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“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.

19

Kaitlyn

The next morning, I hugged Mary Ellen good-bye in the driveway. Aiden sat in his convertible, the engine running. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t the one taking her to the airport, but I also never imagined she would have hooked up with Cole’s enemy.

“Thanks for letting me stay at the Dunes.” She pulled away from the hug.

“Of course.” I wish it hadn’t been such a quick trip. “You can come visit anytime.”

“Do you think you’ll be back home for Christmas?”

My parents and I hadn’t talked about the holidays. Neither had Cole and I.

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as we figure it out.” I couldn’t bear to spend the holidays without my family, but I didn’t know what Cole thought about heading to North Carolina for Christmas. It would be our first Christmas together with Grayson, and I’d be four months pregnant.

My stomach flipped.

“Maybe I’ll be back sooner than you think.” She turned to smile at Aiden. He was fiddling with the radio.