Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

"H ey, is there any more coffee left?"

Penny finished pulling her hair into a high ponytail, winding the elastic band around her gathered strands as she shouted to BJ, "Did you check the cupboard above the stove?"

"Yes. Nothing," he called back from the kitchen.

Checking her appearance in the mirror one last time—satisfied that her pulled-back hair, pressed slacks and button-up blouse looked professional since she had client meetings today—she hurried out of the bathroom to the kitchen.

"I must be out. Sorry, I'm not used to making a pot for two in the mornings."

BJ grinned. He'd been staying over at her place for the past week. Every morning, they had breakfast and went about their respective days, but at night—at night he came home to her. Sometimes it would be early enough to watch a show, play a card game, or just talk for a while. Other nights he worked the late shift at Jacks, and he'd wake her up in the most delicious ways when he got in.

She assumed having sex with BJ would be enjoyable, but she never imagined it'd be addictive. Never thought she'd crave it with every breath in her body. During the day when she was supposed to be working, she'd find herself thinking of her best friend and what they'd done together, what she wanted to do with him, to him. What started out as a simple plan to procreate was quickly becoming an out-of-control obsession. Fear wormed its way into her brain. A tiny whisper of a warning that this thing they were doing had somehow gotten off track. That maybe it wasn't all about the baby anymore.

"Want to grab a cup from Tin Cups before your appointment this morning?"

"Yes. I'm meeting with Apple and Olive. I need all the caffeine I can get."

He chuckled, grabbing his keys from the rack on the wall. "Come on. I'll drive. I have the early shift today. I can pick you up when you're done with all your stuff."

She had a full list of client appointments today, all of them on Goldmine Street. It wouldn't be an issue to be without a car for the entire day. "Okay, sounds good. We can grab some more coffee from the store on our way home."

She stumbled as the words left her mouth, tripping over her own feet. She hadn't meant for it to come out like that. As if this was their home instead of her place where BJ occasionally stayed. But he didn't even pause at her casual remark. No. He simply nodded his head and grabbed his jacket out of the front closet. In fact, as she glanced around her apartment, she noticed a lot of little BJ additions; his hiking boots lay by the couch where he'd kicked them off after they'd gone up to Saint Mary's Glacier the other day. One of his flannels hung on the back of a kitchen chair, discarded in a very hasty attempt of hers to have her wicked way with him last night. She knew two of the dresser drawers in the bedroom contained his clothing and the bathroom counter was now crowded thanks to the addition of male grooming products.

Their friendship over the years meant he always had a few items of his over at her place, but nothing like this. This felt…different.

"Ready?"

She glanced up at him, standing at her front door, keys in hand, waiting to usher her to her day and prepared to bring her home, where they'd spend another wonderful night together like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Danger, danger Penelope Williams!

"Hey," his smile dimmed. "You okay?"

She ignored the voice in her head that sounded like the robot in that old space show from the sixties her dad loved to watch. Pasting a smile on her face, she hurried out the front door he held open, ducking under his arm as she went.

"Yup, just under-caffeinated. Let's go."

The sound of BJ shutting and locking the door reached her ears, but she didn't turn or wait for him. Rude, maybe, but she was currently dealing with an internal crisis. One she didn't want to share. Plus, she needed air.

The crisp, late September breeze hit her face as she stepped out of the apartment complex. Only a few more days until October. The leaves were already changing on the aspens. Beautiful golds, yellows, and reds mixed with the last of the lingering greens, still holding on tight to the final remnants of summer. Being Colorado, the morning air held a chilly bite. Not enough to warrant hats and gloves, but enough for her to pull her coat tighter around her. Soon she'd have to break out her down parka, but for a few more weeks the lighter jacket would do.

"Penny?"

She turned at the worried sound of her name. BJ walked cautiously up to her. Concern etched into every handsome line on his face. "You sure you're okay?"

Crap! She hadn't meant to upset him. It wasn't his fault she was starting to realize things, starting to…feel things. The problem was, she didn't know what she was feeling. This strange pulsing in her stomach was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. An odd, but not entirely unpleasant sensation, one she couldn't describe even if she wanted to.

"You're not feeling..." His eyes darted down to her stomach before rising back to her face. "Sick? Are you?"

A chuckle escaped her. "No. Nothing like that. It's only been a little over a week, BJ. We won't know about…that for another two at least. And even then, the doctor said it might take a few months."

