This could not be happening. I watched from the office window as my best friend locked lips with Aiden, and it wasn’t an innocent kiss. It was a primal, I-might-rip-your-clothes-off-in-the-parking-lot, hot, heavy, and slow kiss. It might go on for days the way they were lost in each other. I turned several times, but every time I swiveled in my chair, I caught a peek of Aiden’s arms wrapped around her, the edge of her T-shirt sneaking up her hip. They were all over each other. I hung my head. Well, this explained why there wasn’t Aiden’s usual to-do list under the door this morning when I walked in the office.

I clutched my coffee in my hand as Mary Ellen tore herself off him. He hopped in the convertible, honked twice as he passed the office, and sped down Gulf Boulevard.

Thirty minutes later, Mary Ellen appeared in the office, glowing. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly. Her skin, her eyes, the smile that wouldn’t fade.

“Kaitlyn, that was the best night of my entire life.” She fell into the open chair.

“I’m glad you had fun at the bonfire.” I stood to pour a cup of coffee for her.

“I’m not talking about the bonfire.”

I spun on my heels. “Tell me you did not sleep with him the first night.”

“I did.” She grinned.

I stared at her in disbelief. “But that’s Aiden. The Aiden.” It wasn’t her first one-night stand; that part didn’t bother me. This had more to do with the complicated drama Aiden had dropped in our laps.

“I know who he is and now I know all about what he can do.” She giggled. “You told me he was good-looking, but I think you really downplayed it.”

I shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to grade his hotness.”

Mary Ellen pretended to fan herself. “I have never had a night like that.”

“Ok, ok. I don’t need details.” Imagining my best friend with Aiden was weird. Cole was going to flip.

“I think it’s serious.” She crossed the room to retrieve the cup of coffee I had for her.

“Serious? You just met him last night.” Granted sex had a way of escalating things, but this was crazy. It couldn’t be serious in less than twenty-four hours. Could it?

“I have this feeling about him.” She settled into the chair again. “We just had this immediate connection. Like we were supposed to meet. Isn’t that how it happened for you and Cole?”

“You know I was in love with him since I was in high school. Our connection didn’t happen until I could finally see him away from Ryan.”

I was annoyed she didn’t see the problem with this relationship. Aiden and Cole were not alike.

“You’re the one who invited Aiden to stay here. You know he’s not all that bad.”

My shoulders tensed. “I invited him so he wouldn’t tear the place down. I was hoping he would change his mind on the lawsuit and the demolition.” My plan had failed miserably. Mary Ellen knew the short Aiden history.

“We didn’t talk about any of that stuff,” she admitted.

“Of course you didn’t. He wasn’t interested in that.” My voice rose louder than I meant it to. Mary Ellen stared at me. “Sorry. I just wish you could see how awkward it’s going to be if you end up in a relationship with someone who is trying to sue my boyfriend and subsequently put me out of work. It’s a nightmare. You have to see that, Mary Ellen.”

She stood from the chair. “I don’t know what I think right now. I was hoping my best friend would be happy I found an amazing guy the same way she did. That’s what I wanted to see.”

She quietly closed the door behind her and walked to room twenty-four.

* * *

Mary Ellen turned down my lunch invitation. She said she wasn’t feeling well, but I knew it had nothing to do with her stomach and everything to do with our disagreement. Her flight to North Carolina was tomorrow night. I couldn’t let her leave like this. I tried to think of how I could patch things up on our last night together. Knowing she thought she had just met the love of her life, I realized she was going to want to spend her Saturday night with Aiden.

It was one o’clock in the afternoon, but I hadn’t had a single phone call at the Dunes. I decided to close the office. Cole was somewhere in the motel working on a room. I started at the end and checked each room until I found him replacing lightbulbs in a double room.

“There you are.” I smiled.

“Hey, darlin’.” He tossed the old bulb on the bed. “You closing up for the day? Where’s Mary Ellen? You two have plans today?”

I shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. “She’s not happy with me.”

“Really? Why?” He opened a new pack of bulbs and moved to the next lamp.

“She thinks she’s in love with Aiden.”

He stopped and looked at me. “What in the hell? Is she crazy or something?”

