laughing. I grabbed my clutch from the entry table, pulled out the handkerchief that had been my grandmother’s and wiped him off.
Yeah, I know it’s cliché to carry around a hankie, I didn’t do it all the time, but I liked it better than tissues for days like this when I knew I’d cry. They never left lint all over your face when you sopped up the mess you’d made of yourself. Also, it was my gran’s and I had loved her so much as a young girl.
She used to make us the best sugar cookies I ever had. She would put a dollop of homemade strawberry jam right in the center and bake them that way. I wanted her comfort today too.
We made it through the monotony of the day and finally sat down for dinner with everyone. The entire group had agreed to meet before the viewing. I knew that everyone wanted to show their solidarity. We needed the strength of all the others now.
Reed’s hulking six-foot-seven frame was the first one I saw. His piercing blue eyes stood out from his tanned skin. His sandy blonde hair made him look deceptively innocent, like the boy next door: he was anything but. His gaze was sympathetic and understanding. Reed’s dad had committed suicide when he was a kid, I was sure that Nolan’s suicide was weighing especially hard on him now.
Luke’s hand lay possessively across my lower back; which I was sure hadn’t gone unnoticed. I walked out of Luke’s grasp and straight into Reed’s warm, welcoming hug. I wrapped my arms around his stomach and held on tight. His arms came around me and I was encircled in the comfort of a great friend.
Of all the guys, aside from Luke of course, Reed and I were the closest. We actually communicated with each other on social media, and texted a couple of times each week.
Reed worked as a special agent for the ATF; so anytime he was in the area, he would come into the store to visit me. Reed had a special affinity for the Thai place around the corner from Indulgence; I was pretty sure he could eat his weight in chicken satay and honey pork. We’d gone to lunch there dozens of times over the past few years. Regardless of how much time we spent together, there was never even a niggling of flirtation between us.
I heard a strange noise from behind me and looked up to see Reed chuckling. “What was that?” I asked him quietly.
“I think Luke has had enough,” he said cryptically.
“What? He’s had enough of what?” Reed and I were talking quietly so no one else could hear us.
I felt Reed’s body jerk just a little, when I pulled back and looked around I saw Luke standing there scowling at Reed.
“Did he just punch you?” I had a sneaking suspicion that Luke had just jabbed Reed in the side; like I’d seen them do hundreds of times over the years. The boys seemed to love taking cheap shots on each other: they were rather strange. I couldn’t imagine just punching Amber or any women I knew.
Reed smiled and pulled back: “He sure did.”
I whirled to look at Luke and asked snippily: “Why would you do that?”
Before I finished my question, Luke had me plastered firmly against his side again and placed a smacking kiss to my temple. Raising my eyebrow in anticipation of his answer; he finally let out a huff and conceded.
“He hugged you long enough. There is only so much a man can take.” He was speaking quietly into my ear, so as soon as he was finished, he leaned in and kissed my neck just under my earlobe. That was such a sensitive area and it was a spot that denoted intimacy, right there in the restaurant in front of everyone.
“Luke! Oh honey, come here. Aurora! Give me a hug baby, how are you doing?” Luke’s mom walked in behind us, just as he kissed me like that, my lord, what must she be thinking?
“Hi, Mrs. Jackson, thank you for coming.” Luke was definitely good at distracting me. This was most definitely a horrible day and would only get worse as the evening progressed, but he was distracting me so well I could almost
Yeah, I know it’s cliché to carry around a hankie, I didn’t do it all the time, but I liked it better than tissues for days like this when I knew I’d cry. They never left lint all over your face when you sopped up the mess you’d made of yourself. Also, it was my gran’s and I had loved her so much as a young girl.
She used to make us the best sugar cookies I ever had. She would put a dollop of homemade strawberry jam right in the center and bake them that way. I wanted her comfort today too.
We made it through the monotony of the day and finally sat down for dinner with everyone. The entire group had agreed to meet before the viewing. I knew that everyone wanted to show their solidarity. We needed the strength of all the others now.
Reed’s hulking six-foot-seven frame was the first one I saw. His piercing blue eyes stood out from his tanned skin. His sandy blonde hair made him look deceptively innocent, like the boy next door: he was anything but. His gaze was sympathetic and understanding. Reed’s dad had committed suicide when he was a kid, I was sure that Nolan’s suicide was weighing especially hard on him now.
Luke’s hand lay possessively across my lower back; which I was sure hadn’t gone unnoticed. I walked out of Luke’s grasp and straight into Reed’s warm, welcoming hug. I wrapped my arms around his stomach and held on tight. His arms came around me and I was encircled in the comfort of a great friend.
Of all the guys, aside from Luke of course, Reed and I were the closest. We actually communicated with each other on social media, and texted a couple of times each week.
Reed worked as a special agent for the ATF; so anytime he was in the area, he would come into the store to visit me. Reed had a special affinity for the Thai place around the corner from Indulgence; I was pretty sure he could eat his weight in chicken satay and honey pork. We’d gone to lunch there dozens of times over the past few years. Regardless of how much time we spent together, there was never even a niggling of flirtation between us.
I heard a strange noise from behind me and looked up to see Reed chuckling. “What was that?” I asked him quietly.
“I think Luke has had enough,” he said cryptically.
“What? He’s had enough of what?” Reed and I were talking quietly so no one else could hear us.
I felt Reed’s body jerk just a little, when I pulled back and looked around I saw Luke standing there scowling at Reed.
“Did he just punch you?” I had a sneaking suspicion that Luke had just jabbed Reed in the side; like I’d seen them do hundreds of times over the years. The boys seemed to love taking cheap shots on each other: they were rather strange. I couldn’t imagine just punching Amber or any women I knew.
Reed smiled and pulled back: “He sure did.”
I whirled to look at Luke and asked snippily: “Why would you do that?”
Before I finished my question, Luke had me plastered firmly against his side again and placed a smacking kiss to my temple. Raising my eyebrow in anticipation of his answer; he finally let out a huff and conceded.
“He hugged you long enough. There is only so much a man can take.” He was speaking quietly into my ear, so as soon as he was finished, he leaned in and kissed my neck just under my earlobe. That was such a sensitive area and it was a spot that denoted intimacy, right there in the restaurant in front of everyone.
“Luke! Oh honey, come here. Aurora! Give me a hug baby, how are you doing?” Luke’s mom walked in behind us, just as he kissed me like that, my lord, what must she be thinking?
“Hi, Mrs. Jackson, thank you for coming.” Luke was definitely good at distracting me. This was most definitely a horrible day and would only get worse as the evening progressed, but he was distracting me so well I could almost
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