Friendship on Fire (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 3) Contemporary Romance

by Melissa Foster

  “I think I want to let people know about us,” she said.

  Josh opened his eyes wide. “Wow. I didn’t expect that,” he admitted. He’d begun to think that she was right to keep things a secret for a while longer.

  “I know. Neither did I, but this morning in the shower, something hit me, and I just knew that you were the person I wanted to be with. Keeping it a secret feels like we’re doing something wrong, and not in a good way.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  Josh thought he saw a flash of hesitation. His stomach twisted and his heart ached. He was conflicted. He’d wanted to tell the world about them, but after spending days trying to figure out the best way to approach it, he still came up empty. The more he thought about it, the more he worried about her career.

  He was silent for a beat too long, and Riley pulled back from him. “You don’t want to, do you?”

  “I do. I’m just…I’m worried about you, Ri. Any way I cut this thing, you get labeled. I don’t, but you do, and I hate knowing that it might turn your life upside down.” The pain that crossed her face killed him, but he knew he was right. They would find a way to deal with the staff, but they had to figure it out before they revealed their relationship.

  “Right. Well, if I’m willing to risk it, shouldn’t you be?” She held his stare. “You’re not ready. I get it. Okay.” She laughed under her breath. “I definitely didn’t expect this.” She stood up.

  Josh grabbed her hand. “Babe, sit back down, please.”

  “It’s a bit humiliating, don’t you think? To learn that your boyfriend…wait…maybe you realized that you don’t want that?” Her eyes filled with tears.

  “No, Riley, no.” He stood and took her in his arms. “I’ll do whatever you want. I only want to protect you. I’m happy to go into work tomorrow and tell everyone. Hell, I’ll send out a press release if you want me to. I am only concerned because you were worried about your career, and I get that. You have a reason to worry. This industry is not very forgiving, or very accepting.”

  Riley flopped down on the couch. “This is so hard, Josh. When I’m with you, I really want to be with you—publicly, I mean—and when I’m at work, I see very clearly where the issues lie. But how many times can we beat this dead horse? We either have to jump in with both feet or…”

  “Or?” Don’t even say it.

  “Or sneak around, using your sister’s apartment as a love nest, I guess.” She smiled.

  He pulled her close again, relieved. “I’m sorry, Riley. This would have been much easier if I’d known that you felt the same way I did before you came to New York. Then I could have introduced you on day one as my girlfriend, and people would have been forced to accept it for what it was.” Or they’d have assumed that’s how you got the job.

  “It’s all so frustrating. And it’s crazy. We’ve been dating for only a few days. Who throws away their career after only a few days? I swear I’m losing my mind. You know what? I don’t really care anymore what people say about me. Throw me to the wolves. Let’s just jump in with both feet.” Hope danced in her wide eyes.

  “It is crazy, and it’s fast and probably not the smartest thing to pin our hopes on a week of crazy love, but I trust my heart, Riley, and my heart tells me that you’re the woman I want to be with. If you’re game, I’m game.” His heart soared, but a tiny voice in the back of his head told him to be careful.

  A knock at the door tore them from their decision.

  “We’ll figure this out, babe. I promise we will.” He pulled her into another quick hug before opening the door.

  Treat opened his arms with a gracious smile. His dark hair was thick and full, his chiseled face cleanly shaven, and his dark eyes were full of joy.

  “Josh.” Treat embraced him, patting him on the back. “Good to see you.” Then he turned to Riley. “Riley, you look beautiful.” He embraced her just as warmly; then he reached for Max’s hand. “Come here, sweetness.”

  Max wore jeans and a cashmere sweater. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders, and her face was free of makeup, with the exception of eyeliner, allowing her natural beauty to shine through. She hugged Riley, then Josh. “So good to see you guys again.” She stepped into the apartment and her eyes grew wide. “Savannah has great taste. I love that sofa and coffee table.”

  Even though Treat was wealthy, Max remained utilitarian in her views. She was careful with money, and she remained as down-to-earth and comfortably familiar as she had been the day Josh had met her the previous year.

