Friendship on Fire(28)

“You carried the same pattern in the bodice as you did down the front of the skirt, from the arch of the print down,” Josh pointed out.

“Yes,” Riley said nervously. “When you look at it as a whole, it gives the impression of a summer breeze, movement, I guess. That’s what I was going for, but if you think it’s too much, I can change it.”

“No,” Max said. “Please, I love this. Josh, I assumed I’d see fifty designs of fluffy white gowns. This is so…me. It’s simple, light, airy, and I love the colors.”

“Length?” Josh asked.

Treat stood. “It looks like it doesn’t matter what length it is; you have a designer on your hands, and a damned good one.”

“I have more designs,” Riley offered. She shuffled the papers. “I drew, like, twenty of them. They were so fun.”

“When did you have time?” Josh asked.

Riley bit her lip. “I squeezed them in while I was on hold at work and on the subway.” She shrugged, watching Josh’s lips curve into a smile.

“Damn, Riley, you never fail to amaze me. I guess you’ve got yourself a designer, Max,” Josh said.

Max squealed and jumped to her feet. “I’m so happy! I was kind of dreading this whole thing.”

Riley legs were frozen in place, her eyes locked on Josh, who was looking at her like she’d just attained world peace. I did it. I’m actually going to design her gown. I can’t believe it. Max hugged her again, pulling her from her stupor.

“A girl should never dread her wedding day. Especially when she’s marrying a man like Treat,” Riley said. She wrapped her arms around Josh’s neck and kissed him. “Thank you so much!”

“I’m so damned proud of you,” Josh said.

“I know I kind of weaseled in, but I wasn’t trying to, honestly. I just thought it would give her some ideas to bring into your designs,” Riley said.

“You can weasel into my life, my work, my anything you want, Riley Banks,” Josh said, pulling her close.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore,” Treat teased.

“What?” Josh held his arms out in question.

“All I can say is that whatever Riley is doing has made you a happier guy. Riley, why the hell did you wait so long?” Treat touched her shoulder.

“Braden boys are a little intimidating,” she said with a laugh. “The truth is, I never thought anything would ever come from my crazy crush on Josh. First there was the whole family feud thing, and since I was in Camp Jade, I was clearly off-limits to Josh, and I never knew he liked me back then, either. Gosh, I liked him so much that it’s embarrassing to admit.” She felt her cheeks flush. “Then he moved away and became this amazing designer that all the world recognized, and I was just this small-town girl who adored him from afar.” She reached for Josh’s hand. “Now I wish I’d never wasted a second. I wish I would have taken a chance years ago and crossed that imaginary line defined by the feud and my friendship with Jade. I feel like we missed out on so many years together.”

“That’s exactly how I feel,” Josh agreed.

Treat’s eyes darted between Josh and Riley. “Have you found an apartment to rent yet?” Treat asked Riley.

She sat on an upholstered chair across from the couch. Josh sat on the arm of the chair, holding her hand. “I haven’t even had time to look yet, but that’s on my agenda for the weekend,” Riley explained.

Josh opened his mouth to speak and Treat cut him off. “Josh, let’s finish up those dishes and let the ladies drink wine so we can take advantage of them later.” He grabbed Josh’s arm and headed for the kitchen.

“I can do that,” Riley said.

Max waved a hand at her. “This is their thing. Let them go.”

A few minutes later, Treat and Josh returned to the living room, eyeing each other with coy smiles.

“Riley, Max and I have an apartment by Central Park. We’re never there. Well, we’re staying there now, but we don’t travel here often. You’re welcome to stay there if you’d like—that is, as long as Max doesn’t mind,” Treat offered.

“What a great idea,” Max said.

“We’re leaving town in the morning, so you can move in tomorrow afternoon if you want," Treat offered.

“I feel like such a mooch. First I’m borrowing your sister’s place, now yours? I can’t do that. Really, thank you, but I’ll find someplace to rent. It can’t be that difficult,” Riley said.

