the date when my phone rings.

I answer without looking. “Hello?”

“Ford, Jayden has a doctor’s appointment. I need you to meet us there.”

My anxiety spikes. “Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing major. I think he has an ear infection.”

She mentioned Jayden wasn’t feeling good a couple days ago. “What time is the appointment?”

“I’m just pulling into the clinic. It’s in ten minutes, but you never know how long we’ll end up waiting.”

I consider the time. An appointment for an ear infection shouldn’t take that long. It’s possible I can swing by the clinic, jump into the exam room, and still make it to my date with Lia on time.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

I squash a beat of irritation. Of all the times for Cass to include me at Jayden’s appointment, it’s like she has a sixth sense about my date, but there’s no way she could know. She called and wants me there. This moment might be a turning point. Twice now, I haven’t had to beg to be involved. Lia will understand.

I shoot off a quick message to her about why I might be a little late and jump in the car.

The drive to the clinic only takes minutes. I can’t find Cass or Jayden in the waiting room. Stopping at the reception desk, I give them my name. It’s only a few seconds before they take me back to an exam room.

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