Friendship on Fire(55)

“Every time I think of you,” he said, “I crave being lost in the throes of passion with your legs wrapped around me so tight I know you won’t let go,” he said.

“I hope that never goes away,” Riley whispered.





Chapter Forty-Eight


LATER THAT EVENING, when Josh’s dad and Riley’s parents had turned in for the night, the Braden living room was alive with conversation. Riley sat on the couch beneath the curve of Josh’s arm, Jade’s legs stretched across her lap. Jade’s head rested in Rex’s lap at the other end of the couch. He stroked her long dark hair. Hugh and Dane occupied the leather recliners, and Savannah sat on the floor, her back leaning against the bottom half of Hugh’s chair. Treat and Max shared an oversized chair beside the warm fire. Dane’s phone vibrated, which reminded Josh that he needed to check his own messages. He pushed the thought away, not wanting to break the closeness he was enjoying with Riley.

Josh had spent most of the evening watching Riley stare at her ring, then look at him with disbelief in her beautiful eyes. He pulled her tighter against him and whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, but you didn’t have to do all of this,” she said, looking up at him from beneath the fringe of her bangs.

“I know. I wanted to.”

“I want every bit of this night to last forever,” she said.

“Me too,” Josh said.

Dane’s phone vibrated again. He pulled it out, read the text, smiled, then typed a message into the phone.

“Did you ever listen to Reggie’s message?” Treat asked.

There was still the chance that Reggie would have news about Riley that Josh wasn’t prepared for. He pushed away the thought.

“I forgot,” Josh said.

“Please, listen to the message. The sooner this is behind us, the better,” Riley said. “I still can’t believe you fired Claudia.” She reached down and tickled Jade’s feet.

“Cut it out,” Jade said with a laugh.

Dane’s phone buzzed again.

“I should have done it ages ago,” Josh said.

Rex leaned down and kissed Jade’s lips. “If you’re going to put your feet there, then you have no say in the torture she imposes.”

“Oh, really?” Jade poked Rex’s ribs.

He bent over, and in one swift move, pulled her up onto his lap and began tickling her. Jade squealed.

“Get a room,” Max said.

Dane’s phone vibrated once again.

“Jeez, Dane, who are you talking to?” Savannah asked.

“Please check the message,” Riley urged Josh again.

“Lacy,” Dane answered.

“Ri, it can wait.” I want to enjoy this happiness for a while.

“Please?” she urged again.

“Fine.” He pulled out his phone and dialed voicemail, half listening to the others as the electronic voice answered.

“Lacy Snow? Really? This has gone on a long time,” Treat said to Dane.

“Yeah, it sure has,” Dane said. “Do you mind if she comes to your wedding?”

“Lacy? Really? Oh, Dane, I was going to invite her anyway. Of course she can come,” Max said.

After listening to messages from Reggie and Peter, Josh left the room and returned Peter’s call. Ten minutes later he reentered the room. Josh hung up the phone and spun Riley around to face him. “You, my dear, are brilliant. If I ever forget that, please slap me.”

“What did I do?” she asked.

“Reggie said the portfolio you sent to Peter Stafford included the drawings that Claudia claimed as her own, and—and here’s the kicker—he said Claudia’s drawing of Max’s wedding dress has a later date than when you sent the package to Peter. Peter’s been in Switzerland. I got a message from him, too, but let me tell you what else Reggie found first. He looked at the building’s security tapes—not JBD, but the actual building’s tapes, the ones Claudia didn’t realize existed—and he found footage of Claudia not only going through your desk and your trash, but your HR files, too, which means she had seen your portfolio before you even came on board. She was ready for this. She must have seen the quality of your drawings and felt threatened, or overlooked, or whatever.” Josh punched the air with his fist. “I knew my girl would never do those things.”

Riley rose to her feet. “I forgot about those drawings. I had included a few sketches of that dress, but they were so rough, and in my mind it wasn’t really going to be Max’s wedding dress. I drew them after lunch at your dad’s a few weeks ago and put them in the portfolio because Peter had said he was interested in any new designs I was playing with. I didn’t make the connection. Does this mean…?”

