“You so did not!”

I shot Autumn a wide grin. “Did too.”

She reached across the table, poking me in the arm with a finger. “You actually spent the entire weekend with our new police chief?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh my God. He’s so hot. Is he really that hot? I mean in bed? He’s definitely hot to look at. Are you going to see him again? What did—”

“Autumn, shut up.” I had to laugh. Her eyes were about to bug out. “Yeah, he’s that hot. In bed and out.”

It was Tuesday, my day off, and we’d gone to Asheville to do a little shopping in Biltmore Village and have lunch. She was collecting more items for her trousseau—I didn’t even know brides did that anymore—and as long as we were spending her money, I was good.

I took a bite of the fried green tomatoes and moaned. “So freaking good.” We were at the Red Stag Grill in the Village. One thing I loved about eating with Autumn was that we always shared our food. Today we were splitting the fried green tomatoes and a bohemian hunter’s platter.

“Back to your police chief.” Autumn forked the last olive on the hunter’s platter.

“Hey, I wanted that.”

“Too bad.” She popped it into her mouth, then pointed her fork at me. “Talk.”

“He invited me to go with him to the mayor’s barbeque Saturday afternoon, and I didn’t go back home until Monday morning. That’s pretty much it.”

She smirked. “I highly doubt that.” Her expression turned serious. “That’s awful about Sean. Is he still in critical condition?”

“Yeah. I talked to my parents this morning. They said there’s been no change. The good news according to the doctors is that he lived through the night.”

“Damn Stephanie. I bet she was drinking.”

I wasn’t going to repeat anything Dylan had said to me in confidence, even to my best friend. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough what happened. Nothing stays a secret in the valley.” When the waitress brought our check, I grabbed it. “My treat today.”

“Okay. I’ll get the tip.” She put a ten on the table.

We were on our way out when Chad and his father walked in the door. Crap. Their office was downtown. What were they doing in the Village? Before I could take off for the bathroom or a back door if there was one, Chad saw me.

“Jenn!”

He rushed over, taking both my hands. I wanted to jerk them away, but his father was watching, and I didn’t want to embarrass Chad. Stupid softhearted me.

“Hello, Mr. Perrine,” I said when he approached. “Nice to see you again.” Not really. I’d never liked him much.

He gave me a curt nod. “Jennifer.”

I eased my hands out of Chad’s. “Ah, Autumn and I were just on our way to…” I gave her a helpless glance.

“On our way to an appointment for my wedding dress fitting.” She glanced at her watch. “We’re going to be late, Jenn, so we really need to go.”

I’d never been good at lying, and Autumn knew it. She, however, could come up with a story on the spur of the moment to cover any situation. That particular talent had kept us out of trouble with our parents many times growing up.

“Yeah, we have to go.” When Chad seemed about to protest, I grabbed Autumn’s arm and we took off. Mr. Perrine had never liked me, probably thought a bartender wasn’t good enough for his son. I’m sure he was happy to see me out of the picture. Chad called after me, but I kept going.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, he walks into ours,” Autumn drawled, deepening her voice.

I laughed at her impersonation of Rick Blaine from Casablanca. Autumn loved old movies, and I’d watched probably every classic in the world with her through the years. If you didn’t know Autumn, with that gorgeous blonde hair of hers, those sky-blue eyes, and a smile that could melt the hardest heart, you’d think she was an angel. So not true. Growing up, Autumn had always been the instigator in any trouble she, Natalie, Savannah, and I got into. She was also the one who, when we got caught, could talk our parents into going easier on us than they should have.

“Speaking of old movies, I got Dylan to watch Arsenic and Old Lace with me the other night,” I said as we headed to the first store.

“Did he like it? If he didn’t, you’re not allowed to see him anymore.”

Ha! Like that would stop me from seeing him. “He thought it was hilarious.”

“‘Look. I probably should have told you this before but you see… well… insanity runs in my family… It practically gallops,’” Autumn said, quoting a line from the movie in her best Mortimer Brewster voice. She sighed. “God, Cary Grant was so sexy.”

