“Brookline’s a lot different from Whitford. That’ll be an adjustment.”
Lauren laughed. “You’re not kidding. But we’ve been to the movies and gone to the mall and tried to show him the fun side of living in a town with more than one main intersection.”
“Got a guest room?” Katie joked.
“As a matter of fact, we do. Anytime you want to come down and have a crazy shopping weekend, just say the word.”
Katie wasn’t into crazy shopping weekends, but she wouldn’t mind a trip to the city now and then, just for something to do. And, now that she thought about it, they probably had a Victoria’s Secret store in the neighborhood. She wouldn’t mind blowing some money there.
“Lauren?” Ryan peeked in. “Hey, we’re starving. You guys want pizza or Chinese?”
“Pizza,” both women said at the same time.
“I’ll call it in,” Lauren said. “We’ll probably finish up in here just in time to eat.”
A half hour later, they were gathered in the kitchen, standing at the counter and devouring pepperoni pizza right out of the box. Katie was starving, so she concentrated on eating and watched Josh and Ryan talking between bites. They were discussing business, mainly Ryan’s, so she tuned out their words and focused on their faces.
The Kowalski family resemblance was unmistakable. Nobody could doubt Josh and Ryan were brothers, and it was the same with the other three. They shared a lot of the same mannerisms, too, though she doubted they were aware of it.
“Good-looking guys, aren’t they?” Lauren asked in a low voice. “We’re very lucky women.”
Katie nodded, but then she took a huge bite of her pizza so she could avoid having to respond out loud. Lauren was very lucky, she’d give her that. Ryan loved her, was going to marry her and didn’t hide how happy he was to be starting a life with her and her son.
Whereas Josh didn’t seem to want anybody to suspect he’d made love to Katie last night. Apparently there were degrees of lucky.
“Ryan told me the lodge’s projected numbers for the season look really good.” Lauren wiped her mouth and then tossed the napkin in the trash.
“Yeah, business definitely picked up.” Katie didn’t want to talk about the Northern Star or Josh anymore. Hearing about projected numbers was a reminder they were watching them because they were waiting for the right time to put the property on the market or hire a manager so Josh could leave.
“This pizza’s amazing,” she said, changing the subject. “I’d give anything for a good takeout place in Whitford.”
“Yeah, buying a frozen pizza from Fran and taking it home to microwave isn’t the same at all. I have to say, being able to have almost any food delivered is one of my favorite things about living here, and Ryan’s starting to wonder if I’ll ever cook again.”
A few minutes later, Ryan pulled the trash bag out of the can and gestured for Lauren to grab the pizza box they’d emptied. “Can you get that, Lauren? We’ll be right back, guys.”
After they disappeared through the side door into the garage, Katie laughed and shook her head. “That bag wasn’t even full and he could have carried that box himself. They just want to make out for a few minutes.”
Josh stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist so he could nuzzle her neck. “Nothing wrong with making out.”
She shivered and pressed her back against his chest. “They won’t be long.”
“Then we’d better make out fast.” He spun her around and kissed her, his hands traveling up her waist to cup her breasts.
She pushed his hands away because there wasn’t time for rounding that base, but wrapped her arms around his neck so he wouldn’t stop kissing her.
“You taste like pepperoni pizza,” he murmured against her mouth. “I like it.”
He showed her how much, kissing her until she was tempted to lock Ryan and Lauren out of their own house and have her way with Josh in one of the guest rooms. At least they had beds.
When there was a scuffing sound outside the door, though, Josh broke away. And by the time Ryan and Lauren got through the door, both a little flushed, Josh had his back to Katie, taking another slice of pizza out of the box they hadn’t finished off.
Because she knew her face was probably as red as Lauren’s, both from the kisses and Josh’s sudden pulling away, Katie turned to the sink and took her time running the water cold from the tap and filling a glass.
After guzzling the water, hoping it would cool her off, she filled the glass again. She wasn’t holding out for proclamations of love and a diamond ring, but she wasn’t going to be anybody’s dirty little secret, either.
*