“No, but she’s crazy about him. They have some kind of connection.” I walked into the room and sat on the bed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“And she knows about the lawsuit? You told her everything about him?” Cole was acting calmer than I expected.

“Mmm-hmm. She thinks I should put that aside and be happy for her.”

“What do you think?” He eased himself on the bed across from me.

His question surprised me. “I told her it was a ridiculous idea. How can I be friends with someone who is dating the man who is trying to take everything away from you?” It sounded absurd.

Cole nodded his head. “Ridiculous, huh?”

My eyes lowered to the floor. “I guess that’s how you felt when I let Aiden stay here, but I was trying to convince him to drop the suit. It was different.”

“Doesn’t matter. Hurt the same way.” Cole’s eyes softened. “You always want to help, Kaitlyn. That’s what you do.”

“What am I supposed to do this time? Let her ruin our friendship? Get her heart broken when she finds out Aiden is just using her?” I felt defeated by the whole thing. I couldn’t lose Mary Ellen to Aiden.

“She’s leaving tomorrow, right?” he asked.

“Yes. Tonight’s her last night.” My stomach kept flipping with nausea. Part of me wondered how much was the beginning of morning sickness. “I don’t know when I’ll see her again.”

“I’m sure you’ll come up with a way to make everybody happy. It’s one of your many talents.” He winked and stood, then hopped on one foot to the dresser. Another bulb needed changing. “Ryan and I are good. If you could convince your brother, you can convince anyone.”

It was ludicrous, but I did have one idea that would bring both my plans together. It would involve convincing Cole, calming rocky waters, and playing peacemaker.

“Cole, before you say ‘no,’ think about this. What if we have Mary Ellen and Aiden over for dinner tonight?”

He spun on his good heel then grimaced as his knee banged into the dresser. “Damn it.” He steadied himself to face me. “You can’t be serious. Aiden in our house?”

I nodded. “I know it will be awkward, but it’s a peace offering I can extend to Mary Ellen, and it’s one more chance we have to try to talk him out of the lawsuit. You’ve never had a civil conversation with him. Maybe you two could talk without throwing punches and come to a resolution.”

Cole shook his head. “Only you would come up with something like this.”

“I’ll do the cooking. I’ll take care of everything. We’ll do it after Grayson goes to bed so we don’t disrupt his routine. All you have to do is be nice and promise not to knock Aiden out.” I waited for an answer. The new lightbulbs might burn out before Cole answered.

Finally, he spoke. “All right.”

“All right?” I couldn’t believe it.

“Yes, but the minute he starts his asshole tricks, he’s out. Agreed? And I get to toss him out.”

I nodded. “Agreed.” I jumped from the bed ready to tackle Cole. I stopped short of the crutches and pecked him on the lips. “Ok, I’m going to go ask Mary Ellen right now. Thank you.” I ran out of the room.

* * *

“I think it looks fine.” Cole poked his head out of our bedroom door. He had just showered.

I crossed my eyes and stared at the patio table I had just set.

“I just want it to be perfect.” Not only was this a peace summit dinner, but also our first official dinner party as a couple. There was a lot riding on this dinner.

“Come here.” He motioned me toward the bedroom.

I nestled into his chest as his arm wrapped around my shoulder. Everything felt calmer and safer like this with Cole. I inhaled his aftershave.

“Thank you for trying to work something out for the Dunes, but I don’t want you to be disappointed tonight if Aiden shows his true colors.”

I looked at him. “You don’t think there’s anything redeeming about him do you?”

“Not a damn thing.” He closed the door behind him and walked onto the deck.

“I hope you’re wrong. Is Grayson asleep?” I asked.

“Yep. We read his new spaceship book three times.”

I smiled. I had picked it up for him at the library. “I’ll go kiss him goodnight before they get here.”

I walked down the hall. Suddenly, the walls felt like they were tilting. I reached out and grabbed for support.

Holy shit. This pregnancy was starting to affect everything. I took a deep breath and looked behind me to make sure Cole hadn’t seen me almost fall.

I just had to make it through dinner. Get Mary Ellen back to North Carolina. And then I could tell Cole about the baby.

I took three more breaths before I could let go of the wall.

I had prepared a pitcher of mojitos, the guacamole dip Cole liked so much, and had shrimp ready to go into a shrimp boil. I checked the clock. Only five more minutes until show time.

