“And it would give my brother and best friend some time on their own without feeling guilty,” I say slowly, the plan taking shape in my mind. “Even though they’ve been amazing about trying to include me in stuff, their relationship is brand new. I don’t want to be a perpetual third wheel or feel like I’m preventing them from doing things just the two of them like a normal couple.”

  “See? Win win.” Felicity gives me a broad smile, adding in jazz hands for effect.

  We’re both bent over laughing when Leland returns. Amusement tugs at his lips as he lowers himself to the floor once more and reaches for the bag with dessert inside. “Do I even want to know?”

  “We’re just hammering out the details of your arrangement,” Felicity says.

  Leland’s gaze swings to me. “Does that mean we have an arrangement?”

  Felicity is right about this being a win-win situation. This could be exactly the distraction I need while I continue to hand out résumés and wait for responses. And, even though I’ve resolved to stay away from Tannis, there’s a part of me that worries she’ll catch me at a weak moment, say the right thing, and I’ll allow her back in, despite knowing she’s all wrong for me. My decision-making track record hasn’t been the best lately. Hanging out with a genuinely nice guy who doesn’t have any expectations for more wouldn’t be the worst thing.

  “Yeah,” I say faintly, then repeat the word more firmly. “Let’s do this.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Let’s talk fast before the guys get here,” Hollie says.

  “What are we talking about?” I ask, all innocence.

  She gives me The Look. To be fair, Hollie has many looks; she has the most expressive face out of all of us, but this particular look says ‘we’ve known each other our entire lives; don’t play dense with me’.

  Evie laughs beside me, shaking her head. Knowing her, she’s probably glad not to be on the receiving end of Hollie’s scrutiny.

  It’s Saturday morning and Hollie, Evie, Louisa and I have gathered in B&H Diner, our home away from home. Rather than cramming into our favorite booth like we’ve been doing since our teens, we’ve pulled together two tables to accommodate the extra people joining us: Wesley and Leland.

  Last night before bed, I got a text from Leland telling me how much he’d enjoyed hanging out with me at FandomTown. Before I could respond, he’d sent another message:

  I know we said we’d spend more time together soon, but I was thinking we could make actual plans?

  I was shocked; so much of my dating experience has involved waiting days to hear from the person when they promise they’ll be in touch. As I pondered a response, I had to remind myself Leland and I aren’t really dating, so it wasn’t the same thing.

  Since Evie had already invited Wesley to our weekly diner meet-up—and since I’d already quickly filled the girls in on Leland’s and my fake dating scheme—I invited him to join us for breakfast this morning.

  “Okay, so we’ve established that Leland is still kind and funny, and he must be smart to be helping his sister with her business,” Hollie says. “But allow me a moment to be shallow: is he still as hot as he was back in high school?”

  I lift my mug to my lips and swallow a laugh along with my coffee. “He’s…” I trail off, thinking about Leland and his dark eyes, bright smile, and tousled hair. There was a moment during our office picnic yesterday when I had to tuck my hand under my butt to keep from reaching out to touch the soft-looking strands that had fallen over his forehead. What can I say, I’ve always been a sucker for good hair. “He’s somehow even hotter than he was back then,” I finally say.

  “I knew it!” Hollie hits the table, causing all of our mugs to rattle. Now I really do laugh. “You can just tell with some people, you know? Like Wesley. He’s even hotter now than he was back then too.”

  I wrinkle my nose, and the others giggle, even though they all murmur their agreement with Hollie’s assessment. While I can objectively admit my brother is a good-looking guy, I don’t need to hear about it, especially considering I hear it enough from Evie. And often have a front-row seat to the pair of them going all googly-eyed for each other.

  “There are the guys now,” Evie says, inclining her chin toward the door. Her eyes brighten, flicking to Louisa. “Oh, and look who’s with them.”

  The words are barely out of her mouth before Leland and Wesley approach the table, followed by a friend of Hollie’s that the rest of us met recently at Evie’s parents’ big Thanksgiving dinner. The blush on Louisa’s face reminds me how smitten she was with the hot Scot when they met that night.

  “Look who we ran into in the parking lot,” Wesley says.

  “Ladies, nice to see you all again.” Fergus smiles at each of us, his gaze lingering on Louisa. “Lulu,” he adds quietly, his smile softening.

  “Fergus, what a nice surprise.” Louisa’s cheeks have flushed to an adorable deep pink now, and her voice has the slightest tremor to it.

  My gaze flicks to Hollie, who’s watching the exchange with clear interest. Even though the four of us were born within months of each other, Louisa is the youngest and, in many ways, the baby of the group. Her mother died when we were fourteen, and her already-strict father became even more controlling in an attempt to shield Louisa from the dangers and heartaches of the world. Between her unconventional upbringing and the severe anxiety she developed in her teens, we’re all protective of her in our own ways, even though we know she can take care of herself.

  I tune back in to hear Fergus saying he was stopping in for takeout before getting some work done at home.

  “Why don’t you join us?” Louisa blurts.

  Fergus casts an assessing glance around at the rest of us. He likely doesn’t want to intrude, but knowing Louisa like I do, it took monumental courage for her to issue the invitation in the first place. I don’t get a chance to echo her suggestion before Hollie chimes in.