  “Want some wine?” Riley asked, heading for the kitchen. Max followed her, leaving Treat and Josh in the living room, where they made themselves comfortable on the couch.

  “It’s really good to see you, Treat. You and Max look great. Is everything going well? The house plans coming along?” Treat and Max had purchased property that adjoined their father’s ranch.

  “You know how these things go. There’s a lot of hurry up and wait. Things are good, and Dad’s doing well, strong as an ox,” Treat said.

  Their father had suffered through a minor heart issue the previous year, but he’d recovered quickly and was not someone who could be kept down for long.

  “Good to hear. And the wedding plans?” Josh asked.

  “They’re coming along,” Treat said. “That was one of the reasons I wanted to see you. You remember when Vogue magazine did that front-page feature on us?” He leaned his elbows on his knees.

  “How could I forget? Dad teased us for two years solid.” Josh deepened his voice. “‘The Braden Men: Two of America’s Most Eligible Bachelors.’” He laughed.

  “Yeah, well, they want to do a story on the wedding,” Treat said quietly.

  “And you’re not happy about it?” Josh asked. He was trying to focus on Treat, but his mind kept coming back to Riley.

  Treat shot a glance at Max. “I don’t really care one way or the other, but Max isn’t very keen on the idea. She hates that stuff; you know that. So, I was thinking…media’s gonna pick this up whether we agree to it or not, but maybe we can give them a different angle.”

  A different angle. Josh found himself staring into his brother’s dark eyes and hearing him as he’d been as a teenager, when the two of them had been with Rex at the county fair. They’d hidden behind the livestock barn so Rex could watch Jade, and Josh had secretly been delighted because it gave him a clear view of Riley. He’d completely forgotten about that afternoon, and now it brought a smile to his lips.

  “Hello?” Treat said, waving a hand in front of Josh’s eyes.

  “Sorry. Another angle, right. What were you thinking?” Jesus, did I ever have a major crush on her back then.

  “How about we get them to focus on the designing brother instead?”

  Josh sat back. “Are you kidding me? With everything that’s going on, you want me to invite the media into my living room?” Josh shook his head.

  “Yeah, once I found out about you and Riley, I didn’t think you’d go for it.”

  “Treat, it’d be like throwing her to the sharks. In your effort to protect Max, you’d toss Riley out there?” He shook his head.

  “No. I was thinking more along the lines of you letting her help design Max’s dress, and then she could use it as a way to gain media attention as a designer. Before you hired her, you said her portfolio knocked your socks off. She obviously has the skills. Focus the article on the wedding gown, and then you’ve got a reason to promote her if you want to, and she’ll have credibility to use against any relationship backlash. Even if they claimed that you fed her the work, her work would stand on its own.”

  Josh patted Treat’s leg. “You, my friend, might just be brilliant.”

  “Did you ever have any doubt?” Treat teased.

  RILEY HADN’T BEEN nervous about having dinner with Treat and Max. They were both very down-to-earth and easy to talk to, but she had wondered how they might react to her and Josh as a couple, even with Max’s enthusiastic text message
. For that reason, Riley hadn’t made any overt gestures toward Josh. Now that they’d polished off a bottle and a half of wine, she felt more comfortable, and when Josh moved his chair closer to Riley and draped his arm across the back with a wink, that wave of panic that she felt at the office when she and Josh were near each other didn’t strangle her. She placed her hand on his thigh.

  “We knew you’d end up together,” Max said.

  Riley thought back to the luncheon at his father’s ranch in Weston and how easy they’d been together. She’d tried to ignore the butterflies she’d felt when she saw him, and she’d thought she’d done a good job of hiding her feelings from everyone else. From the look in Max’s eyes, she realized that her acting skills were far worse than her design skills.

  “How could you have known?” Riley asked.

  A knowing smile flashed between Max and Treat. She touched his thigh. “For me, it was just the vibe between you two. You were so…compatible.” Max shrugged.