Josh and Treat shook their heads.

“Babe, take the offer. It’s a great place, and we’ll be neighbors,” Josh said.

“That makes it much more enticing, but I’d feel too guilty.” Riley mulled it over. “What if you want to come to New York?”

“Then you’d stay with Josh,” Max said. “It’s a perfect solution.”

“I don’t know. There’d have to be a hell of a lot of incentive for me to allow that,” Josh teased.

“I don’t know. You’d have to let me pay rent. That’s important to me. I’m not a freeloader.” Riley knew she couldn’t afford much in the way of rent, but she’d find a way to pay whatever Treat thought was fair.

“How about this,” Treat began, “since you’ll be designing Max’s gown, that’s worth a couple grand at least, right?”

“I don’t want to be paid to design her gown. That’s fun for me and great practice,” Riley insisted.

“With that attitude, you’ll be a broke fashion designer. Fair is fair,” Treat said sternly. “How about we take the price of the gown out of the total rent? I think a thousand dollars per month, month to month in case you don’t like it, sounds fair.”

“That seems awfully inexpensive,” Riley said.

“She’ll take it,” Josh said. “Thank you, Treat.”

“But—”

Josh cut her off. “Ri, this is the deal of the century, and the apartment has plenty of space for you to design. Just say thank you and let’s get to the wine.” He winked.

“Thank you,” she said. How did I fall into the arms of such a wonderful man with such a generous family? Her mind spun with the idea of moving, Max’s dress design, and the enticing way Josh was staring at her, like she was the only person in the room.





Chapter Twenty


SATURDAY MORNING, JOSH rose early for his run. He hadn’t missed a run since moving to New York, and lately, the idea of leaving Riley, lying naked and alone in the bed they shared, made his morning run not quite as appealing as it once had been. He showered and slipped into his running clothes as quietly as he was able, then wrote a note for Riley and placed it on the kitchen counter.

He put on his running shoes and headed out the door, hesitating for just a second as he debated climbing back in bed beside Riley and missing his run—just this once. It was a slippery slope, and if he skipped one run, he’d have an even harder time getting out of bed the next day, and the next, and the next…

He jogged through Central Park, watching the sun climb above the trees, its warm rays filtering through the umbrella of bare branches. Dawn was his favorite time of day, before the masses began hurrying about, when the birds still lingered on the dewy grass and the ducks slept lazily beside the water.

When he reached the Dakota, he slowed to a walk and caught his breath. He withdrew the key from his jogging shorts pocket and entered his apartment. After spending time with Riley in Savannah’s quaint apartment, his seemed too big, too empty, and far too…cold. He remembered how proud he’d been when he’d purchased the eight-room apartment and how special he’d felt knowing he was walking into the same building where John Lennon had lived. Now, as he walked through the expansive living room to the balcony overlooking the park, he realized how silly that feeling had been and what it said about who he had been. When he’d come to New York, he’d pulled far away from his Colorado roots, trying to fit in with the other elite designers and, he now realized, worrying about his image and what other people thought of him.

After spending time with his family during his recent trip back home—two of his brothers now in love, his father still pining for his mother—he’d returned to New York wanting more. Riley seemed the answer to his prayers. Since she came into his life, he’d felt more fulfilled than any material item could ever make him feel. She fed his desire to love and be loved. Love. He knew it was crazy, falling in love so quickly, but he was sure the way his heart hammered in his chest when he thought of her—as it was right then—and the way she was always on his mind, every moment of every day, that he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her. When Treat pulled him into the kitchen and suggested that she rent his apartment, Treat had instinctively known that Josh had been on the verge of asking her to move in with him. He’d offered the apartment as a safety net. Riley could live there, or have the option of staying there, giving them the time to be certain about their relationship without the added pressure of a year-long lease or moving in together right away. There’s no rush, Treat had told him.