Page 6 of Desired Hearts (Bachelor Pact #2)

PARKER

“It’s a big inn.” I tossed Beck a beer. It was his night off, and the last thing he wanted to do was go back to O’Malley’s. “We can make ourselves scarce.”

As usual on a Thursday night, we were in the kitchen sitting on stools around the island.

“Scarce,” Mason muttered. “As if he’s ever heard the word before.” He nodded to Beck.

“Hey,” Beck started to defend himself.

“There are six of them, all but two are single,” Mason added.

Beck closed his mouth, knowing better than to argue. If Pia was having friends over for a wine tasting—single friends—Beck would be anything but scarce.

“And it is a big inn,” he said to me. “But we only use the house portion for ourselves, as you know.”

“I do, but the reception room would be perfect for a wine-tasting night.”

Part of the original structure, which was more mansion than house, the reception room had been turned into a full-blown banquet hall.

Part of the renovations had been to add space to host parties and, come this summer, even small weddings, something Mason’s father had always fought against. He’d wanted to preserve the quaint experience for existing guests, but just before he died suddenly of a heart attack last fall, Mr. Bennett had hired Pia to turn the inn around.

Hosting events had been one way to bring in some much-needed cash.

“Not ‘cozy’ enough. Pia’s words, not mine.” Mason pulled a beer from the fridge. “So where we headed?”

“Not O’Malley’s,” Beck said, understandably.

“Cedarwood?” I asked.

Of all the bars in town, besides O’Malley’s, Cedarwood Bar and Grill was one of my favorites. It was within walking distance, unpretentious, and typically attracted a more mature crowd.

Which is exactly the reason Beck made a face.

“You’re gonna have to start dating women out of college at some point,” Mason said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Pia swung open the kitchen double doors at that precise moment.

“Stop teasing my guy,” she said, literally walking right up to Beck.

For some reason, despite the fact that Pia was an intelligent, independent woman, she’d taken a liking to him.

The two of them had a brother/sister relationship almost from the start.

At least, after he stopped hitting on her after realizing Mason was interested.

“Thank you, Pia,” he said with a wink.

“Your guy wants to stay here and drink,” Mason pointed out.

“Sorry, Beck.” Pia turned on “her guy” just like that. “No can do. It’s strictly a girls’ night.”

“Who’s coming?” he asked, not masking his interest in the topic.

Pia made a face but answered, “Jules, Delaney, a friend of hers from the gym, a woman I met from the chamber of commerce—who’s married—and someone she works with. Don’t know her name since we haven’t met.”

“Is she hot?”

“The one I haven’t met?” Pia asked, crossing her arms.

“No, the friend from the gym.”

“I suppose. But she’s also getting over a bad breakup, like Delaney.”

“So it’s a therapy session?” he asked.

“You are impossible. So where you guys going?”

“Cedarwood.” Mason reached for Pia, pulling her next to him. “Will you miss me?”

“Oh, here we go,” Beck said dramatically.

Unlike my friend, I had no problem with PDA, especially from a guy who I’d been convinced would be single forever.

We all had a reason to take that bachelor pact in college, Mason included.

For him, seeing his dad’s heartbreak after Mason’s mom died, the guy never remarrying because of it, left some scars.

We all had them.

I gave my attention to Beck. “What’s in the pot now?” I asked, still thinking of our pact.

“Six-fifty, right? One hundred each to pony up and Mr. Engaged here,” he said, nodding to Mason.

Pia went to the fridge and pulled out some vegetables. “I still can’t believe you had to donate two hundred and fifty dollars to… that.”

“A pact is a pact,” Mason said, taking a swig of his beer.

“When he gets married, that’ll be another two-fifty,” Beck said. “The pot’s growing.”

Pia rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I ever asked whose idea it was in the first place?” She side-eyed Mason. “Wait, maybe I don’t want to know.”

“It wasn’t Mace,” I said. “Take a guess who came up with it.”

“Setting the stage,” Beck said, warming up to the topic. “Someone just got dumped. We were in senior year?—”

“Of college,” I added.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Mason put his hand around the back of Pia’s neck as she cut vegetables, massaging it. This warm and fuzzy version of my ex-cop, ex-military friend would take some getting used to. “Pia knows we met Park in college.”

“Anyway,” Beck continued, ignoring Mason. “We were at our apartment on a late Saturday afternoon, getting ready to go out. Pregaming, you know?”

“I can only imagine,” Pia said wryly.

“And that’s when one of us, but not Mason, said, ‘Let’s make a pact right here, right now. Bachelors for life.’”

I tried not to laugh at Beck’s overly dramatic storytelling voice.

“Any guesses?” I asked her.

She stopped cutting celery. “Not to be too personal,” she said to me. “But I know you’re not a huge fan of your dad, given everything. I’m thinking maybe that situation soured you on the whole love and marriage thing?”

“True statement,” I said with a swig of beer. “But it wasn’t me.”

She turned to Beck. “I wouldn’t have guessed you right off the bat since both your mom and dad remarried.”

“Married does not mean happily married,” Beck said. “Even the second time around.”