  “Vibe shmibe,” Treat teased. “Josh used to watch her like Rex watched Jade. Once you guys reconnected, it was just a matter of time before all that lust took over.”

  She looked at Josh and touched his chest. “You used to watch me,” she said. “I love that.”

  “I told you I did,” Josh said. “Treat just makes it sound dirtier than it was.”

  “Okay, truth?” Treat asked. He didn’t wait for an answer. “I knew the minute he brought you to Dad’s for lunch. Josh isn’t a wishy-washy man. When he makes up his mind, there’s no changing it. He may take a wider path than some and navigate around a bit, but he always ends up where he said he would. When he moved to New York, he said he was going to be a top designer, and he did it. Two years later, he said he was going to try to compete with Vera Wang. The man made his mark. And when he hired Riley, he said, ‘She’s perfect for JBD.’” Treat splayed his hands. “Was there ever any question after that remark?”

  Riley blushed. She’d heard Josh say that at his father’s house. She’d thought he meant the company, not himself personally. Treat really did know his brother well.

  Josh pulled her close. “She is perfect for JB, without a doubt.” He kissed her cheek. “And she also happens to be perfect for JBD.”

  “Okay, now that ya’ll have embarrassed me, can we talk about Max’s dress?” Riley heard her hometown drawl, the one she’d worked diligently to omit while in New York, and it felt damn good to use it again without worry of being given an amused look.

  “Yes, please,” Max said. She leaned across the table. “First, Josh, thank you so much for offering to make my gown. It’s really beyond kind of you.”

  Kind. There it was again, one of her favorite traits about Josh.

  “I’m thinking of something very simple, without all that fluff and drama of most wedding gowns. You know me—simple and clean works best,” Max said.

  “Simple, clean lines. We can do that,” he said, giving Riley’s arm a squeeze.

  “Max, I hope you don’t mind, but I pulled a few drawings together, based on the conversations we’d had back home. I know I’m not designing your gown, but I thought of a few ideas that you might want to consider implementing.” She held her breath, hoping Max didn’t mind.

  “You did?” Josh asked.

  “Just a few,” Riley said. “I was really nervous about showing them to you. Somehow it felt easier to show them to Max than my top fashion designer boyfriend. If she hates them, then you won’t ever see them.” She winked as she left the room to retrieve her sketches. When she returned, Josh had already started clearing the table.

  “Why don’t you and Max take them into the living room?” Treat said as he stood. “Josh and I can handle this.”

  “Men who tidy up? I like that,” Riley said. She touched Josh’s back and whispered, “I didn’t mean to take over. I don’t have to show these to her. I’m so sorry.”

  He kissed her forehead. “You can take over any part of my life that you want.”

  Riley’s breath hitched. She squeezed his hand, then followed Max into the living room.

  “I was thinking,” Riley began, as she spread out her drawings, “you’re all about comfort and a clean, pretty presentation. Everything you wear is focused around ease of wear and functionality, but well made. With your gown, I thought of the same qualities: a little tailored and decadent without being ostentatious. So, this was my first thought, something of a long, comfortable spaghetti-strap dress with a few modifications.”

  Max crinkled her nose. “To a wedding?”

  Riley smiled. “Hear me out.” She experienced the same increased heart rate that she had when she’d worked at Macy’s and helped customers find just the right colors for their skin tone, choose accessories for their big night out, and find the perfect fit to complement their various body types. She pulled her favorite drawing out from the stack and spread it out in front of Max. “Yes, a wedding gown.” She pointed to the spaghetti straps.

  Max gasped, her eyes opened wide. “Oh my God.”

  “You hate it?” Riley had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “No, I adore it. What’s it made of? Are those hand-stitched designs or is the fabric printed? Oh my God, Treat, honey, come here, please,” she called.

  Treat and Josh came out of the kitchen, wiping their hands on dish towels.

  “Look at that. How perfect is that?” Max’s cheeks were flushed as she pointed to the drawing while she looked up at Treat and laced her fingers into his. “We’re getting married in Wellfleet, where we fell in love. The resort overlooks the water. This is just perfect. Not too fancy, very beachy. It’s perfect, isn’t it, Treat?”

