But now, sitting across from him, her skin was telling her a different story. A whole lifetime of being friends with absolutely no attraction between them, and today her skin decides to get all tingly? Really bad timing. Maybe it was a rebound thing? She had just gotten her heart broken. That must be it.
She sat back and took a sip of her Diet Coke. She couldn’t have a rebound fling with Drew. That was totally off-limits. And wrong. Drew was seeing Shelly. And she was . . . alone. The thought made her stiffen. She stuffed the last of her nachos in her mouth. This line of thinking wasn’t good for her; she had to ignore her situation and have fun with her best friend.
She swallowed the last of her soda and stood. “Let’s go scare our pants off.”
Drew grinned and pushed his glasses up with one finger in that classic nerdy move of his. Although he didn’t look nearly as nerdy now that he’d grown some manly muscles. He tossed the trash into the bin. “Wanna start at the big haunted house?”
“Sounds great. I want to hear you squeal like a girl.”
His mouth popped open in fake shock as they walked outside. “I don’t squeal. I yell like a dignified man.”
She laughed and attempted to ruffle his hair, but he moved out of the way. “What’s wrong, squirt?”
“I think it’s time we get rid of that nickname.”
A tiny pumpkin lay in the dirt path, and she stepped over it. She landed funny and had to grab onto Drew’s arm to keep from falling. “What should I replace it with?”
He scratched his chin. “Master of the Universe?”
She lightly punched his arm and laughed again. “I’m so not calling you that and feeding into your He-Man obsession.”
“How about Handsomest of All?”
“I think your new nickname should be Most Annoying of All.”
Drew shot her a hurt look and she quickly amended with, “Just kidding.”
They slowed as they neared the haunted house. She opened the door and shoved him inside. “Hey,” he said, turning to scowl at her. “No pushing.”
She giggled and stepped in beside him. Darkness enveloped them as the door closed. A glowing ghostly figure floated ahead. It looked like a hologram or something. “Wow, they’ve sure updated since we were kids.”
Drew nodded. “Totally. It was mannequins and flashing lights last time we came through.”
Miranda took a step forward and a blast of air hit her in the face. She screamed and grabbed onto Drew’s arm. He didn’t hold back his belly laugh.
She maneuvered behind him and pushed him forward so that he was shielding her. “Funny.”
“Yes, it was.”
The hovering ghost opened its mouth and screeched. Miranda managed to hold in another scream by closing her eyes and pinching her lips. She slid her arms around Drew’s waist and buried her head into his back. Wow, he even had abs now. She could feel him laughing as they made their way through the house.
At one point they turned the corner into pitch black. Drew slowed, and Miranda hugged him tighter. “Don’t let me die,” she said into the fabric of his shirt.
Something brushed her cheek and she screamed.
“It’s just string hanging down from the ceiling. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it won’t kill you.”
She snorted and playfully hit his arm. Another blast of air came unexpectedly and Drew tensed and yelled. Miranda laughed as he pushed open the exit and the outside lamp flooded light over them. She let go of him and joined him by his side. “You’re right. You don’t squeal like a girl. You screamed in a very manly way.”
He did a poor job of trying not to smile, his dimple showing. “Manly, huh?”
“Don’t let it go to your head, squirt,” she said.
He poked her in her side.
“Hey, that’s not fair. No tickling.” She moved farther away from him so he couldn’t reach.
“Fine. No more.” He held up his hands and grinned, reminding her of when they used to have tickle fights.
She giggled, then realized what she was doing felt a lot like flirting. She sobered and crossed her arms over her chest, moving back to walk with him. She shouldn’t be flirting with Drew.
They came to the gate that led to the haunted forest path. A line had formed, mostly made of teenagers excited to get scared. The sky was almost completely black. Miranda rubbed her arms. She hadn’t noticed the cold before, but now that the sun was down, the breeze was frosty. “It’s getting chilly.”
“I told you to bring a heavier jacket.” Drew just shook his head and shrugged out of his leather coat. “Here.”
