four decades. He hadn’t even spent four conscious hours with Josie.
Jo. Josephine.
Whatever her name was. Hell, he didn’t even know her last name. The gaps in his knowledge didn’t stop him from stumbling all over the burning question.”Do you want to stay? With me, I mean.”
Will snickered, but Greg ignored him.
Instead, he searched Josie’s eyes. Swallowing his pride and stomping on his ego, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You could go to brunch with me. You are Kaylin’s aunt after all, right?”
“Her Aunt Jo,” she confirmed, her voice raspy with some unidentifiable emotion. Her wry smile pulled the corners of her mouth down rather than up. “Doesn’t everyone have a spinster aunt stashed in a closet somewhere?”
Will chimed in. “God, if all spinster aunts looked like you, I’d go poking through people’s closets more often.”
Greg was busy shooting a quelling glance at his friend when she said, “I can’t go to brunch. Not like this.”
Ignoring her self-conscious tugs at her wrinkled dress, he took a half step closer, crowding Will out, and trapping her against the closet door as he made his case. “Stay. You don’t have to go to brunch. Just stay here. Take a bath or a nap. Order room service.”
“I should go,” she whispered.
“I don’t want you to.”
Josie held his gaze for one endless moment. Resolve tightened her jaw. Wariness shone bright in her eyes. “I don’t want to, either, but I should.”
Suddenly aware of his aggressive stance, Greg immediately fell back and cast a reluctant glance at his friend. “You’re only going to give her a ride home, right?”
Will eyed him closely then turned to give Josie a slow once-over. The glint in his eye was all too familiar to Greg.
“I mean it, Will. Just help her out, nothing else.”
“She’s standing right here,” Josie reminded them.
Will spared her an abstracted glance then tilted his head like a goddamn cocker spaniel. “Or what?”
“Just…don’t.” The word could be interpreted in a dozen ways. Don’t touch her. Don’t mess this up for me. Don’t be you. Don’t make me have to punch you.
Will’s smirk softened.
Humiliation sizzled under Greg’s skin, but he refused to rise to the bait. Once again, he turned his body to block his friend from the conversation. “I’m sorry. I have to go to brunch.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“They tell us they have your coat and purse downstairs.”
Josie grimaced. “Yeah. I heard.”
“Do you want me to try to get them for you?”
The twist of her lips softened. “Thanks, but that’s okay. My sister-in-law will get them to me.”
“Okay.” Steeling his spine, he shot Will his nastiest back-off glare. As usual, his pal was impervious. “Do you want Will to take you home?”
Her gusty sigh helped soothe his frayed nerves. “Yeah, it’s okay. If he doesn’t mind.”
“He’s standing right here,” Will said, mocking them both with his laconic drawl.
The realization she wasn’t any more eager to leave with his friend than he was to let her go seeped past his frustration. “I can get you a cab if you prefer,” Greg offered.
“Will’s fine,” she said with a resigned sigh.
The reluctance in her tone made accepting her decision a little easier. Jabbing his friend in the chest with his finger, he growled, “Try not to be yourself.”
The pause stretched between them, an acknowledgment of years of subtext. Finally, Will inclined his head. “Got it. Damsel in distress, white knight. Wrong story for a chick who keeps losing her shoe, but I’ll make it work.”
“You’re not the knight, you’re the….”
He trailed off, but Josie’s amused chuckle filled the void. “Chauffeur?” When both men grunted, she gestured toward the bathroom. “I’m going to duck in there.”
The minute the bathroom door closed behind her, Greg turned to face his friend. “Thank you.”
Will waved the sentiment away. “You can thank me
Jo. Josephine.
Whatever her name was. Hell, he didn’t even know her last name. The gaps in his knowledge didn’t stop him from stumbling all over the burning question.”Do you want to stay? With me, I mean.”
Will snickered, but Greg ignored him.
Instead, he searched Josie’s eyes. Swallowing his pride and stomping on his ego, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You could go to brunch with me. You are Kaylin’s aunt after all, right?”
“Her Aunt Jo,” she confirmed, her voice raspy with some unidentifiable emotion. Her wry smile pulled the corners of her mouth down rather than up. “Doesn’t everyone have a spinster aunt stashed in a closet somewhere?”
Will chimed in. “God, if all spinster aunts looked like you, I’d go poking through people’s closets more often.”
Greg was busy shooting a quelling glance at his friend when she said, “I can’t go to brunch. Not like this.”
Ignoring her self-conscious tugs at her wrinkled dress, he took a half step closer, crowding Will out, and trapping her against the closet door as he made his case. “Stay. You don’t have to go to brunch. Just stay here. Take a bath or a nap. Order room service.”
“I should go,” she whispered.
“I don’t want you to.”
Josie held his gaze for one endless moment. Resolve tightened her jaw. Wariness shone bright in her eyes. “I don’t want to, either, but I should.”
Suddenly aware of his aggressive stance, Greg immediately fell back and cast a reluctant glance at his friend. “You’re only going to give her a ride home, right?”
Will eyed him closely then turned to give Josie a slow once-over. The glint in his eye was all too familiar to Greg.
“I mean it, Will. Just help her out, nothing else.”
“She’s standing right here,” Josie reminded them.
Will spared her an abstracted glance then tilted his head like a goddamn cocker spaniel. “Or what?”
“Just…don’t.” The word could be interpreted in a dozen ways. Don’t touch her. Don’t mess this up for me. Don’t be you. Don’t make me have to punch you.
Will’s smirk softened.
Humiliation sizzled under Greg’s skin, but he refused to rise to the bait. Once again, he turned his body to block his friend from the conversation. “I’m sorry. I have to go to brunch.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“They tell us they have your coat and purse downstairs.”
Josie grimaced. “Yeah. I heard.”
“Do you want me to try to get them for you?”
The twist of her lips softened. “Thanks, but that’s okay. My sister-in-law will get them to me.”
“Okay.” Steeling his spine, he shot Will his nastiest back-off glare. As usual, his pal was impervious. “Do you want Will to take you home?”
Her gusty sigh helped soothe his frayed nerves. “Yeah, it’s okay. If he doesn’t mind.”
“He’s standing right here,” Will said, mocking them both with his laconic drawl.
The realization she wasn’t any more eager to leave with his friend than he was to let her go seeped past his frustration. “I can get you a cab if you prefer,” Greg offered.
“Will’s fine,” she said with a resigned sigh.
The reluctance in her tone made accepting her decision a little easier. Jabbing his friend in the chest with his finger, he growled, “Try not to be yourself.”
The pause stretched between them, an acknowledgment of years of subtext. Finally, Will inclined his head. “Got it. Damsel in distress, white knight. Wrong story for a chick who keeps losing her shoe, but I’ll make it work.”
“You’re not the knight, you’re the….”
He trailed off, but Josie’s amused chuckle filled the void. “Chauffeur?” When both men grunted, she gestured toward the bathroom. “I’m going to duck in there.”
The minute the bathroom door closed behind her, Greg turned to face his friend. “Thank you.”
Will waved the sentiment away. “You can thank me
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