Kylie smirked at her. “Why don’t you just message him?”
Mia’s head shot up. “What? Who?”
Kylie rolled her eyes and tapped her wooden spoon on her palm. “Wesley.”
Mia puckered her lips to the side. “Turns out the spark with that one has gone out.”
Both her roommates turned to her, their expressions a mixture of shock and curiosity. Alyssa spoke up first. “But you used to talk about him all the time—like you would be willing to move across the country if he asked.”
“Yeah. What happened?” Kylie put her spoon down and leaned her elbows on the counter.
Mia shrugged. “I ran into him last week unexpectedly.”
Their eyes widened further.
Mia laughed. “It wasn’t a big deal. At first, sure, I was excited to see him. But like I said, whatever we had, it’s gone.”
Kylie frowned. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. Really, it’s fine. I would never dream of being in a relationship with someone who doesn’t set my world on fire.”
“That’s what I want too. Someone who lights up my world,” Alyssa crooned.
Kylie gestured to the phone before picking up her spoon and turning to the pot on the stove. “Then why are you checking your phone every five seconds?”
Warmth spread across her face and she sucked in her lower lip between her teeth. A funny little smile spread across her face. “There’s someone else.”
Kylie spun around. “Who?”
Mia traced circles on the countertop with her finger. “It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t feel the same way. I don’t even know how I feel. I’m attracted to him, but so is every hot-blooded female in town. He could have his pick of any of them if he wanted.”
Alyssa put her hands on her hips. “You better not be suggesting he’d pick someone else over you because you’re not good enough.”
“Oh, not at all. I just don’t think he’s the type to settle down.”
Her friends exchanged looks. Kylie offered her a small smile. “They say all it takes is finding the right person.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I don’t think that’s me.”
Alyssa frowned. “Why couldn’t it be?”
Mia flushed again. “Because I dated his brother.”
Kylie dropped the spoon from her hand and both girls gasped. “Wait, is this someone else Wesley’s brother?”
Her blush deepened and she covered her face with her hands. “It’s a long story. But basically, I could tell Wes has it bad for my friend. I teamed up with his brother to help them get together.”
Alyssa pursed her lips. “Well, that’s not a deal breaker.”
Mia glanced from Kylie to Alyssa and the three of them burst into laughter. Mia picked up her phone again. Kylie snickered and Mia pushed it away. “Whatever. I don’t even care.”
Her phone lit up and vibrated against the countertop. Mia’s roommates both turned to look at the phone. Mia hesitated too long and Alyssa snatched the phone. Her eyes widened and a large smile crossed her face. “Is his name Christian?”
Mia gasped and lunged for the phone. “Give it to me!”
Alyssa danced away, holding the phone up above her head.
Mia chased after her but didn’t catch her before she swiped her finger across the screen. Blood drained from Mia’s face as Alyssa held the phone to her ear.
“Hello, is this Christian?” She cast Mia a wicked grin. “This is her roommate, Alyssa.” She pouted. “Oh, that’s too bad, because we’ve heard a lot about you.”
Mia snatched the phone from Alyssa’s hand and scowled at her. “Not cool,” she muttered.
Alyssa snickered and returned to the kitchen with Kylie. Mia slipped down the hall to her room and closed the door quietly behind her. “Hi, Christian. Sorry about that. What’s up?”
“Sounds like you have some fun roommates.”
Mia snorted. “They have their moments.” Why had he called? Was something wrong? Or was there a chance he called just to chat? She had her heart set on the latter. Her fingers ran through her hair and she curled the ends around her finger.
Christian cleared his throat. “When are you planning on coming back?”
Warmth spread through her body. She wandered to the far side of the room and looked out the window, though there wasn’t much to see in the darkness. “You missing me already?”
Some shuffling came through the line and then he cleared his throat. Shoot. She’d meant it as playful but he wasn’t responding.
“Lighten up, Christian. I was—”
“Actually, yeah.”
She coughed. “What?”
Christian sighed. “I don’t think it’s going the way it’s supposed to.”
Mia straightened, her body on high alert. “What happened?”
More silence.
“I don’t know. But something’s definitely wrong. Wesley’s in an awful mood. Yesterday was great. And today—something happened.”
“Did he say anything?”
Christian laughed. “I’m not exactly his favorite person right now.”
She chewed on her fingernail. “Yeah. I could see that.” What could she do to fix whatever this was? She could call Wesley and have him tell her. Talking to Lily about it might work, but she always hated when Mia meddled.
“There’s more.”
“Hmm?”
“Lily kind of called me. We’re going on a date.”
“What?” She paced the room. “What did you do, Christian? You were supposed to keep her preoccupied, not make her fall for you.”
“I don’t know what happened. One minute she was avoiding me, and the next she was reaching out.” His voice had become defensive. “I didn’t want to do this in the first place. I don’t even know why I agreed to any of this. I want out.”