“You don’t have to give me yours.”
He slipped it around her shoulders. “Take it. I’m a man.” He sniffed and folded his arms across his t-shirt. “I can handle it.”
She laughed despite her resolve not to flirt, and slid her arms into his jacket. Warmth enveloped her, along with the smell of his cologne. She was going to have to ask him what brand it was. It smelled divine. It was probably something expensive. “Thanks, Drew.”
He shrugged. “No problem.” Then he said something under his breath that sounded a lot like, “Anything for you.”
She smiled and grabbed hold of his arm when a worker dressed as a wizard unlocked the gate. “Enter at your own risk,” he said as the teens clamored to get in.
Drew held back until the path was clear. Then he motioned forward. “Shall we enter? Or are you too scared?”
“You’re going to regret all your bravado talk in a second,” she said, tugging him into the trees.
Shouts, screams, and laughter carried through the forest as they followed the path. Scenes were set up along the way, with dummies, fake blood, and plastic knives. Someone dressed in a mummy costume jumped out from behind a makeshift crypt. She flinched and Drew yelped. Miranda dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“This isn’t going to help my manly image at all, is it?”
“No. But don’t worry: I’m not videotaping you. Wait, that’s a brilliant idea.” She pulled out her phone.
Drew snatched it out of her hand. “Not on your life.”
Another person popped out of the trees, this one dressed like a skeleton. Miranda reached for her phone, but Drew stuffed it into his back pocket. “I hope you get eaten by the living dead,” she said.
He chuckled, and she poked him. So not fair to laugh at her like that.
She shrank into Drew’s warm jacket as the breeze picked up. He was such a gentleman to let her wear it. His new cologne smelled so good that she wondered if she could discreetly rub his jacket all over her pillow.
They continued through the haunted forest, and Drew only let out one more scream. She, on the other hand, lost count as to how many times she squealed or yelped. By the time they got to the exit, her sides hurt from laughing.
“Do you want a caramel apple?” Drew asked as they passed by the snack shack.
“Do penguins fly?”
“No.”
“Bad question. Yes, I want a caramel apple.”
Drew just shook his head as he led them into the warmth of the barn. Miranda felt guilty for wearing his jacket and shrugged out of it. “Here, you can have this back.”
He almost looked disappointed she’d given it back, but he slipped it on anyway. “Want anything else besides the apple?”
“Maybe some popcorn.”
“Okay.”
“And hot chocolate?”
He smiled, one side of his mouth pulling up. “Anything else, Miss Starving-Pants?”
“I couldn’t eat yesterday.”
The smile faded from his face and he sobered. “Sorry.”
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She had to get over Walt and the whole fiasco that was supposed to be her wedding. The happiest day of her life. But being at the pumpkin patch with Drew had made her happier than she’d been in a long time. She’d forgotten how much fun they had together.
Why hadn’t she been having fun like this with Walt? Maybe bec
ause he was always at work. Walt was a good guy, but he never seemed to have time for her. Drew dropped everything and came when she needed him.
The woman behind the window motioned that they were next. While he ordered her snacks, she pondered why she’d fallen for Walt in the first place. He sure was charming when she first met him, but come to think of it, he never watched Star Venture with her or played her favorite video games. He detested scary movies. He was into sports, so that’s what they did. Their evenings were spent watching football at his house or going to the sports bar.
Drew handed her the hot chocolate and picked up the apple and popcorn. They sat at the same table from earlier. Miranda took a sip of her hot drink, letting the warm liquid pool in her belly. She figured all couples had differences, and doing things your boyfriend liked to do was just part of the deal. Why, then, would he never do anything that she liked? She frowned as she tossed a kernel of popcorn into her mouth.
Drew leaned over. “You doing okay?” he asked softly. He set her caramel apple down on the little square of wax paper the woman had handed him.
She stared at the table. “I think so. Just realizing how out of sync Walt and I really were.”
“What do you mean?”
