Kiss and Make Up (Bachelors of Buttermilk #3) by Robyn Neeley Page A

Josh pulled up a stool and propped his iPad on the table. “First, pal, you need to take a deep breath. Who said anything about marriage and you becoming their stepdad? You didn’t propose to Caitlin, did you?” If the answer was yes, Adam would be one lucky son-of-a-bitch that Josh couldn’t lunge into the iPad and ring his ever-freakin’ neck.
    “No, of course not.” Adam pulled off his baseball cap and raked his hand through his hair.
    Josh could tell he was outside but not sure exactly where. “Then why don’t you tell me what’s got you acting like a wound up Abby?”
    “Look, there’s something I’ve got to tell you, but you’ve got to promise me that you won’t repeat it to anyone, and especially not Caitlin.”
    “Okay . . .” Josh started.
    “No, I mean it. If she finds out that you learned this news from me, I’m a dead man. She’ll push me into moving traffic, or shove me off my boat, or spike my sweet tea.”
    Josh rolled his eyes. Moving traffic in Buttermilk Falls was usually five miles per hour; Adam was a great swimmer, having won numerous first-place trophies on the swim team; and as far as Josh knew, Adam hated tea—sweet or iced. When did his best friend become a drama queen? “I promise I won’t say a word. So, what are you hiding?”
    “It’s more like what we’re hiding?”
    Josh raised a brow. “You and me?” Whatever that was, it would be news to him.
    “No. Caitlin and me. I need to be careful because she’s meeting me outside the theater any second.” He looked behind him and then back at Josh, lowering his voice. “We’re hiding the truth. She and I aren’t a couple.”
    That got Josh’s attention. “What? You broke up?”
    “We didn’t break up because we were never going out. It’s all fake. It started as a way to make Rachel think that I’d moved on. Man, all I want is to get a second chance with her.”
    “Wait. You’re still in love with Rachel? Why would you pretend to be with Caitlin?”
    He shrugged. “Caitlin suggested it would make her jealous. We were only going to pretend that one night at the tavern. When you showed up out of nowhere, Caitlin kept up the charade. She wanted to ruffle your feathers.”
    Josh folded his arms across his chest, cocking his head. “Why would she do that?”
    “Dude, are you really that dense? She loves your sorry ass, but she’s too stubborn to admit it.”
    As Adam continued to insist Caitlin was going to wring his neck if she found out that he’d spilled the beans, Josh continued to process what Adam had told him. Caitlin was single? He took a deep breath— and maybe in love with him? Could that be true?“So, what do you want me to do?”
    “I don’t know. Pretend your middle name is Adam and take my place as her soul mate.”
    Josh chuckled at how hideous that sounded. “I don’t think it works that way. Tell you what, let me think on it, and I’ll call you tomorrow. We’ll figure it all out.”
    “Thanks, man.” He paused, adding, “I’m sorry I didn’t come clean when you were here. Caitlin’s friendship means a lot to me, but so does yours. We’re cool, right?”
    “We’re cool,” Josh repeated. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
    “Later, bud.”
    Josh slid his finger across the screen to end the Skype call and picked up the empty vial of perfume, turning it upside down. So Adam and Caitlin weren’t seeing each other? Why hadn’t she said anything the last time they were together? Hell, if he had known that she wasn’t dating his best friend, he would have never moved away from her kiss.
    He ran his hand through his hair. And it would have escalated much further. He would have made love to her right then and there, showing her what she did to him, what she always did to him.
    But what about the batter? Maybe they weren’t dating now, but was Adam Caitlin’s endgame partner?
    Not if I can help it. Pushing off his stool, Josh headed to the phone by the security alarm. Screw the Batter Up