Chapter 13

thirteen

ALEX

I sat in one of Eric’s overstuffed chairs, enjoying the comfortable warmth of my friend’s living room.

He’d invited me to his house for dinner, and Riley, his fiancé, had joined us. I’d never seen Eric so happy. The former NYPD detective, turned New York Times bestselling crime writer, was working on his fourth novel and getting ready for a whirlwind book tour.

“I still think we should stay in New Orleans for another week,” Riley said. “Just think of all the research you could do.”

“I need to be back in Manhattan for the twentieth,” Eric reminded him. “We could stay for two days, but no more.”

“Take the two days,” I said to Riley. “You’ll have a great time.”

“Have you been to New Orleans?”

“A couple of times. Be careful around the mounted police. Their horses move fast.”

“Another friend said the same thing.” Riley picked up Eric’s itinerary. “Okay. Two days it is. This could be the closest we get to a vacation until our honeymoon. ”

The smile that Eric sent his fiancé made me wish for a whole lot of things that might never happen.

“I’ll make everyone a cup of coffee,” Riley said as he handed Eric his itinerary. “Don’t make any plans while I’m gone.”

I waited until Riley was out of the room before speaking to my friend. “Does he know where you’re taking him for your honeymoon?”

“Not yet. I thought I’d surprise him.”

I nodded, picturing the Pacific Island honeymoon Eric had booked. It didn’t require extra packing or special equipment. All they’d need were swimsuits and a bottle of sunscreen.

“Is everything all right?” Eric leaned forward. “You’re quieter than usual.”

“It’s been a long week.”

“Is your program working?”

I thought about the hours I’d spent with Dylan. If it weren’t for his quirky sense of humor and endless energy, I wouldn’t have been feeling optimistic about fixing the program. “It’s not working yet. Dylan’s a big help, but we can’t find what’s wrong.”

“You should have brought him with you. Having some down time can help your brain process information differently.”

“Dylan went home for the weekend.”

Eric’s eyebrows rose. “You miss him.”

I shrugged. “We’ve spent a lot of time together.” It was more than that. My home felt empty without Dylan working beside me.

“Tell me about him,” Eric said softly.

“You can’t include him in one of your books.”

“Would I do that? ”

“In a heartbeat,” I muttered. Eric’s thirst for new and interesting characters was matched by a keen intelligence. He enjoyed dissecting a person’s personality, waving it like a red flag in front of his imagination, and seeing what happened.

Eric sat back in the chair, a playful smile on his face. “Let me guess. His IT skills came highly recommended, so he must be good at what he does. He’d need a logical mind to be working with you. University educated, some private high-powered contract work. Thirty-something. Single. Not interested in mixing his professional and personal life. Drop-dead gorgeous. How am I doing?”

I was shocked at Eric’s accuracy. “You’re showing off.”

Riley carried a tray of drinks into the living room. “That’s Eric for you.”

Eric grinned. “Years of profiling with the NYPD comes in handy.”

“Who were you talking about?” Riley asked.

“Someone who’s helping Alex with a computer issue.”

Riley handed me a cup of coffee. “How close was Eric to describing him?”

Closer than I was comfortable with. “Fairly accurate.”

“What’s he really like?”

If Dylan knew we were talking about him, he wouldn’t return to Sunrise Bay. “He’s… interesting.”

Eric choked on his coffee, and Riley sent him a withering glance. He turned back to me, ignoring Eric’s coughing fit. “What does he like doing when he’s not working with computers?”

An image of Dylan running on the treadmill filled my mind. He was the cutest, funniest, and most focused IT manager I’d ever met. “He runs, goes to the gym, and spends time with his friends. Where are you up to with your wedding?”

“I’m meeting the florist next Wednesday.”

As Riley told me about their latest wedding drama, I glanced at Eric—and wished I hadn’t. It was bad enough that I couldn’t stop thinking about Dylan; worse that my closest friend could see straight through me.

After spending five days with Dylan, I knew I was in trouble. Falling for the Technical Development Manager at Bryant Security wasn’t part of my plans.