She picked at the bed of her nail. Did she really want to talk about this? Her gaze landed on Drew’s concerned face. Even if she didn’t want to, she knew she would. She told Drew everything. Well, most everything. There were some things she didn’t talk about to anyone, not even Drew. She sighed. “Walt cared a lot about Walt.”
“He was selfish.”
“I guess you could say that. He knew how to watch out for himself. He never seemed to carve out time for me. If I wanted to be with him, it was on his terms.”
Drew’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything.
“I guess I was too wrapped up in the relationship to notice how he was treating me.”
“He never hurt you, did he?” Drew’s hands balled into fists.
She shook her head. “No. Nothing like that.” Walt would never hit her. He wasn’t like her father. She would never date anyone like her father. No, Walt meant well—and he had a killer smile. Miranda pushed that thought out of her head.
“Good. Because I’d have to pound him if he had laid a finger on you.”
Miranda tried to hold in her laugh, but it didn’t work. “Pound him? More like give him a stern talking-to.”
He leaned back and scoffed in protest. “You don’t think I can engage in fisticuffs?”
“Anyone who uses the word ‘fisticuffs’ shouldn’t be fighting. Besides, you might break your glasses.”
He shrugged, grinning at her. “It wouldn’t be the end of the world. I have a pair of contacts.”
“No way. You? In contacts? I can’t even imagine it.” Before she could think about it, she reached across the table and pulled his glasses off. Big mistake. She stared at him, the transformation almost shocking. Dang, Drew was hot!
Chapter 5
Over the next couple of days, Miranda tried to reconcile the Drew she had known from her childhood with the man he’d become. Now that she’d seen him with his glasses off, she couldn’t get Hot Drew out of her head, and it was messing with her mind.
She decided to not think about it so they could enjoy the Star Venture cruise together without her mind going places it shouldn’t. Drew was like a brother to her and she liked it that way. All her relationships crashed and burned. She couldn’t have that happen between her and Drew. She needed him too much.
Miranda gripped her suitcase handle, rolling it behind her as she walked down the gangway. Drew walked along beside her. Star Venture posters hung every few feet on the walls. Her stomach fluttered with excitement. “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this. We’re going to meet the Star Venture cast!”
Drew grinned like a little kid. Thank goodness he’d kept his glasses on. “It’s going to be epic.”
They slowed as they joined the line going in. Miranda craned her neck to see how long it was. She gasped and grabbed Drew’s arm as she saw who was up ahead. “Captain Lyle Crosby’s up there shaking everyone’s hand,” she hissed.
Drew raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes! I’m going to shake hands with Peter Walker. I think I’m going to pee my pants.”
“That would make an impression.” He fought back a smile.
She didn’t care if Drew was laughing at her. She was going to meet one of the people who helped shape her as a person. Star Venture was the one thing she got to look forward to when her life was terrible. After her father had . . . she pushed the thought out of her head. No. Her father wasn’t worth thinking about. Not on the most exciting day of her life.
The line crawled forward, but soon she and Drew were next. Peter’s once-dark hair was now a dignified silver. His Galactic Union uniform stretched tight against his middle, but somehow he still pulled off the look. He extended his hand and gave them a smile. “Welcome to the Star Venture cruise.”
Miranda grabbed his hand, her mind whirling. He had a firm handshake. Suddenly all her words were gone, and all she could do was stare at him. Oh, no. This was not good. She could tell she had a goofy smile on her face. “Uhh. . .”
What was she doing? Why couldn’t she think? She held onto his hand for a few moments more than socially acceptable. “Sorry,” she blurted, pulling her hand back. “I’m just so thrilled to meet you. You’re my hero.”
Peter gave her a gracious smile and then shook Drew’s hand. “Welcome. I hope you join us on deck twelve tonight to meet the rest of the cast.”
“We will,” Drew said. Miranda couldn’t move forward. Her feet wouldn’t work. She knew she should continue on, but for some reason she couldn’t stop staring at Peter Walker. Drew leaned over. “Come on,” he whispered as he put his arm around her. “Let’s board.”
