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“What? No! Don’t go getting the wrong idea. Our relationship is entirely platonic, remember? I want to platonically take you to a restaurant the same way you platonically rubbed your arse against my ‘willy’.”

Grace’s eyes crinkle. “Wow! So, do you feel emasculated having used that word, or are you still as much of a man as you were before?”

I give her a sly wink. “Whatever. Anyway, I should warn you, my conversation may not be the best. For some reason, I didn’t sleep very well.”

This gets a laugh from her. “Okay. Yes, Aidan, you may take me to a restaurant.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

GRACE

Taking advantage of a short break between classes, I close the door of my yoga studio and try calling Emily.

After two rings, her smiling face pops up on my phone’s screen. “Hi, hun! What’s up?”

“I was hoping for some advice, if you’ve got a few minutes?”

“Fire away! We’re so lucky to be going through this at the same time.”

“Oh, it’s not actually a pregnancy question. It’s . . . an Aidan question.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “Even better! Tell me more.”

“Well . . . the thing is, Aidan’s done what I’ve asked him to. He hasn’t tried to make a move or anything like that.”

“And they said he couldn’t be trained. What a good boy!” Emily jokingly adopts a tone you might use for a dog.

“Right, except . . . I don’t know if I want things to stay that way.”

Emily’s mouth forms a surprised “O” then breaks into a triumphant grin. “I knew it! This is brilliant.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re falling for him, aren’t you? Is he falling for you too? Please say he is!” The speed of her speech increases as more and more words tumble out. “I know he’s slept with a lot of women, but I was sure you’d be the one to work your way into his heart. Ally didn’t believe me—he thought I was off the mark and claimed he knew Aidan a lot better than me—but I was right, wasn’t I? After all, who wouldn’t love you? You’re perfect! And oh God, we’re having kids at the same time, and you and I are best friends, and Ally and Aidan are best friends, and you’ll have to move up to Bannock, of course, and—”

“Whoa! Emily, slow down!”

“Sorry!” She winces. “Too much?”

“Way too much. What’s going on? You’re normally calm and collected. Is this a pregnancy thing?”

She bites her lip. “I think it might be. But just imagine how amazing it’d be if you did move up here, and—”

“Stop!” I hold up a hand. “You’re going off the rails again and getting ahead of yourself. We’ve not even been on a date yet, although Aidan is taking me out for dinner tonight—to somewhere fancy, he said. My mind is all over the place, though, and I thought you might be able to help me out. But if you’re going to blab away and put other thoughts in my head, confusing me even more, maybe I’ll hang up and call David in—”

“Don’t you dare! I need to hear this, Grace. Tell me the gossip! I promise to calm down, listen, and only offer the very best advice.” She closes her eyes, breathes in deeply through her nose, and breathes out through her mouth. “All right, I’m ready. Tell me everything that’s on your mind, and together, we will sort this matter out.”

She holds her tongue, giving me a chance to talk, but she’s now gazing at me with such intensity it’s kind of unnerving.

“Er . . . just chill, Emily. Be your usual self, please. You look like you’re trying to see into my soul.”

“Sorry.” Again, she closes her eyes, grounding herself. “Okay, shoot!”

“Right, issue one: I’m definitely attracted to Aidan, but could that be the pregnancy hormones? I mean, it does affect your libido, doesn’t it?”

“Absolutely! I can’t get enough of Ally at the moment. Just last night—”

“Thanks, but I don’t need the details. If we could focus on me, that’d be great.”