  “There’s lots of room,” she says, waving a hand to indicate the four empty chairs.

  Fergus’s smile widens, making crinkles form around his moss-colored eyes. “Well, in that case…” He pulls out the chair beside Louisa and plops down beside her.

  As soon as the others are seated, our most beloved waitress comes along. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite people,” Bea says, her eyes sparkling as she takes in Evie, Hollie, Louisa, Wesley, and me. “Always a pleasure to see the five of you together. And you’ve expanded your group, I see.”

  “Bea, this is Leland; he went to school with us, so you might recognize him,” Evie says. “And this is Fergus. He’s new in town and has done some work with Hollie at the community services center. Guys, this is Bea. She and her husband Horatio own this place and have been like surrogate parents to all of us.”

  Bea’s face glows with pleasure at Evie’s words. It’s true; we’ve been coming here our whole lives, first with our families, then on our own. So many life events have been set to the background of diner noise, oldies music, and Bea and Horatio’s loving and watchful eyes.

  After greetings are exchanged, Bea takes our orders and departs. Conversation picks up immediately, with most of it being questions aimed at Leland and Fergus. I’m content to sit back and listen as Fergus answers questions about Scotland and Leland describes FandomTown, talks about his sister with obvious pride, and details their adventures in both living together and working together.

  Our food arrives and, as I dig into my eggs, Evie catches my gaze. She flicks her eyes in Leland’s direction before giving me a subtle thumbs up. She peers at him again before mouthing ‘he’s great’, to which I smile and nod. He is great.

  None of us have ever brought dates or partners to our diner meet-ups. I never even brought Lars here, knowing he’d likely make derogatory comments about the outdated decor, the food, or a myriad of other things. Because of that, I’ve never given much thought to what it would be like to integrate new people into our group. If I had, I’m sure I would have expected it to be awkward, but both Leland and Fergus feel like a natural fit.

  For years, my world felt so small. I felt so small. When Lars and I moved to Toronto after we got married, I was aware things would change. I was ready for change, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. As much as I loved my friends, they were all still single, and I knew married life would be different. I hoped we’d always be close, but I was prepared for the dynamics of our relationship to evolve. I envisioned myself finding a job, making new friends, and maybe getting to experience a bit of a glamorous lifestyle, thanks to Lars’s new job and the substantial increase in pay.

  Up until then, I’d been working temp jobs in Bellevue. I enjoyed the variety and the people I worked with. Part of me knew going from job to job wasn’t a sustainable lifestyle, but I hoped I’d finally find my passion while living in a huge city with seemingly endless opportunities. After a year of continuing with temporary work, I started feeling restless. I wasn’t connecting with my coworkers the way I did back home, and the work and commute were stressful. When Lars pointed out that he made enough money to support both of us and suggested I take some time off work, I jumped at the opportunity. I was certain all I needed was time and space to figure things out.

  What actually happened was Lars essentially grooming me to be the perfect little housewife. I felt more and more isolated and fell into a depression that I tried desperately to hide from everyone. I led my friends and family to believe I had the perfect life and was deliriously happy and in love, when in truth, I felt trapped and miserable.

  A loud thud and a flash of movement yank me from my thoughts. Across from me, Evie is mopping up a small spill of coffee in front of her. She meets my eyes with a pointed look and says, “Oops, set my cup down too hard.” She smiles at me with a hint of concern, her head cocking slightly to the side. The move tells me the thud-and-spill was no accident; she’s caught me lost in thought enough times over the last few months to know the signs, and she wouldn’t want to call attention to it with everyone else around. What would I do without her?

  I pass her a few extra napkins from the dispenser, subtly squeezing her fingers as I hand them over. Things are different now. Better. I thought marriage and my big move were my chance for new beginnings, but this—being here, back in Bellevue, surrounded by the people I love most and potential new friends—is the true fresh start. And it’s what I need to focus on, while leaving the past where it belongs.

  My attention drifts down the table to Fergus, who drains his coffee with one hand while looking at the watch on his opposite wrist. “I’d better be off.” He stands, taking his jacket from the back of his chair, and pulling a bright blue scarf from where it’s tucked in the sleeve. “Thanks for asking me to join you,” he says to the table at large. “This was much better than breakfast alone in my flat.” His gaze lands on Louisa and, even though the words are meant for the group, he seems to speak directly to her when he says, “I hope we can all do this again sometime.”

  We say our goodbyes as Fergus heads up to the front counter to pay for his breakfast. I try to catch Louisa’s eye, but her gaze is now trained on her cup of tea, and she seems deep in thought. The hint of a smile on her face and the color in her cheeks tell me they’re good thoughts.

  Bea comes around to clear our plates, and I tell her we’ll take our checks when she has a chance.

  “Your new friend covered breakfast,” she says, loud enough for the entire table to hear. “Said to tell you all thanks again for making him feel so welcome. He’s a charmer, that one. I hope you bring him around again, and not just because he’s an excellent tipper.”

  As we all stand and gather our things, Leland tugs on the sleeve of my sweater and leans in close. “You in a hurry to get somewhere?”