A few months of having BJ in her bed. Months of spending days and nights with him. They'd always spent time together, but as friends. Since they'd started sleeping with each other, their time together had changed. Sure, they still did all the stuff they used to do, but now everything held…more. She couldn't describe it, but everything felt weightier, deeper.

"Oh, right." He rubbed a hand over his bearded jaw, an awkward moment of silence passing between them.

A sharp pain stabbed her chest. Dang it! They'd never had awkward moments before. Their friendship had always had such an easy flow to it.

"We better get going. I don't want to be late to an appointment with Apple." Truthfully, she hated being late to anything, but last time she was late to a Blithe appointment Apple gave her a ten-minute lecture on promptness and how young people these days had no manners. She felt like a kid getting scolded by the principal.

BJ shuddered, opening the truck door for her, and helping her into the cab. "No, you do not."

After shutting her door, he hustled around the vehicle and hopped inside, starting the truck, and pulling out onto the street. They made it to Kismet's one and only coffee shop in less than five minutes. Being the only coffee place in town, Tin Cups usually had a line most mornings. Today was no different. They waited in line together. BJ holding her hand in his as she'd grown used to him doing lately. After a moment or two, she noticed a plethora of attention locked onto them. Everyone in the shop seemed to be staring at them, more specifically at their joined hands.

They hadn't announced their plans to the town, heck she hadn't even told her family yet. The only people that knew were BJ, her, and his siblings. Normally, more than one person knowing something in Kismet meant everyone knew, but the Jacksons didn't play into the town gossip mill. What felt like normal—although new—behavior to her seemed to shock the townsfolk.

"Hey BJ, Penny," Maxine, the woman who co-owned the coffee shop with her cousin Lilly, gave them a curious look as they came to the front of the line. "What can I get you guys?"

"Large black coffee and a medium vanilla latte."

Maxine raised a brow. BJ knew her coffee order. Big deal. Of course he did. They'd been friends forever. Friends knew stuff like that. There was no reason for that knowing glint in the barista's eyes.

After BJ paid—for both their coffees, causing the murmuring behind them to increase—they moved down the counter to wait for their drinks. BJ leaned back against the wall, tugging her into the circle of his arms and tilting his head down to brush a kiss across her lips.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Giving the vultures something to devour."

Ah, he had seen everyone's rapt fascination with them, too. "The rumor mill is going to be running full force now."

"Yeah, but we knew that was going to happen eventually."

Yes, logically she knew, but anticipation and reality of a situation could be two very different things.

"Don't worry about them, honey. They don't matter, remember? All that matters is what we think."

Right. But what did she think? She thought she knew. When this whole thing started. Heck, she even thought she knew a few days after that first night. But now…now her emotions were all mixed up and the logical plan she had worked out in her brain had become muddled.

Because her heart was involved.

No! Absolutely no, it was not. She did not have feelings for BJ. To the extent that she loved him, as a friend, sure. But there were no deeper feelings. No wedding bells and happily ever after feelings. She didn't want that because he didn't want that…right?

"BJ, Penny, order up."

She pulled away, reaching to the high counter to grab their drinks, and handing his over. He wrapped his free arm around her waist as they walked out of the coffee shop, smiling and saying hello to people as they left. Everyone smiled and returned his greeting politely, but she noticed the minute they passed the whispers in the line grew louder, so loud she could pick out some of the words.

"See, men and women can't be just friends."

"I knew it."

"Had to happen eventually."

"He's out of her league."

The last one hurt. Truth often did. She didn't blame whoever mumbled it in a snide tone. She knew her and BJ would never work as a permanent thing. Their pairing was like a cheesy 80s movie, the nerd dating the beautiful, popular kid.

"Want me to walk you over?"

She glanced down the street to where Blithe's Boutiques stood. Less than twenty feet away. "I think I can manage."

He grinned, blowing on his coffee before taking a sip. "Come to Jacks when you finish for the day. Del and Cassie get back today and I'm sure they'll want to say hi."

She wasn't as sure as him about that, but he was her ride home, so she smiled and nodded her agreement. He cupped her face, bending down to kiss her. His lips parted, tongue seeking entrance, which she happily gave. This kiss was much deeper and hotter than the one in Tin Cups. Better. No audience this time.

"See ya later, honey."

She walked into Blithe's Boutiques, hands warm from her coffee cup, body warm from the toe-curling kiss. "Good morning, ladies."

"It certainly is," Olive said, a smile on her face and a glint in her eyes.