“I bet if he were still alive, you’d leave Brian for him.”

She vigorously nodded. “Without looking back.”

Too bad he wasn’t still alive then. We didn’t see each other as much since she’d met Brian, and I missed that, especially with Savannah in New York now. I suppose that was what happened when you grew up and life took you on different roads, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

“I hate buying bathing suits,” she said when we walked into the first store.

She had a list of things she’d need for her honeymoon, and since Brian was taking her to Hawaii, she had three suits on the list. A one-piece, a conservative two-piece, and a bikini. “Covering all possible scenarios?” I asked, leaning over her shoulder and reading the items on the screen of her phone.

“Exactly. Brian has friends who live in Hawaii, and we’ve been invited to a pool party, so a one-piece for that. The bikini’s for Brian.” She shot me a wicked grin.

“He’s going to look funny wearing it.”

“Smart-ass.” She held up a yellow suit.

“Not your color. Here, this one.” I handed her a blue bikini that was a perfect match to her eyes.

“Ooh, nice.”

“I still don’t understand why you think it would be bad luck to move into your new house,” I said as she loaded her arms with bathing suits to try on. The house was gorgeous, but Autumn had this weird idea that she should only live in it as Brian’s wife, so they were residing in her apartment until the wedding.

“I just do, okay? We’ll spend our wedding night in it, then leave for Hawaii the next morning.” She grabbed my hand. “I’m so happy, Jenn, that it scares me. Like everything’s too good to be true.”

“Hush! You’re not going to wake up and find out it’s all a dream.” I pinched her. I didn’t like the ominous shiver that tickled my spine at her words.

“Ouch.” Laughing, she rubbed her arm.

“Just wanted to prove you’re awake and this is real.” The second she smirked and waggled her eyebrows, I knew something outrageous was about to come out of her mouth.

“Well, I am pretty sure I was awake last night when Brian brought whipped cream and cherries to bed with us.”

I put my hands over my ears. “TMI!”

Her eyes sparkled with happiness and the mischief that was always in those blue orbs. “You should try it sometime…well, not with Brian. I’d have to kill you. With your sexy police chief. Bet him how many cherries—”

“Autumn! Stop it.” We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

I’d stand as maid of honor when my bestie got married. Savannah would be home for Autumn’s Christmas wedding, and I couldn’t wait for the three of us to be together again. Autumn and I shopped till we dropped, and then I drove us back to Blue Ridge Valley, where we were meeting Brian at Fusions.

“Why don’t you call Dylan, see if he wants to meet us for dinner?”

“He’s probably busy.” We weren’t in a relationship, exactly. Not of the boyfriend/girlfriend kind. We were just having some fun until it was time to go, so I didn’t feel comfortable asking him out on a double date with my friends.

“Doesn’t hurt to ask.” She grabbed my phone out of the console cupholder.

“Don’t you dare.” Although I kind of hoped she would. If he didn’t appear to appreciate being called, I could always blame it on her. She punched in my pass code. Autumn was always forgetting her phone, so since she often used mine, she knew my code.

“Voice mail,” she whispered. “Hi, Dylan. This is Autumn, Jenn’s friend. We’re on our way to meet Brian at Fusions for dinner. Thought you might want to join us.”

“I can’t believe you did that.”

She snickered. “Yes, you can.”

“Truth.” Would he show up? I hadn’t heard from him since he’d kissed me good-bye yesterday morning. Maybe he’d only been looking for a quick tumble in bed with no plans to see each other again, but I hadn’t gotten that impression. This was me we were talking about, though, and we’d already established that I was a lousy judge of men.

“I don’t think he’ll come,” I said as I parked next to Brian’s shiny new Lexus.

“Guess we’ll know soon enough. Don’t tell Brian about that scrap of black silk masquerading as lingerie I bought, okay? That’s a wedding night surprise.”

“My lips are sealed.”