I carried the mojito pitcher and the snacks to the deck. Cole was sprawled in one of the two lounge chairs.

“Maybe I should go ahead and have one of those.” He looked at the glasses.

He wasn’t the only one. I was nervous. I wished like hell I could drink. I poured and handed him one. “Here you go.”

“Aren’t you having one?” he asked.

“Oh yeah. Of course.” I poured a second one and turned from him so he couldn’t see I wasn’t actually drinking it.

Two minutes later, I heard Mary Ellen’s laughter from the beach. I looked over the railing to see her tucked under Aiden’s arm. He whispered something in her ear. My chest tightened as they took the steps.

“Hey, y’all.” I waved.

Aiden grinned. “Thanks for the dinner invitation, Kaitlyn.” He handed me a bottle of wine. “This is for you.”

“Aww, thank you.” I plastered on a smile. “I’ll put this in the fridge and be right back.”

When I returned from the kitchen, Mary Ellen was pouring drinks for her and Aiden. If I didn’t know they had only met last night, I would have guessed they had been a couple for a while. They moved in sync with each other. Maybe there was something to the connection she said they had.

Aiden crunched on a chip. “This guacamole is delicious.”

“Thanks, I made it today. It’s Cole’s favorite.”

“How’s the knee?” Aiden pointed to the leg still in a brace.

I could tell Cole was reluctant to enter a conversation with him. “Getting better.”

Mary Ellen threaded an arm through Aiden’s. “Aiden was telling me today about a trip he might take to North Carolina.”

I knew I looked stunned. I quickly tried to rearrange my face. “Oh, wow. What kind of trip?”

“I have some business with a boat builder in Charlotte. I was thinking I might make a detour through Chapel Hill while I’m there.”

“That’s quite a detour.” I held on to the mojita I couldn’t drink.

He grinned. “Isn’t life full of detours?”

I wondered which one he was referring to. We were all on a massive detour as far as I was concerned. I was carrying one inside me.

“Are you interested in boats, Aiden?” I leaned against the railing.

“The business side of it. There are a lot of directions you can go with a boat business. This guy I have a meeting with is interested in diversifying. Right now he’s in high-powered fiberglass vessels.”

Mary Ellen piped in. “Kaitlyn was a business major. She’s eventually going to get her MBA. Maybe you two could bounce some ideas around.”

Cole’s poker face tonight was excellent. I was proud of him, but doubtful it would last.

“Is that so?” Aiden strolled next to me. “You’re into business and Cole’s into fixing things?” He hid his smile behind his glass. I didn’t like what he was implying.

“Actually, Cole was in an advanced engineering program when his grandfather became sick.” My stomach knotted. Introduce awkward. I tried to skip over the fact I had added Pops to the conversation. “We have a long-term plan with the Dune Scape and one for Cole to finish his master’s degree.”

Aiden didn’t seem bothered by the fact I had mentioned his father. “Since you brought it up, what is that long-term plan? It obviously doesn’t involve raking in millions of dollars.”

I hesitated long enough for Cole to take over. “Not everything’s about money. The Dunes can be a self-sustaining business. With Kaitlyn’s help, it’s getting there.”

Aiden chuckled. “Considering your only guests right now are her best friend and your long-lost uncle, I’d say your prospects are dim.”

“That’s not true.” I tightened my hold on the mojito. “I have a plan in place with a senior advertising company that’s going to appeal to the snowbirds. We’ll be booked all winter, and then of course there’s spring break and graduation. By summer, we’ll have families. It’s going to work.” I was defensive about the Dunes. I noticed Cole was smiling. “It’s a landmark on the island, and there is more value in that than a development contract.”

“Sweetheart, that might be true. Let’s say you and the nephew here can make a business out of the place. You would still take that over two million dollars? Do you know what you can do in life with two million dollars?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Aiden, I feel bad for you that you can’t see past all those dollar signs.” I placed my drink on the table. “I’m going to put the shrimp on. Dinner should be ready in ten minutes.”

“Let me help you.” Cole struggled to stand from the lounge chair, not his most athletic moment.