“Well, you’re going to get your wish.” She sat on the edge of her bed, her toes bouncing. “As usual, I’m going to have to fix this. If Wes won’t listen to you, maybe he’ll listen to me. Worst case, I’ll talk to Lily myself. Those two deserve each other.” She sighed. “When’s your date?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Seriously? Couldn’t you have waited ‘til this weekend? Geez, Christian. I guess I’m coming home tomorrow, then. My supervisor owes me. She’ll probably give me the long weekend. Look, I have to make some calls. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter Six
Christian adjusted the tie at his neck, then frowned at his reflection. The closer it got to the time when Lily would arrive, the more he dreaded it. This whole charade wasn’t fun anymore. Wesley and Lily were adults. They should just tell each other how they felt and get over themselves.
He glanced in the mirror. Maybe he should take his own advice. If he asked Mia out officially, would she even say yes? He didn’t know if he could handle getting turned down by her. It would be safer to just stick with the usual women he dated. Girls he knew he wouldn’t feel any attachment for.
But that wasn’t what he wanted anymore. Something deep inside him had changed. He needed more. Not with just anyone. He wanted more with Mia.
A sigh escaped his lips as he grabbed his phone from his dresser. Mia had texted about an hour ago saying she’d be arriving shortly after his date would start. She planned on getting Wesley out of the house. That way Christian could keep his secret with Lily and not tell Wesley about their date.
Mia hadn’t texted or called since. That must mean the plan was still on track. He shoved the phone in his back pocket and hurried out of his room. Saying a quick goodbye to Wesley, he headed outside.
Lily was just getting out of her truck and she glanced up as the door shut behind him. She smiled at him, but it wasn’t the kind of smile he’d caught her giving Wesley. That was evidence enough. She wasn’t happy. She wanted more too.
Lily held her hands in front of her tightly and wandered over to him. “What’s the plan tonight?”
Christian painted on his own grin and gestured past the barn.
“I have a picnic set up.”
She nodded and fell in step beside him. “I’m sorry I’ve been so wishy-washy lately. There were a few things I was figuring out.”
“I get it. Let’s just enjoy today, okay?” There were a few things he needed to figure out too. Like how he was going to get the courage to ask Mia out after all this was said and done.
They walked in silence. The air hung thick with an awkwardness he’d never experienced before. His mind had already been made up that this was Wes’s girl. It was like he was on a date with his sister. Mia needed to make her appearance and put everything straight. Where was she?
A blanket, a picnic basket, and wine had been set up in an area surrounded by lemongrass. The smell of citrus did nothing to soothe him. Lily surveyed the area and glanced at him from beneath her long lashes. “This is really nice, Christian. You went through so much trouble.”
He forced a smile and glanced the way they’d come. If things had been different, he’d have liked to have done it for someone else. He was acting just as ridiculous as Wesley. It was time he went for what he wanted, despite his anxieties that it wouldn’t work out. The second he saw Mia, he’d—he didn’t know what he would do, but he’d do something. He’d worried over the subject long enough.
He should just end this now. He could tell Lily what he knew about Wesley and Mia. Then everyone would have to act like adults for once. His stomach knotted. He’d been part of the problem. The instinct to rake his hands through his hair out of frustration gnawed at him. Christian met Lily’s eyes right as his phone rang. He smiled at her and held up one finger.
Mia. Why was she calling him? He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “What?” he whispered into the phone.
“All done with the pep talk. How are things going on your end? Wesley is pretty broken up about everything. I left him on the trail leading to you guys. Now, we just need Lily to know you’re not right for her.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how to prove a negative, Mia. I’m not gonna kiss her.”
“See if you can get her talking about Wesley. I don’t know. Do something. Maybe pretend to be a jerk.”
Christian glanced in Lily’s direction. “I’m on the phone with another girl when I should be on a picnic date with her. I don’t think I can be much more of a jerk than that.”
“Good point.”
“Shoot. Wesley’s here. I have to go.” He hung up. This was all an act. He just had to remember that and everything would be just fine. Christian smiled and headed toward Lily. “I know something has been going on with you and Wesley.”
Her face fell. “Christian, I—”
He lifted her chin so she’d look at him. “I don’t want to get in the middle of that. But I think you should reconsider.”
She swallowed and her eyes dipped to his mouth. No, he wasn’t going to kiss her. But he might be able to make a point. There was no desire in her eyes. In fact, she almost looked scared. He leaned close enough that his breath had to be brushing against her face.
“Wesley loves—”
A few feet away, Wesley crashed to the ground. Lily jumped and pulled away.
Christian bit back a smile and strode toward his brother. He grabbed onto Wesley’s arms, dragging him to his feet. Then he dusted off Wesley’s shirt. “Hey buddy, whatcha doin’ out here?” He knew exactly what his brother was doing. But it’d be nice to know Wesley had figured it out too.
“What am I doing out here? What are you doing out here?” Wesley practically snarled. He poked his brother in the chest, lowering his voice to a growl. He glanced in Lily’s direction. “You knew I had feelings for her and you insisted on moving in. What kind of brother does that?” He poked Christian in the chest again, causing him to stumble back a step.
Christian’s gaze bounced to Lily, then again to Wesley. “It’s not what you think.” This had gone on too far. It was time to come clean.