Pia and Beck had grown close. No doubt she knew all about Beck’s super wealthy, meddling, divorced, remarried… and did I mention controlling parents? “But I’m still guessing you. If there’s anyone in this foursome who isn’t into the whole relationship thing, it’s you.”

“Try again,” Beck said, enjoying this way too much.

She looked at me, surprised. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” I shrugged. “Like Beck said, married doesn’t mean happily married. I think it’s almost worse that Cole’s parents should have gotten divorced years ago, but didn’t.”

Cole’s father, like our friend, was an Ivy-league college professor and lived for his job, above everything, unfortunately.

“I won’t be shocked if they do separate,” Beck added. “When his sister graduates high school.”

“Wow. Cole. I honestly wouldn’t have guessed him first. He’s that anti-relationship?”

“Big time,” I said as Pia began cutting celery again. “I honestly think if any of us really do stay a bachelor for life, it’ll be him.”

“I don’t plan on settling down anytime soon,” Beck said. “Some of us took the pact seriously.”

“I took it seriously.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized that never being in a committed relationship probably wasn’t the hill I wanted to die on.

It wasn’t noble, or maybe even a great idea, given Mason and Pia’s success story.

But that was the point. All of our parents started off in love, but the only one who stayed that way was Mason’s dad, who lost the love of his life way too young.

“Anyway,” I said, wanting to move on, “what time are your friends coming?”

“In an hour,” Pia said.

“We’ll finish these and get out of your hair before they do.”

Beck all but pouted but finished his beer anyway. Less than twenty minutes later, ready to roll, the three of us headed out.

We were halfway up the walkway that led from Heritage Hill to the road above us which led to Cedar Falls’ town square a few blocks away when a figure appeared. She was bundled in a white winter coat and red hat and gloves, carrying a bag, and I couldn’t see her face.

“Someone’s early,” Mason said.

Beck squinted. “Can’t see her, too far away.”

Pia’s guest’s face came into view.

I froze.

Mason and Beck kept walking for a few seconds but then stopped too, looking back at me. It was the pharmacist I’d been meaning to ask the guys about.

“Hey, Delaney,” Mason said as she reached us.

Delaney. This was Pia’s friend Delaney? The one I’d been hearing about for months? My mind raced, trying to remember everything Mason had said.

Moved here in… maybe high school? Moved away. Boyfriend. Breakup. Came back. Another breakup. Holy shit, the redheaded pharmacist was Delaney.

“Hey, guys.”

We already dated.

Beck had said that about her at one point. Fuck.

She was looking at me.

“Let me take that,” I said of her massive shopping bag. “It’s still a little slippery.”

Drawn to her, wanting any excuse to get closer, I was unusually happy to see her remove the shopping bag from her shoulder. When I took it from her, those blue/gray eyes locked with mine. There was a question behind them, but she didn’t ask anything, saying simply, “Thanks.”

“I’ll meet you there,” I called up to Mason and Beck.

An outsider to our group would never have been able to discern the look I gave them, the extremely subtle glance that said, “Don’t argue with me, just go.”

Without a word, both guys took the hint and kept walking.

“I don’t want to hold you up,” Delaney said beside me.

Adorable. It wasn’t a word I used often, but one that fit her completely.

She might take offense if I said it aloud.

In my experience, women were more comfortable with compliments like gorgeous or stunning.

Cute and adorable, one of my exes said, described puppies.

Not women. But dammit, she was… all bundled up like that.

“We’re just heading to Cedarwood. I’ll catch up.”

“You guys were kicked out tonight?” she asked, amusement in her voice.

I opened the front door to the house portion of the inn. “Unceremoniously.”

Her laugh. Goddammit, now that was a sound I could get used to.

“Thanks for coming early.” Pia came from the kitchen, stopping when she saw me.

“Just helping with her bag. I wouldn’t dream of interrupting girls’ night.”

Delaney took the bag back from me. “Thanks for carrying it in.”

“No problem.”

“I guess you two already met in the driveway?”

“Sort of,” I said. “She can explain.”

Pia looked back and forth between us. I hadn’t meant that to sound so conspiratorial.

“Have fun, ladies.” As much as I didn’t want to leave, it was time to go. Delaney was watching me, but I couldn’t pinpoint her expression. It wasn’t interest, unfortunately. More like curiosity.

“Thanks again,” she said, disappearing back into the kitchen with Pia.

I stood there a few seconds more, thinking back.

How was it possible we’d never met? When exactly did she move back to Cedar Falls?

Since Pia had arrived in the fall, I’d heard Delaney’s name.

I thought about the events at Heritage Hill.

The New Year’s Eve party. Was she still dating the ex then?

He was from out of town, and I remembered Pia saying she visited him a lot.

But still, that she and Pia were so close and this was the first time we’d run into each other…

Realizing I was still standing in the entranceway, I headed back out. Into the cold. Knowing the second I got to Cedarwood the questions would come. Being around her a few more minutes, carrying Delaney’s bag, would come with a price.

One I’d gladly pay.