He followed me to the kitchen, sliding the door behind us. We left Aiden and Mary Ellen to enjoy the beginning of the sunset. I needed a minute away from them. And a tall glass of water. My mouth was dry. I didn’t want another dizzy spell to hit during the dinner.

“Kaitlyn, hold on.”

I had one hand on a four-pound bag of shrimp in the refrigerator. “What?”

He caught my chin with his hand and crashed his mouth into mine. My lips moved against his, and I lost the grip on the shrimp. I didn’t care that our dinner was all over the floor. Cole’s hands coasted over my hips and along my sides. His tongue sent fire through my nerves. I breathed in the taste of him, only fueling the need I had to consume every part of him. God, I needed this.

“I have never wanted you like I do right now.” His voice was pained. “What you said out there.”

I quieted him with another kiss. I wanted to forget my ankles were bathed in seafood and that we had company on the deck. Some things don’t matter. I tugged on Cole’s neck, ready to take the kiss to the next level, when he groaned and seized at his leg.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I looked at him full of regret for getting carried away.

He shook his head. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me like that. Ever.” He kissed my forehead. “We have to figure out a way around this leg. You are driving me crazy.”

I laughed. “That we do. But first, I better get these suckers in the pot.” I bent to scoop the shrimp in a colander and rinse them in the sink before dumping them in the pot on the stove. I added a few slices of lemon, a beer, and an extra shake of bay seasoning. I set the timer for six minutes.

“Dinner will be ready in a few.” I pulled down the only serving platter we had from the top of the cabinet.

“Think that’s enough time for me to take a cold shower?” Cole tilted his head.

“Only if you think we can both fit, dry off, and get dressed before these shrimp are finished.”

He shook his head. “Probably not.” He gripped the handles on the crutches and started for the door. “We’re really going to finish this dinner?”

“Yes. We really are. And you’re doing great.”

“You made it through my family’s awkward dinner when Ryan came home. You can do this.”

“Don’t know how much longer I can put up with it.” He took a few lunges forward.

I watched as he re-entered the deck and started small talk with Mary Ellen. I had to give him credit. He was trying harder than I had ever seen him. It made my heart melt.

* * *

The rest of dinner was surprisingly calm. Mary Ellen and I told college stories. Our favorite was about a third roommate who tried to move into our dorm room our sophomore year even after all our stuff had been unpacked. That poor girl was homeless for a week before the housing department found a place to put her.

When the last shrimp was peeled, Aiden stood and started loading bowls and plates into his arms.

“You don’t have to do that.” I tried to match his table bussing.

“You did the cooking. Mary Ellen and I can do the cleaning.” He smiled at her, and she immediately began to clear the table.

She giggled. “You and Cole enjoy the deck. We’ll get these done in a flash.”

I shrugged my shoulders and sat in my seat. I waited until they were inside before saying anything to Cole.

“What do you think?” I whispered.

He swirled the last bits of ice in his glass. “My opinion hasn’t changed, but I’m glad they are helping you with the dishes.” He smiled.

“That’s not what I mean.” I turned to make sure they were still busy in the kitchen. “About them. What do you think about them?”

“I don’t know. Mary Ellen’s a sweet girl. She obviously likes him, but I can’t tell if he’s for real or not.”

I thought the same thing. Aiden said and did all the right things where Mary Ellen was concerned, but I still couldn’t figure out if he was legitimately interested in her or if he was a two-night stand kind of guy.

I sighed. “At least we salvaged her last night in Padre.”

Cole gripped my leg under the table. “You’re a good friend, Kaitlyn. She’s lucky you’re being so understanding.”

The reality was I didn’t have much choice. I couldn’t lose my best friend.

The sliding glass door opened, and Mary Ellen emerged on the deck with a plate of brownies. Aiden trailed behind her with ice cream, bowls, and spoons.

He held them up. “We guessed this is dessert.”

“Yep.” I had made the brownies as soon as I got home from work.

He began scooping vanilla ice cream on top of the brownies as Mary Ellen placed one in each bowl. I sat as they served dessert to Cole and me. I kept the sigh to myself. This could all be so different if Aiden wasn’t hell-bent on the lawsuit. We could be a happy four-some, swapping jokes, enjoying cocktails and brownies, but instead we were all pretending that life was different from the layers of this moment.