"Speak for yourself." Apple, mouth turned down in her standard sour expression, grunted. "I woke up with a sore back, an aching knee, and I'm so plugged up, the entire section of prune juice in the grocery wouldn't even help."

Now there was a lovely image.

"Of course, I suppose I would be having a good morning if I was bedding one of the hottest men in Kismet."

Penny had chosen that unfortunate moment to take a sip of her coffee. She choked, warm, creamy, sugary sweet coffee spewing from her lips. The Blithe sisters jumped out of the way, surprisingly quick for a pair of septuagenarians.

"Oh, no. Let me get you a towel, dear." Olive rushed to the back of the store, where she reached into a closet and retrieved a small, knitted dishrag. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She mopped the mess from the front of her blouse; grateful she'd chosen the dark blue button-up instead of white this morning. Next, she bent to clean the floor. When she stood, she placed her coffee on the counter by the shop register.

"What makes you think BJ and I are together?"

The sisters shared a look. Olive laughed, sounding more like the cackle of a witch than a jovial retort.

"Maybe because we got a call from Harper not two minutes ago saying she'd seen you two in the coffee shop, all cozied up together. Or perhaps it was the face sucking we just witnessed outside on the street seconds before you walked in."

Crap. Guess that kiss hadn't been as private as she thought. Damn small towns.

"We're not…its, um, he and I are…"

"Screwing?"

"Apple!" Olive clutched at her chest. "Language."

"What? I'm seventy-eight years old and I can't say screw? At least I didn't say fu—"

"Sister, please!"

Grabbing her coffee, she chugged the drink. She needed all her faculties to deal with the Blithe sisters this morning. Once she'd downed most of her beverage—and burned off a good portion of her taste buds in the process—she spoke again. "BJ and I have an arrangement that works for us. It's…complicated."

Apple snorted. "Honey, every relationship is complicated. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you crap."

"Pay her no mind, dear." Olive grabbed her hand and led her over to the small table in the corner where she normally set up when working on their website. "We're happy for you two. Are there going to be more wedding bells in the Jackson household? Hmmm?"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that. We're not serious." No. They were just going to have a kid together. Nothing serious about that. "It's just a…thing."

"Hmph, I'd like to handle his thing, if you know what I mean."

"Apple! You don't say that about a woman's beau."

"Maybe you don't."

Desperate to change the subject, she pulled her laptop out of her bag. "I implemented all the changes you requested from my last visit. Should we go over them to make sure they're to your satisfaction?"

"In a minute, dear." Olive patted her hand. "I want to hear more about this new development in your relationship with BJ."

"For once, I agree with my sister."

Two sets of wrinkled faces, one smiling and one scowling, stared at her. Waiting. Oh dear, she couldn't do this. How could she explain to these women who were basically Kismet's kindly and curmudgeonly old grannies that she and BJ were only having sex so she could have a baby? They would never understand.

"Um, we're exploring a new facet of our relationship." A truth of a sort.

"Girlie, I know you're smarter than everyone in this town put together, but us normal folks need things explained in English."

She winced. There was no way to explain what they were doing without suffering the judgment of everyone in town and while BJ was right, it didn't matter what anyone thought but them. A part of her cared.

"We're taking things one day at a time, not putting labels on anything."

Apple scoffed. "I tell you what, if I had Bravo in my bed even for a night, I'd put a big ol' label on him that would read ‘Property of Apple Blithe.'"

"And now, I must say for once, I agree with my sister." Olive shook her head. "I don't understand you young people and your need to drop labels. Labels are good. They tell you what things are, that way no one gets confused."

That would sure be helpful right now because Penny was as confused as a PC user on a Mac at the moment. "Can we work on your website, please? I'm afraid I have a few other appointments today. I don't want to run late."

"Oh, of course, dear."

"Fine, but you're not fooling anyone." One gray thinly plucked brow rose. "Whatever is going on between you and the happy Jackson twin has got you turned upside down and inside out and trust me, girlie, that can only mean trouble down the road."

She ignored the sour Blithe sister, opening her computer and pulling up her software. Apple may be a grumpy, bitter old woman, but she always spoke the truth. Penny was afraid the aged shopkeeper hit the nail right on its very obvious head.

This thing with BJ was supposed to be simple, easy. Two friends stamping out some new attraction while she got the object of her heart's desire. But now, imagining a baby with her smile and BJ's eyes no longer filled her entire heart. It only took a portion of it. She was terrified if she looked deeper, she'd see it was because the man himself had worked himself in there too and she wouldn't be truly happy unless the picture was complete.