“No. Something happened.”

Her friend’s face lit with alarm. “What?”

She gulped. “I slept with Nate Dunkle.”

“Oh, my God. When? You didn’t tell us. Was it good? Are you happy? Is he off the client list?”

Kennedy mashed her fingers against her mouth. “No, it’s terrible, well, the sex was off-the-charts amazing, but this whole thing is terrible, I made a big mistake, and now I think I screwed him up. He needs to fall in love with Mary, not me. Oh, please let him fall in love with Mary this weekend so I can go back to my normal life.”

Kate sighed, rummaged for her phone, and tapped the screen. “This is too much for one of us. I’m going to Skype Arilyn in so we can discuss.”

“But she has the flu.”

“She can talk from bed. She probably needs a distraction anyway, she was so upset she couldn’t make Gen’s party. Hang on.”

Ken waited. After a few minutes of back-and-forth texting, her screen flashed on. Arilyn was propped up in bed, her nose bright red, glasses on, her hair a bird’s nest of a mess, and a grim expression on her face. “Tell me nothing dramatic happened. Did Gen call off the engagement?”

Kate frowned. “No. Why? Did you suspect something?”

“Gen hasn’t been happy lately. I got a bad feeling. What’s up?”

“Kennedy has a crisis. She slept with Nate Dunkle.”

A coughing fit mixed with a gulp of surprise. “The rocket scientist?”

“Aerospace engineer,” Kennedy corrected. “Yes. Him.”

“Once? Twice?”

“About fifteen times over last weekend.”

“Bitch,” Kate murmured. “You need a rest, not an intervention.”

“Kate, focus,” Arilyn said.

“Fine. But I think my record is twelve. Slade has to work harder.”

“Sweetie, why are you panicking? Kate slept with her client and they’re happy. Sure, it’s against the rules, but sometimes rules are meant to be broken. I can contact the dates you set him up with and straighten out the situation. I’m sure it will be fine.”

Kate sighed. “No, Arilyn, you don’t get it. Kennedy wants him to fall in love with someone else and already set him up with Mary for a date.”

Arilyn cursed. “What is up with you guys pushing the men you want into another woman’s arms? I feel like we’re doing the Slade thing all over again.”

Kennedy shook her head. “No, it’s different. I can’t have a relationship with Nate.”

“Why?” Kate asked.

“Because! I don’t do long-term relationships. I get itchy and restless, and I’m a bitch to deal with, and he needs someone sweet and smart to complete his life and give him babies and all that stuff I can’t.”

Arilyn sniffled, wiped her nose, and glared at the screen. “Back up. You are all of those things. You deserve happiness, too, Ken. Why are you so reluctant to take it?”

“I’m not! I’m being realistic about what I can handle and give back. You guys are always saying I find things wrong with men all the time. I’m not ready for forever.”

“Okay, give me a list of everything wrong with Nate and why it wouldn’t work,” Kate demanded.

Kennedy sniffed. “Too much to name.”

“Give me one.”

“He loves golf.”

Silence. Arilyn glared through Skype. “You went golfing with him and told us it wasn’t bad.”

“Once was okay. Twice maybe. Not every weekend!”

“Lame,” Kate declared. “Next.”

“He’s too intellectual.”

“So are you. You’re a complete Gemini—two halves of a coin. You love Science Today as much as Vogue, and don’t deny it.”

“He doesn’t respect my food choices. Always makes me try unhealthy things.”

Kate laughed. “Well, amen, sister. About time to join the land of the living, and salad makes you a cranky bitch. You’re toast. You love him.”

“No! I don’t love him.” She moaned and clutched her stomach. “I don’t, he’s going to marry Mary.”

Arilyn groaned. “God, you’re just as delusional as Kate was. Listen, babe, we can beat you over the head with the truth, but you need to find it within yourself first. You need to let go of these restrictions from your past finally. You’re worth everything, and Nate would be lucky to have you. Trust yourself to love him back.”

“No.”

“Bitch,” Kate muttered. “I knew she’d be the toughest out of all of us. You are meant for Nate. I know this.”

“How?”

Kate shrugged and didn’t meet her gaze. “I just do.”

“I don’t want this intervention anymore. My head hurts, I’m in a bad mood, and I just want to drink and celebrate Gen’s engagement. Okay?”

Kate and Arilyn shared a deep look over the iPhone. “Fine,” Arilyn said. She sneezed. “Take some photos for me and give Gen a hug. Miss you guys.”

