She was almost smiling now. This was no time to stop.
“What do you think he’s whispering in her ear?” Cole asked. “I bet he’s saying, ‘I can’t believe you’re making me do this stupid photo session. When we get home, I’m going to drink a six-pack and pass out on the couch.’”
“That sounds like something he’d say.”
“I guarantee, whatever he’s whispering, it’s not sweet-nothings. Nathan was a sleaze before, and he hasn’t changed.” Surely she wasn’t still in love with him after all he’d done.
“I know. I ought to be happy I’m away from him.”
His eyes were drawn to her quivering lower lip and stuck to it, like super glue. She was upset, and all he could think about was how he’d like to kiss her. What was wrong with him? He blinked to break the magnetic connection and asked the question he was afraid to hear the answer to.
“Do you wish you and Nathan were still together?”
She hesitated for so long that he stopped breathing.
“I don’t want to be with him.” Her voice broke. “But seeing them together, looking so happy… I don’t understand why it hurts so much.”
He was done with having her so close and not touching her. “Want a side hug?” he asked, lifting his arm.
With a loud sniff, she nodded and leaned against him. His hand clasped her shoulder and snugged her close. Some weird emotion made his throat tight.
“Maybe,” he said, “it makes you sad for what you lost. For the dreams that died.”
It must’ve been the wrong thing to say, because she cried again, in earnest, until the side of his shirt was soaked. He couldn’t conjure any comforting words to fix his blunder.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, as her sobs ripped at his heart, washing away all thoughts of following their agreement. He slipped Shrek under her legs and lifted her onto his lap, holding her against his chest until, at long last, her sniffling subsided into regular breathing. Not to be left out, Gus did his best to join her, settling his head on top of Cole’s right leg.
He steeled himself for the scolding to come. He’d gone past their boundaries, and they both knew it. But she was strangely silent about his lapse in judgement, as if she’d totally forgotten the rules, most of which she’d composed herself. She didn’t even mention it later, when they were eating their Chinese food delivery or watching some mindless television show, each lost in their own thoughts.
With his self-control hanging by a thread, he didn’t offer to rub her feet. Nor did he suggest they try to squeeze in their nightly thirty minutes of exercise. But when she got up to retire for the night, she stood before him with doleful eyes.
“Thank you for being there for me tonight. I’m sorry I ruined your plans.”
Plans! He’d forgotten all about their reservation!
“We can go out to dinner another night,” he said. “Maybe in two weeks, when we find out the gender.”
A gamut of emotions flashed across her face, but the one that stayed at the end looked like defeat. “Sure. That would be fine. And Cole, I…”
“Yes?” He encouraged her, when it seemed she wasn’t going to complete her sentence.
“I want you to know I appreciate what you’ve done for me. You’re a good friend… as good as I’ve ever had.”
Why did her assessment make something boil inside him? He wanted to shout at her, “I’m way more than a friend!” Instead, he answered in a soft voice, “You’re welcome. Anytime.”
That night, as he lay in bed awake, he wondered if she was awake in hers. At one point, he even thought he might’ve heard her crying again. But he couldn’t get to her. The sheetrock walls between them were as deep as the Grand Canyon, and twice as wide.
“We’re supposed to find out the gender today.” Brooke had her phone propped up as she Face-timed with her sister, simultaneously eating lunch in her office at work.
“Cole’s going with you to the appointment?” Her innocent tone didn’t fool Brooke. The last few times they’d talked, Harper had been questioning whether she and Cole were becoming emotionally involved.
“Yes, he’s coming. The doctor is a friend of his. And Cole says it’s the least he can do for me, for saving him a million dollars.”
“Minus the quarter million when you get divorced, right?” Harper asked. “If you get divorced, that is.”
“The divorce is going to happen, Harper. Trust me.”
“It seems to me Cole’s being way more attentive than he needs to be.”
“He’s gone above and beyond, but that’s the kind of guy he is.” Brooke trapped her lower lip between her teeth. “I want to get something nice for him, to thank him, but I can’t think of anything he doesn’t already own.”
“I know something he’d really like,” said Harper, who was munching on a sandwich of her own.
“Is it something I can afford?” Brooke asked. “He gave me a credit card, but I haven’t used it for anything but groceries. I can’t buy him a present with his own money.”
“This won’t cost you anything,” Harper said. “And I guarantee he’ll like it.”
The lights went on when she saw the smirk on her sister’s face. “Shut up, Harper. I’m not doing that.”
“Why not?” Harper’s eyebrows danced. “You’re married. Why can’t you sleep with him?”
“We’re getting divorced, remember? This is only temporary.”
Harper gave a slow eye-roll, showing the whites of her eyes. “It doesn’t have to be temporary, Brooke. When are you going to admit you like him?”
“Sure, I like him. As a friend. But that’s all it is and all it’s ever going to be,” she huffed. “Have you forgotten I’m doing this for you? You’re supposed to marry him after we get divorced.”