  “Gorgeous,” Treat answered.

  “Oh, Josh! Why didn’t you tell me that Riley hit the nail on the head?” Max pulled Riley into a tight hug.

  Josh beamed. “She always hits the nail on the head.”

  “Josh, what do you think? You’re the expert,” Riley said. She held her breath as he picked up the drawing, narrowed his eyes, and shook his head. Her stomach lurched, fearing he didn’t like it.

  “You designed this after just talking to Max at my dad’s that day?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Riley answered. “I was sort of thinking about it, and this is what came to me.”

  “Satin chiffon?” Josh asked in a discerning voice. His eyes darkened as he studied the image.

  “Single layered,” Riley said.

  “I really like the curved shape of the neckline, the way it draws the eye to her face by narrowing as it comes down between the breasts. The single thin spaghetti straps, so feminine and natural.” He ran his hand through his hair and nodded. “I never would have thought to do that on a wedding gown.”

  Josh seemed to really like her design, but the seriousness of his gaze and the intense scrutiny of the design left Riley feeling as if her body were made of eggshells. One wrong breath and she might fall to pieces.

  “No train. Is this embroidery, appliqué, or printed, where it gathers under her chest and across the torso?” Josh asked.

  “Light embroidery. Faded pastels: peaches, blues, yellows. It’s a little different.” She came to his side and pointed. Feeling the pressure of Josh’s examination, she pushed the words out as fast as they would come. “See the way it’s patterned across the bodice, but horizontally stitched? I’m thinking about one and a half inches or so, runs under the breasts and another half inch or so at the waist, then scalloped embroidery edging the lower part of the horizontal waistline.” Riley let out a fast breath in an effort to ease her tangled nerves.

  “I see that, and the arc across the hips, with just the stretch of white between that and the waist.” Josh nodded.

  Riley watched him, sure he was going to tell her that it was too different, or that it looked cheap.

  Josh rubbed his chin, then looked at Riley, his brows still drawn together. “Why didn’t you go for a traditional all-white wedding gown?”

  Riley had known that
she was taking a big risk when she’d chosen a cream gown with pastels. She’d weighed the potential feedback in her mind before going in that direction, and the worst that might have happened would be that Max or Josh would hate the idea. As she looked at Josh, she wasn’t sure if he hated the idea or liked the idea, and all she could do was be honest with him. She took a deep breath, trying to quell her nerves before answering.

  “Ri?” Josh said.

  “It’s what I felt.” She glanced at Max, then Treat. “When Max was describing what she envisioned for their wedding, she didn’t strike me as wanting a traditional wedding gown. Max has her own style, and her personality seemed more suited for a wedding dress that accentuated that style. Max, I’m sorry if I misinterpreted. We can do the same dress in white.”

  Max put her hand over her heart. “Me? Goodness, Riley, you hit it spot-on.”

  Relief brought a smile to Riley’s lips and an excited pitch to her voice. “Really?”

  “Ri, I was just asking,” Josh said. “I wasn’t judging. I wanted to know why so I could understand the process.”

  He didn’t say it’s cheap or awful! Josh turned back to the drawing, and Riley watched as his face morphed from the momentary softness, when he was explaining why he asked the question, back to the serious scrutiny as he once again pondered the design. She found his ability to switch from business mode to boyfriend mode and back again appealing. She bit her lower lip and waited for him to pepper her with more questions.

  “You carried the same pattern in the bodice as you did down the front of the skirt, from the arch of the print down,” Josh pointed out.

  “Yes,” Riley said nervously. “When you look at it as a whole, it gives the impression of a summer breeze, movement, I guess. That’s what I was going for, but if you think it’s too much, I can change it.”

  “No,” Max said. “Please, I love this. Josh, I assumed I’d see fifty designs of fluffy white gowns. This is so…me. It’s simple, light, airy, and I love the colors.”