“Bye, A.”

Kate clicked off. Frustration beat from her in waves, but she stood up and offered her hand. Ken took it. “I am going on record to say your plan is asinine and you will end up together, either the hard way or the easy way. But I will drop the subject and drink with you. Slade is designated driver. Now, let’s hit the fountain.”

“I love you, Kate.”

“Back atcha, babe. Back atcha.”

fifteen

NATE CUPPED HIS hands around his microbrew and watched his brother trudge into the bar. It had been the week from hell, between endless work hours and coming to terms with the fact that Kennedy didn’t want him. Of course, he was the biggest dumbass on the planet. Who else confessed his love in third person? In front of another guy? In code?

He deserved for her to walk.

Connor slid into the booth, and ordered a Coors Lite from the waitress. “Bad day, Con? You didn’t even hit on her.”

He waited for his brother’s easygoing laugh and a crude retort, but Connor only shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever. What’s going on with you?”

Besides losing the woman he loved? “Thought we had a breakthrough with a formula, then found out we didn’t. Wayne almost cried like a baby. Told him he needed to get out of the lab or he’d go loco. How’s the new job?”

“Fine. Same group of guys, so no surprises.” His brother snorted. “Not that there’s any surprises in my life.”

Nate frowned. The beer came, and his brother guzzled it down like water. “What’s up? You’re not yourself.”

Another shrug. “Nothing. Jay caught his girlfriend cheating on him and went nuts on the job. She’s a nail technician, remember? Really hot blonde. Told you, little brother. Stay away from those women; they’ll nail you and watch you bleed for fun.”

Whoa. He wondered if he could talk with his brother—really talk. Wolfe’s advice was helpful, but after the engagement party fiasco, he just wasn’t sure if he should try to move on or keep fighting. He cleared his throat and tried not to feel like an ass. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“It’s about Kennedy. Do you remember her?”

“Yeah, the looker from your matchmaking agency. What’s up?”

Ah, he hated this open-heart, male-to-male stuff. Especially with Connor. “Well, she was setting me up with that girl Sue, remember?”

“The one I met at your place? Yeah. You liked her, right?”

“Sue? Yeah, I liked Sue, but I’ve been spending a lot of time with Kennedy, and I sorta fell for her.”

Connor took another guzzle and wiped his mouth. “Like how? You mean you wanted to sleep with her?”

“Yeah. Well, that’s not all I wanted, but we ended up sleeping together.”

“Nice! That’s what I’m talking about! A little Sue, a little Kennedy, and you’re back in the game, my man.”

Nate pushed his hands through his hair and tried not to groan. “No, you’re not listening. See, I didn’t sleep with Sue. I decided Sue wasn’t right for me, but when I say I fell for Kennedy, it means more than sex. It means I fell in love with her.”

His brother stilled. His voice dropped to ice. “What are you talking about? You can’t love that woman—she’s the matchmaker, right? Didn’t she try to make you hot shit to find someone else?”

“Yeah. But it got complicated. We ended up spending time together, I got to know her, and I fell in love.”

Connor shook his head. “Listen, you need to back off. You spent way too much time with her, and she did this transformation thing, and you got sucked in. Keep your mouth shut, and it will go away, I promise.”

“I already told her.”

“Shit.” His brother drained the bottle and raised his hand for another. “Nate, I saw her, and she’s gonna destroy you. She’s like a walking supermodel with sex vibes. You don’t need a life like we had with Mom, just waiting for her to leave.”

“She won’t. I know she won’t.”

“She will!”

They glared at each other. Nate tightened his lips. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t understand. You never had the balls to go after a woman worth anything. You’d rather assume she’s gonna screw you over than take the risk at some happiness. God, you and Kennedy are both cut from the same cloth. Can’t you just give me some good advice for a change instead of your usual bullshit?”

Connor jerked in the chair. Nate cursed under his breath and opened his mouth to apologize, but Jerry stopped at their table. “Hey, guys, I’m gonna join you. Sorry about the job, Con, but I warned you. Ed was a shoo-in. Ridiculous that they want college fucking degrees to work with your hands. But at least we’ll have more time to hang out—you don’t need that job.”

Nate stared at his brother. “You didn’t get the job?”

Connor laughed. Bitterness twisted his face. “I told you. No big deal. I’m not meant for the stuff you are, little brother. Not love, or management. And that’s okay. At least I know my place in life.”