Hailey ducked inside, bringing a gust of autumn air with her. “I can’t believe how chilly it is tonight.”
“You didn’t walk here from the library, did you?”
She held up a tote bag. “With these? My car’s two spaces down.”
Tori took the bag. “Are you coming up or do you have to get home?”
“I’m coming up, but I’m not staying long. Matt called me a little while ago and he’s running late.”
Once they were upstairs, Tori emptied the tote onto her kitchen table. Two new romances, a new horror, and an older horror title Hailey had ordered for her through interlibrary loan.
“You have trouble with returning your books on time, so read the ILL book first because the fines are higher.”
Tori smiled and put it on top of the stack. “Yes, ma’am. You’re so hot when you use that librarian tone. I bet Matt thinks so, too.”
“I had my hair up in a bun the other day and shushed him and ended up naked on the living room floor.”
Tori wouldn’t mind getting naked on the living room floor. Sadly, it had been a while since her last good tussle and, the way things were looking, it would be a while before she had somebody to be naked with.
Hailey sat on the edge of the couch. “So how’s Operation—Makeover Max going?”
“I had dinner at his house Monday night.”
Hailey’s eyes narrowed. “Did you go in the basement?”
“We had steak-and-mushroom kebobs that would blow your mind. He’s a wicked good cook.”
Flopping back against the couch cushion, Hailey sighed. “You went in the basement and you’re not going to tell me what’s down there.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You tried to divert me with talk of food. If you hadn’t gone down there, you would have just said no.”
“Unless I enjoy torturing you.”
“Did you learn how to do that in Max’s basement?”
Tori laughed. “You’re funny. But, seriously, the kebobs were amazing.”
“I’m your best friend, remember?”
“I seem to recall that you came in the diner, bummed out that all your friends were in love and, when I said I had no interest in falling in love, you decided we should be friends.”
“And now we’re besties.” Hailey gave her a winning grin.
“But now you’re in love and you’ll be getting married next summer. So by your own reasoning, shouldn’t I find a new best friend?”
She frowned. “No. If you find a new best friend, you can’t be my maid of honor.”
“Matt said your color scheme is camo.”
“I’m ninety-five percent sure he wasn’t serious about that.”
“Regardless, I promised Max I wouldn’t tell anybody what’s in the basement.”
Hailey thought about that for a moment. “But you didn’t promise you wouldn’t tell anybody what’s not in the basement?”
“Really? Do you think if he was killing people down there—and he was dumb enough to show me—that I wouldn’t have called Drew from my car as I was laying rubber to get the hell out of there?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of porn studio. Because that would pay better. I assume, anyway. When I help the high school kids research career choices and projected incomes online, I’ve never seen either of those endeavors listed.”
“Imagine that.”
“Fine. What can you tell me about Max Crawford?”
“He’s a nice guy. Good cook. Has a comfortable couch.”
Hailey’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? I’d like to hear more about that.”
“About the comfortable couch? It’s a sectional. Leather that’s just right amount of beat up so it’s like butter. The corner is my favorite.”
“And what did you do on the couch?”
“I sat on it.”
“Come on, Tori. Did you or did you not make out with Max?”
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “I did not. I told you, I’m helping Max find a date. Ultimately, he wants to find a wife.”
“You know...if you had a husband, then I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about making you be my friend and then falling for Matt.”
And here it came. “I don’t want a husband. Marriage isn’t my thing.”
“Because I’m your best friend—at least for now—it’s my job to tell you that swearing off marriage forever because your parents divorced is weird.”
It went deeper than that. The most solid thing in her life had blown apart and turned her parents into two people who cared more about hurting each other than they did making sure she was okay. It was a betrayal of everything she’d believed about her life and she was not okay.
“I don’t believe in happily ever after anymore” was all she said. It wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation and Hailey knew how she felt.