She shook her head to snap herself out of her star-struck coma and let Drew lead her away. Once they were out of earshot, Miranda grabbed Drew’s hand. “Oh my gosh, I told Peter Walker that he’s my hero. What a dumb thing to say! He must think I’m an idiot.”
“I’m sure he gets that all the time.”
Drew made a face and Miranda looked down at his hand, which was turning purple. “Oh, sorry.” She let go and slapped her forehead. “I’m so stupid.”
Drew pulled her into a one-arm hug and kissed the top of her head. “You’re adorable.”
“Thanks.” She started feeling that tingly attraction again, so she wiggled out of his hug. “Just what I want to be. Adorable.”
They approached a lady in uniform scanning boarding cards, and Miranda handed her the pass.
“Welcome aboard.”
Miranda stepped onto the cruise ship and dragged her suitcase into the crowded area. She looked up. The decks above her could be seen adorned in gold, a frosted glass ceiling high above letting light pour down. A glass elevator took passengers up. The rich burgundy carpet went well with the gold-plated accents. Passengers bustled about the ship.
“Nice,” Drew said, looking up.
“It’s amazing.”
“We’re on deck three.” Drew walked to the elevator and pushed the call button.
Miranda followed him inside when the doors opened. She felt a little dizzy as they lifted. “Is the boat swaying already, or is that just me?”
“No, it’s moving. We’re in the water.”
Sure. Of course. She just didn’t expect that much movement until they got under way. She felt like she was tilting one way, then the other. “Good thing I brought some motion sickness pills.”
Drew gave her a pained look. “You’re sick already?”
“No, but I’m going to take some as a preventative measure.” The elevator doors opened and she stepped out onto their deck. Her phone vibrated and she looked at the screen. “It’s my mom. I’d better take this.”
Drew grabbed her suitcase and pulled it along with his as they walked.
“Hey, Mom.�
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Her mother’s raspy voice came through. “How are you doing, honey?”
“I’m fine.”
“Really? You can tell me if you’re having a hard time.”
A little guilt wormed into Miranda’s chest. She actually hadn’t been thinking at all about Walt. “No, I’m good. Drew helped me take back all the wedding stuff. I’m actually on board the Star Venture cruise ship. Drew came with me.”
The line grew silent. “Mom?”
“Sorry. I thought you said Drew’s on your honeymoon cruise with you.”
“I did. We both love Star Venture, and I didn’t want to waste my ticket.”
More silence.
“I think it will take my mind off things.”
“If you say so, honey. I worry about you.”
Drew stopped at a cabin door and stuck his keycard in the slot. The door opened, and he pulled his suitcase inside.
“I know you do. I’ll be fine. Drew will take my mind off things. You know how we get along.”
“Yes. I’ve always said you need to be dating that man.”
Miranda turned and lowered her voice so Drew couldn’t hear. “Ew, Mom. You know how I feel about that. It would be like dating my brother. We’re just good friends. That’s it.”
When she turned back around Drew was standing there. Guilt flooded over her. Had he heard her? She couldn’t tell from his stony expression. Her gaze met his, and the bottom fell out of her stomach. “Gotta go, Mom. Love ya.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Miranda hung up and slipped her phone into her back pocket. Drew’s scrutinizing gaze made her chest constrict. “Mom’s worried about me.”
A small smile formed on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m worried about you too.”
She unlocked her cabin door, the one to the right of Drew’s, and shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m fine. I’m not even thinking about Walt.”
She walked in and froze. Two towels shaped into a heart sat on the bright red bedspread. A fresh rose sat in the middle, and a sign read, “Happy Honeymoon.”
Drew walked in behind her and made a little choking noise. Then he quickly walked to the bed and pulled apart the towels. He crumpled the sign and tossed it into the trash bin. He picked up the rose and glanced around, seeming to not know what to do with it.
Her Big Fat Foxy Billionaire Best Friend Page 3