Page 50 of Take The Risk

​Ah, crap.

​Her question repeated over and over in my head.

​Was there something going on between me and Ty? Yes. Well, no. Maybe? Honestly, I didn’t know. I thought there was something. The way he touched me, looked at me. Then today…

​Except nothing really happened.

​My throat constricted as panic clawed at my insides. What followed the panic was a massive dose of guilt. Cady-Jo had welcomed me into her home, her friend group. She was my friend. I couldn’t lie to her. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood.

​“Ty is my contractor and my friend. We’ve never so much as kissed.” Please don’t let her question me further. I hadn’t lied, not technically. The wine turned to sludge in my stomach.

​Studying me, she weighed my response. “If that’s true, then why is there a rumor going around that you and Ty were seen making out behind the church at the first babysitting night?”

​Huh? “That’s ridiculous! That sounds like a rumor made up by—”

​“Amber-Rae,” she finished for me, sighing.

​Amber-fucking-Rae. She hadn’t been directly involved with me in the last few weeks, even if I was still acutely aware she was around. I had half a mind to write her into my next story and kill her off, no name changes.

​Cady-Jo sat back, picking up her wine glass and taking a sip. “I’m sorry. I should have considered the source. I did, but then I came in here and it looked like something…more was going on.”

​“I understand.” Danger. Danger. Danger. The warning bells in my head was clanging loudly.

​“It’s just, he’s my son, you know? Some lines shouldn’t be crossed.”

​I did know and I had to do a better job remembering that. “I get it.” Boy, did I ever get it. “Nothing other than work or friendship,” I promised, determined that it would be the only thing between Ty and me. I didn’t begrudge Cady-Jo her feelings. I was her friend. He was her son. He was thirty. I was thirty-nine, going through a messy divorce, with a kid. I didn’t think I’d be thrilled if Lock was in the same situation.

​“Okay.” She seemed mollified. As she drank her wine, we talked about the zoning issue and how I was going to test out the double ovens this weekend, so I’d be ready for my first cookie order next weekend.

​All the time we talked, I felt like the biggest jerk in the world. Because despite what I said, I had a terrible feeling I wasn’t going to be able to be just friends with Ty.

Chapter 20

​Dropping down onto my bed later that night, I groaned.

​After I left Phoebe’s—something I didn’t want to do with the way Mom was looking at her—Dad had called, needing my help at the bar. It had been a total shitshow with two bachelor parties showing up at the same time along with the Thursday usuals and baseball fans who’d come to watch the big game. Needless to say, it was a disaster and I was done.

​Once the place had closed down, I’d wanted to crawl home only to have Dad pull me into his office for a little chat because of my mother, who’d made the rounds today, it seemed.

​“Your mom stopped by today.” Dad leaned back in his office chair after handing me a beer.

​“I saw her at Phoebe’s.” I put the beer down untouched.

​“You’ve heard the rumors then?” He picked up his own beer, taking a long drink.

​“About the makeout session that didn’t happen? I’ve heard.” Everyone in town had heard, and I knew just who had started them. Rowdy. I knew when I’d caught him skulking around the church during the babysitting night that he’d be trouble.

​“Your mom seems to think there is some truth to it.” Dad gave me the look he gave me when I was a kid, and he was trying to ferret out if I was lying.

​“It’s bullshit.” I didn’t say that I wished it wasn’t. In fact, the idea of making out with Phoebe, at church or anywhere else, was more than a little appealing.

​“That’s what I told her.”

​“You did?” I was surprised. Usually, my parents made a sport out of tag-teaming me. Dad defending me without having the facts was…unusual.

​“Yep. I taught you better than to fuck around with your woman where anyone in this town could see.”

​My woman?