He pulled her to him. “It means Claudia’s full of shit.”

“You called it, Josh,” Treat said.

“I also had a message from Peter, and when I called him back, he apologized for being so far out of the loop since he’d been in Switzerland. He said he would have brought the portfolio to my attention earlier had he heard about the issues with Claudia, and more important, he wasn’t upset with me about firing Claudia. Once I explained the games she’d been playing, he said I should have come to him a long time ago.”

“That’s great news,” Riley said.

“There’s more,” Josh said. “Apparently, Peter’s interested in backing a new line, a partnership of sorts, and after seeing Riley's portfolio, he wants her included in the process.” Josh turned to Riley.

There was a collective cheer from all but Dane, who was typing on his phone.

“Dude.” Treat tapped Dane on the shoulder.

“Yeah, what? Sorry.” Dane stood. “Riley’s in the clear?”

Savannah swiped the phone from his hand and ran across the room with it as she read his messages.

“Oh.” She laughed. “Gosh, blush, blush.”

Dane chased her. “Give me that, Savannah.” His voice boomed across the room.

“Goodness, who knew you were so into Lacy? Those Snow sisters must be something else. Blake fell just as hard.” She turned her back to Dane as he swooped in and retrieved the phone.

“How long have you been dating her?” Savannah asked Dane.

“We’re not exactly dating,” Dane answered.

“Don’t tell me you’re…sexting a girl you’ve never actually taken out,” Savannah said with a tsk.

“I’m not sexting. Our schedules haven’t come together yet, but she’s coming to Treat’s wedding,” Dane explained.

“Do you even know how to read a calendar? Are you telling me that she’s going to wait for you for the next three months?” Savannah shook her head and flopped into the now vacant couch.

“I’d wait for Dane,” Jade joked.

Rex pulled her close. “Oh no, you wouldn’t.”

“We talk all the time,” Dane explained. “You know how crazy my schedule is.”

“That’s crap, Dane. Make her a priority or set her free,” Treat said.

“What makes you such an expert? Lacy understands my schedule,” Dane said.

“Then I need to have a talk with her,” Treat said. “No woman deserves to be treated that way. It’s been, what? A year? Inexcusable. Shit or get off the pot. Women are different. You may have other women filling your nights, but I’d put money on the fact that Lacy Snow isn’t dating anyone else. I met her, Dane. She’s not that kind of girl.”

Dane let out a breath. “Look, I’m not trying to hurt her. I really like her. Maybe too much.”

“You haven’t even dated her yet,” Savannah reminded him.

“No shit,” Dane said.

“Okay, listen, guys, this is supposed to be a happy time for us,” Josh said. “Can we just break out the champagne and let Dane worry about his love life? I can’t wait to meet her, and if it’s at Treat and Max’s wedding, then it is. Whatever. Let’s just keep the good mojo rolling.”

“You’re right; sorry,” Savannah said. “Dane, I’m really good at dating advice, and I’m here.” She stretched her arms out to the sides.

Dane rolled his eyes. “Yeah, haven’t you and Connor Dean been off and on again forever?”

Savannah looked away.

“Sorry, man,” Dane said to Josh.

“No worries.” Josh headed for the kitchen. “I’m breaking out the bubbly.”

Dane followed him. “I’m really sorry for all that. Congratulations, Josh. I’m happy for you.” Dane leaned against the refrigerator, watching Josh uncork the champagne. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“For years, we’ve had no idea if you’re dating, much less who you’re dating, and then, all of a sudden, you’re getting married. How does that happen?” Dane asked.

Josh spun around, ready to defend his relationship with Riley.

“I don’t mean that in a judgmental way. I guess I mean, how did you know?” Dane added.

Josh poured them each a glass of champagne. “One day nothing in your life makes sense except for the happiness you feel when you’re with that other person. And you get the sense that this meaningful life is floating around your head, just waiting for you to grab hold. That’s the best way I can explain it. There’s no secret message written in the wind or any of that shit. It just…is.” He shrugged.