  “No, why?”

  “Wanna go for a walk? It’s a beautiful day.”

  The question makes me smile as I tell him yes. I’ve been enjoying his company so much, I’d started wondering how I could prolong our time together. I do my rounds of goodbye hugs with my friends and brother, surprised when Leland does the same.

  Outside, we turn in the same direction without speaking. Leland sends me a sidelong grin as we amble down the sidewalk. “Your friends are fantastic.”

  “They are.” I can hear the same pride in my voice that he had when talking about his sister. “I don’t know what I’d do without them. Do you have many friends in town?”

  “Not really, no. People in high school assumed I had a lot of friends because I was ‘popular’.” He puts air quotes around the word and wrinkles his nose in the most adorable way. “Other than Wesley, I didn’t have many close friends. I kept in touch with a few people, but that’s it. I made some great friends in college, but they’re scattered all over the place now. Then with traveling so much for work, it made it hard to maintain friendships. Plus everyone seemed to be coupling off and starting families, which always changes dynamics.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing earlier.” At his curious look, I attempt to figure out how to say more while avoiding the subject of my failed marriage. “Evie and Wesley have only been together for a hot minute, but things have already changed in subtle ways,” I say, relieved when Leland nods in understanding. “Hopefully it’ll be easier for you now that you’re staying in one place for a while. I’ll even share my friends with you.”

  A laugh bursts out of him. “I appreciate that.” We turn a corner and Leland points ahead to a grassy park area, so we head in that direction. “Fergus is new to the group too, right? He’s Hollie’s friend?”

  “Yeah, he works for the MacKinnon Group, which is the same company that owns Bellevue Village. They’re one of the sponsors for the community services center, where Hollie works. The two of them have become friendly while working on different projects for the center, and Hollie invited him to Thanksgiving as a buffer in case Evie’s mom went overboard with her matchmaking attempts. He came to Evie’s birthday party later that week too.”

  “From what I hear, that was the night Wesley and Evie finally got together, so I’m guessing Fergus’s services weren’t needed.”

  “Correct.”

  “And I sensed some sparks between Fergus and Louisa this morning at the diner…?”

  “Also correct.”

  Leland blows out an exaggerated breath. “Okay, I think I’ve got all that straight. Just one more question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “I’ve heard about the parties Mrs. Hathaway throws. Any chance I can score an invite to Evie’s party next year?”

  The unexpected question, paired with the playful glimmer in his eyes, makes me laugh. “I would personally make sure you got an invite if the parties were continuing, but Evie asked for this year’s to be the last. But if you’d settle for the Hathaway party experience on a smaller scale, we could extend our fake dating circle to include Mrs. Hathaway. I’m basically her second daughter, so if she knew we were dating, she’d invite us over in a heartbeat.”

  Leland chuckles. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.” We walk on in silence for a minute, then he says, “What about your birthday? Any plans?”

  “The girls usually take me out to dinner and a movie. I prefer low-key.”

  “Even for a big birthday like thirty-five?” he asks, bumping my shoulder with his. I bump him back. We’re walking closer now, the sleeves of our jackets brushing with each swing of our arms.

  “I don’t know if I buy into the whole ‘big birthday’ thing,” I say. “To me, every birthday is a big one, even if I don’t mark it with a splashy party, you know? I could have died when I was fifteen. If things had played out just slightly differently, I could have been killed in that car accident. And I don’t know if you know about Louisa’s mom, but she was our age when she died.”

  Leland nods slowly. “Wesley told me when I asked why Louisa wasn’t in school anymore.”

  He really was observant. I make a mental note to tell Lulu that Leland noticed her absence back then; I can picture her grin-and-blush combo at the thought of someone like Leland Levesque even knowing who she was in high school.

  “What’s with the little smile?” Leland asks, leaning forward to peer at my face.

  “Just thinking. Anyway, our friend group basically has two and a half months of celebrations since all our birthdays fall between the middle of October and the end of December. We do special things together all the time, so unless one of us wants something specific for her birthday, we don’t make a big deal about the actual day.”

  “Hmm. I like your way of thinking. Everyday life should be celebrated, not just the holidays and special occasions.”

  “Exactly.”

  I’ve been trying to remember to live my life that way recently. I’d nearly forgotten how over the last several years. And even though I’m being completely truthful and I don’t want, need, or expect a big celebration, there’s a small part of me that would secretly love one. My parents always made a big deal about Wesley’s and my birthdays when we were younger, and my friends always spoil me with attention and gifts, but I’d love to have a proper party. Lars would often mention having a party or even going on a mini vacation around my birthday, but he never followed through in the entire five years of our marriage.

  He hinted at something special for my thirty-second birthday, but when the day came, I woke up to an empty condo. He’d left a cupcake on the kitchen island, along with a note saying he’d forgotten he had a business trip and would see me in a few days. I wondered if it was a ruse to throw me off a surprise party, so when Evie called to wish me a happy birthday, I hinted around before finally coming right out and asking her. She swore she didn’t know anything about a party, and her tone gave away how upset she was when I told her Lars had gone away for a few days.