“Well, the cat’s out of the bag now. Just spill,” Kelly adds, just as eager to know.

“Shit, guys.” Bell stands and starts pacing.

“If it’s bad, you shouldn’t say.” I try to pull the conversation back, not wanting to know.

“It’s not bad, bad. Just, I was sworn to secrecy. And now I’ve gone and blabbed.”

“What if we guess?” Kadence asks, offering her a way out of her guilt.

“Yeah, okay. If you guess correctly, I’ll just nod, that way I’m not actually telling anything.” I nearly laugh at how serious Bell’s taking this.

“Let me guess. Beau is the kinky fuck who tied Lissy up, spanked the fuck out of her ass while we were in Vegas.” I spit my drink at Holly’s guess and watch all color drain from Bell’s face.

Lissy? Oh, my God. This is worse. He’s had sex with Lissy. Is he still having sex with her? Is that why he doesn’t want more from me?

“How did you know?” Bell sits, her hands moving back to her mouth. “Shit.”

“’Cause Lissy told me.” Holly shrugs, a slow smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “She didn’t swear me to secrecy, so we’re cool,” she assures Bell before turning back to me.

“Are they still?” I stop to think how to phrase it. I’ve met Lissy a couple of times in the last two months. She’s a little crazy and loud, but a nice girl. I never once suspected her and Beau had or even have a fling.

“Oh no. It was a one-time deal. You know Lissy, she’s just having fun. You have nothing to worry about. It’s all in the past.” I look at Bell, silently pleading with her to stop.

“Why, do you have a taste for kink, Mackenzie?” I fight the blush that runs over my face and offer Holly my innocent look.

If only they knew.

“I don’t have a taste for anything.” I clear my throat and push all images of a naked Beau spanking Lissy out of my head.

“I bet ya that’s why he hasn’t made his move. Innocent Mackenzie is messing him up.” Holly, oblivious to my panic, starts running through all the scenarios. Jesus, is this woman psychic?

“Beau just isn’t interested in me, guys.” I try to put out the fire they started with their questions and let them down easy. It’s not like I can tell them he wants me, but because of my past is too afraid to go there, and I was too clueless to understand any of this until I practically begged him.

Yeah, I’m a hot mess.

“Are you deaf, blind and stupid?” Kadence asks this time. “The man is so into you, I’m concerned for his own health.”

“I kissed him then kind of freaked out. Now he says we can’t go there, and I’ve tried to forget about it ever since.” This time I slap my hand over my mouth, realizing I just revealed too much.

“HA! I knew it.” Kelly stands, dances in her spot then holds her hand out. “Pay up, bitches.” She waits patiently as Kadence, Holly and Bell place ten-dollar bills in her hand.

“You made a bet?” I ask, not sure if I should be offended or laugh along with them.

“You’ll get used to them, don’t worry,” Bell offers and for reasons I can’t explain, I believe her.

Yeah, they’re crazy, brash, loud and over the top, but it’s not all there is to them. They’re kind, funny and caring. They opened their lives to accommodate me, look after me, and now in such a short time, accepted me as a friend. I’m more than lucky to have them in my life, especially when I still have no idea if Heidi is in hiding or if Chad has done something to her.

“So what was the bet, then?” I ask, wanting to know the odds.

“Well, I bet you had already fucked each other’s brains out.” Holly shrugs, before taking a sip of her drink. “You could have taken one for the team, babe.” She winks and I laugh.

“I bet you hadn’t done anything,” Kadence adds, not at all worried she lost out.

“And I bet you made it to second base.” Bell blushes a little and I want to say sorry I couldn’t take it further for her.

“And I, of course, won the bet,” Kelly says, counting her money.

“Huh.” I look at each of them, still not sure what to say.

“You’re not mad, are you?” Kadence asks, looking a little guilty.

“No, I’m just trying to figure out how I can get in on these bets.” I smile, setting her at ease. I’m not mad; I knew there were whispers about us. Who wouldn’t talk?

“Well, we have a pool for when Bell announces she’s getting married.” Holly offers.

“What? You do?” Bell shouts, not clued in on the bet.

“Yeah, I lost out already.” Holly clearly has high hopes for everyone getting it on and getting married.

“Okay, well, can I be in on that one?” I ask, trying to figure out when she and Jesse would want to settle down. I know they just started living together, but I might have an advantage here.

“Yeah, the pool is at two hundred.” Kelly smiles, ignoring Bell’s shock.

“Okay, I bet $50 they’re engaged by Thanksgiving.” My mind goes back to the morning Jesse taught me or should I say tried to teach me how to make an omelet and I remember Jackson telling Jesse he needed to put a ring on Bell’s finger. He said soon and dropped the subject just as quick.

“Done. Locked in.”

I turn to look at Bell and watch a knowing smile spread across her face.

“What?” I question, wonder what she’s hiding.

“Nothing.” She shrugs but I caught it. She’s keeping something. I just hope it doesn’t happen until Thanksgiving.

I could do with $200.

“Ugggh.” I wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon. Normally, this combination would have me rolling out of bed eager to start my day. But after the six cocktails I consumed last night, my head and my stomach are telling me otherwise.

“You awake?” The deep voice of Beau echoes around my head, causing me to flinch in pain.

“Don’t yell so loud.” I pull my pillow over my face and try to block out the daylight.

“Come on. Up you get, you’ve slept the whole day away.” I peek out the side of the pillow and check the time.

Just after twelve.

Holy crap, he’s right. I’ve slept half the day away.

“I want to die.” I groan, my stomach rolling in protest.

“I made you something to eat. You’ll feel better with something in your stomach.”

“Can’t move. Dying. Send for help.” I ignore his chuckle and force my eyes closed. Maybe if I sleep some more, I’ll wake up not feeling like death.

“I am the help.” The blanket is ripped off me and I’m thankful I’m still wearing the clothes I wore last night and not my scandalous nightgown.

“Beau,” I complain, but before I can say anymore, Beau has me up and out of bed in his arms.

At first I freeze, but then I realize nothing is going to change, so I push hope out of my head and relax.

We’re just friends.

“If I puke on you, it’s your own fault.” I bury my head into his chest, still not ready to face the day. His shirt smells like pine and a hint of lacquer.

“If you puke on me, darlin’, you’re getting in the shower to clean me up,” he replies and my stomach does that dip thingy that happens just as you free fall on a roller coaster. “Shit, sorry,” he quickly adds, realizing his slip.

Ugggh, this is why it’s hard to move on when he oversteps the friend line.

“Why do you smell like pine?” I change the subject, not because I don’t want to shower with Beau, because I do. But talking about it anymore than I have to will only make things worse.

“Why do you smell like vanilla one day and strawberry the next?” he counters my question with his own.

“’Cause I use two different body washes,” I answer as he places me on the kitchen counter.

“Why do you have two different body washes?” He hands me a mug of black coffee, just how I like it, and refills his own.

“I like to keep it fresh. Spice things up.” He lets out a low chuckle at my answer but doesn’t comment any further.

“So why do you smell like pine?” I ask again, wanting to know why he really smells like he took a bath in lacquer.