A cold bark of laughter escaped Wesley’s chest, causing a chill to run through him. “What it looks like is that you’re about to kiss the woman of my dreams, you lying, no-good, son of a—”
Christian scowled and stepped closer, his chest almost touching his brother’s. He lowered his voice. Lily didn’t need to hear any of this. “I’m doing what has to be done—something you’re obviously not capable of.”
And just like that, Wesley tackled him. His little brother was still no match for Christian. Easily, he got the upper hand. But Wesley was putting up a good fight. Christian made contact with Wesley’s face but almost immediately, Wesley retaliated with a hit to his stomach.
“You. Don’t. Understand,” Christian wheezed as he rolled off Wesley and held his midsection. “I have a good reason.”
Wesley pushed off the ground and got into a seated position. He stared at the ground, his brows low over his eyes. “There’s no good reason for what you were about to do.” He rubbed his jaw and got to his feet, glaring at Christian. “I’ll never forgive you for this.”
His brother only got a few steps before Lily called after him.
Christian stood back. Finally. Now they could be done with this nonsense and he could call Mia and see if he could salvage the evening.
Lily slapped Wesley across the face.
Maybe not. Christian groaned as Wesley marched from view. Lily stared after him, not moving. Christian hovered. What did she want to do now? Mia would know what to do. He should call her. His hand reached for his back pocket, then Lily spun to face him.
“I think I should go.”
He nodded. What could he say? She probably wouldn’t listen to him even if he had some suggestions. It wasn’t like he had the best track record. Additionally, maybe all his interest in Mia was a bad idea too. She was best friends with Wes and Lily. The way her whole matchmaking thing had bombed—well, it just didn’t seem like it would work. They were probably incompatible too. He’d never liked the same girls Wes did. And she dated Wesley for a few years. His heart shattered with the realization. It would definitely be better to leave her alone after all of this was over. And it most certainly was now.
Lily turned and walked away. Christian glanced at the picnic. This night was supposed to go so differently, but then his dumb brother had to go and mess it all up.
Chapter Seven
Mia sat on the swing that dangled from the largest tree in her yard. Finally. Everything was perfect. Wesley would tell Lily he couldn’t live without her and they would finally be together. She was so happy for her two best friends and happier she’d played a part in making sure they ended up together.
Now, what to do about her feelings for Christian? She’d be fooling herself if she said she could just sit by and watch him date his way through woman after woman. But then, if she decided to stay on at the design firm, she wouldn’t even see all those shenanigans.
It was just as ridiculous to think she’d be able to deal with staying away. She had to explore the chance that they might be good together, even if it was just in her own mind. If she went up to him and admitted her feelings, would he just laugh in her face? Probably.
She could see it all now. She’d say she had a crush on him and he’d smile and look away. Then when he met her eyes, his own full of pity, he’d say he didn’t feel the same. But at least she would have done something about it. At least she wouldn’t have just pined for him—that was something.
Headlights flashed along the road and bumped over the long driveway. She squinted. It wasn’t Wesley’s car. It could be Lily’s truck. Her eyes rounded as she hopped from her seat. Christian.
What was he doing here?
He got out of his truck and stalked toward her. Uh oh. Even in the dark, she could tell he was fuming. She folded her arms and stood rooted to her spot. Whatever it was, she wouldn’t let him get to her.
Christian scowled at her. “I’m done. This whole thing was juvenile at best, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we royally screwed two people up.”
Mia let out a small
laugh despite herself. “What?”
He dragged both hands through his hair and paced in front of her. “Wesley was hopping mad when he saw me with Lily. He tackled me, I punched him, he got me… then Lily got one in too.”
Mia’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Yeah. He kept saying I was a bad brother for what I was supposed to have done. I’ve had enough, Mia. This is over. If you want to stick around and watch their worlds burn to the ground, then be my guest but I’m out.”
He turned away from her and took a few steps toward his truck. He stopped and turned back setting his piercing blue eyes on her. “You should probably take a hard look at yourself and decide if all this meddling was worth the trouble. You used to date him, Mia. You should have known better. We both should have. We’re not in high school anymore and these are people we’re supposed to actually care about.”
Mia watched him get in his truck. Her hands grasped for the rope of the swing and she lowered herself onto the seat. Well, there it was, then. He didn’t have any interest in her and all he saw was some immature girl who used to date his brother. He was probably too angry for any warm feelings for her to break through anyway.
It wasn’t like she’d lost anything. They weren’t a couple. She hadn’t opened her heart to him. In fact, it was good he’d told her how he felt before she made a fool of herself. What hurt more was that he was probably right. She’d gone about this the wrong way. This wasn’t some romantic comedy where she could manipulate her friends into admitting their feelings. The only way to make things right would be to tell Wesley up front. But maybe she should let him cool off first.
Mia stared at Wesley from a safe distance. He looked more miserable than he had on Wednesday night. The shadow of a bruise on his face was still apparent. How hard had Christian hit him? Ouch.
She shook her head and headed over to him. He was busy with getting the food ready for the wedding. The rodeo was in full swing. Now might be her only chance to talk to him.
The Chef Chases his Cowboy Dream (Silverstone Ranch Book 3) Page 16