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Well, that was the question, wasn’t it? Bea sucked in a sharp breath and rolled her shoulders. She had to give an answer. Bunny was fishing to figure out where they stood together. And the pressure to actually respond instead of just avoid was so strong. But she couldn’t make herself do it.

They might end up running in the same circles, but that didn’t mean they had to like each other.

“Now, we get ready for the event. That is why we’re here, isn’t it?” Bea kept her voice as level and even as possible. Despite what her heart told her, despite what her body insisted she felt,she couldn’t make her brain give up those clutches on her. Not just yet. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“That we do.” Bunny looked Bea over one last time before walking toward the piano and plopping her ass on the bench.

At least that was done. Now if Bea could only convince her body to catch up with her brain, she’d be golden. She just had to convince herself that this was the right decision. Not about Jo—that was absolutely the right choice. But about her and Bunny.

They needed to stop whatever dance they’d started.

THIRTEEN

piper

Piper sat on a spare piano stool against the wall of the rehearsal room. Jo had gone to the bathroom, and Piper was taking the opportunity to have a small break before they all dove back in for several more hours.

It was Bea and Bunny’s turn to run through their part of the song the four of them would all sing together. It was one of Piper’s favorite Christmas songs and already her excitement bubbled up again as Bunny started playing it softly.

Bunny sat at the piano while Bea stood a little to the left behind her. Piper watched and tilted her head as Bea leaned forward, pointing to something on the music sheet.

Bunny turned toward Bea, the back of her head to Piper.

Whatever Bunny had said set Bea’s smile stretching wide on her face, as her fingers gently brushed Bunny’s upper arm.

What is that?

But then Bea started singing along to Bunny’s playing, and Piper could imagine Bea in a formal gown, while Bunny played, all dressed up in a tux. Piper snorted softly to herself. Bunny wouldn’t be seen dead in a tux, it might fuel some of those rumors she was so scared of. The ones that were always half right. Yep, Bunny liked the ladies, but Bunny and Piper hadnever crossed that line—let alone had a secret relationship their entire career.

“Good, you’re back.” Bunny looked over to the door as it opened with a whoosh. “We need to go through this song a few more times. And then I want you and Piper to practice the dance routine for the second half of the show.”

“Sure, no worries.” Jo walked, a skipping energy in her steps as she stood next to Bea, directly behind Bunny.

Piper stood on Jo’s other side.

Jo raised a single eyebrow in question as she met Piper’s eyes. Questions filled her face. But Piper smiled and quickly mouthedlaterbefore Bunny began playing the song, louder and with more enthusiasm for the music this time around.

Piper’s smile flickered on her lips as she watched Bea’s fingers brush along Bunny’s shoulder while the four of them sang. Instead of Bunny ignoring Bea or shrugging to push the touch away, Piper could have sworn Bunny’s head tilted toward Bea.

What the hell is going on here?

Piper shook her head after Bunny turned around at her missed cue.

“Sorry,” Piper said softly.

“Come on. We’re all tired, but that was the second time you missed it.”

“I know.” Piper shook her head again, this time determined to remain focused. But it was getting harder. Now that she had noticed those little brushes of Bea’s fingers on Bunny, and Bunny not shrugging the intimacy away, Piper began noticing more soft smiles and gentle touches being exchanged between her best friend and Bea.

“From the top. And then you and Jo need to work on the choreography.” Bunny raised her eyebrows as though her wordshad ended in a question. Piper’s nod was the confirmation she was looking for.

They made it through the song while Bunny made notes on a photocopy of the sheet music, something Piper was all too familiar with.

“What are you smiling so big about?” Jo asked as they made their way over to the cleared part of the room where they’d been practicing.

“Look,” Piper whispered and jerked her head back toward the pair who remained at the piano.

“What am I looking at?”