with an ironic tilt to her lips.
She rose a couple notches in his estimation. “You’re Alexis’s friend?”
“Zoe and Alexis used to go to school together,” his mother interjected.
“Play school,” Zoe clarified, managing to look serious. “When we were toddlers.”
His mom put her arm around the blonde. “Zoe’s parents are coming to the wedding, and when I found out Zoe was in town this week, I told her she just had to come over to be part of the festivities.”
He arched his brow at the woman. “How fortunate for you.”
She bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh. “I was thinking that myself.”
“Zoe’s having lunch with us today. I thought afterward you could take her around to see the neighborhood,” Elise said not subtly at all. “She’s thinking of moving here from Boston.”
“It’s too bad you’re going for a run,” Zoe said with insincere remorse. “Maybe another time.”
He could have hugged her, he was so grateful for the out. “Sure. Mom has your number, right?”
“Of course I do, darling.” His mother frowned at him. “But I’m sure you can go out for a run anytime.”
At that moment, KT rounded the corner from the back of the house and stopped abruptly at the end of the hall. “Oh crap,” she said audibly.
Scott turned to his mom with a smile, improvising quickly. “I wish I could cancel my run, but I promised KT I’d go with her.”
“You did?” his friend asked warily.
“Yes,” he said firmly. “You want to get into shape, remember? You hate the little pooch to your belly.”
She put a hand on her flat stomach. “Um. Yeah. I’m a slob.”
He smiled at Zoe as he backed up. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sure we’ll run into each other.”
She nodded, smiling. “No doubt.”
“Prescott—”
“See you later, Mom,” he said over her, turning to stride toward his friend. KT gave him her patented stink-eye, but he ignored it and took her arm. He whispered to her, “You owe me for all the times I’ve hidden you from your mom.”
“Truth.” She sighed, trudging along next to him. “Do I really have to run though? I’m allergic to exercise.”
“How about a brisk walk around the block?”
She sighed. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
“Come to my room so I can change shoes.”
“Are you still using that line?” She asked, following him into his room and flopping on his bed. “It was old by the time you got to fourth grade.”
He pulled out his phone and tried calling Julie back, but her phone went directly to voicemail. “Damn it.”
“What’s got your Jockeys in bunch?” KT asked. She watched him, her head half dangling from the edge of the bed.
“My dating life is complicated.” He went into his walk-in closet, changed into workout clothes, and grabbed his tennis shoes.
“Aw man.” KT frowned at the shoes in his hand. “You were serious about the brisk walk, weren’t you?”
“I know you prefer climbing hedges, but this’ll good for you.” He raised his brow at her as he laced one. “Consider yourself lucky that I’m not insisting you run with me.”
She heaved a sigh. “Damn your complicated dating life.”
He grinned. “That’s the spirit.”
She got off the bed and stretched her back. “The chick downstairs isn’t the one you’re dating, is she?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve always hated Barbie dolls. They’re creepy,” she explained as they headed outside. “If you hooked up with her permanently, I might be tempted to chop off her hair and twist a limb off.”
“Then it’s good for Zoe that I’m not interested in her. She seems like a nice person though.”
“Do you want ‘nice?’“
“No, I want Julie.”
Snorting, KT saluted her accomplice Celeste as she opened the kitchen door that led outside. “So Julie’s not nice, huh?” she asked when they were on the sidewalk.
“No. She’s a lot like you.” He grinned at the indignant look she shot him. “To tell
She rose a couple notches in his estimation. “You’re Alexis’s friend?”
“Zoe and Alexis used to go to school together,” his mother interjected.
“Play school,” Zoe clarified, managing to look serious. “When we were toddlers.”
His mom put her arm around the blonde. “Zoe’s parents are coming to the wedding, and when I found out Zoe was in town this week, I told her she just had to come over to be part of the festivities.”
He arched his brow at the woman. “How fortunate for you.”
She bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh. “I was thinking that myself.”
“Zoe’s having lunch with us today. I thought afterward you could take her around to see the neighborhood,” Elise said not subtly at all. “She’s thinking of moving here from Boston.”
“It’s too bad you’re going for a run,” Zoe said with insincere remorse. “Maybe another time.”
He could have hugged her, he was so grateful for the out. “Sure. Mom has your number, right?”
“Of course I do, darling.” His mother frowned at him. “But I’m sure you can go out for a run anytime.”
At that moment, KT rounded the corner from the back of the house and stopped abruptly at the end of the hall. “Oh crap,” she said audibly.
Scott turned to his mom with a smile, improvising quickly. “I wish I could cancel my run, but I promised KT I’d go with her.”
“You did?” his friend asked warily.
“Yes,” he said firmly. “You want to get into shape, remember? You hate the little pooch to your belly.”
She put a hand on her flat stomach. “Um. Yeah. I’m a slob.”
He smiled at Zoe as he backed up. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sure we’ll run into each other.”
She nodded, smiling. “No doubt.”
“Prescott—”
“See you later, Mom,” he said over her, turning to stride toward his friend. KT gave him her patented stink-eye, but he ignored it and took her arm. He whispered to her, “You owe me for all the times I’ve hidden you from your mom.”
“Truth.” She sighed, trudging along next to him. “Do I really have to run though? I’m allergic to exercise.”
“How about a brisk walk around the block?”
She sighed. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
“Come to my room so I can change shoes.”
“Are you still using that line?” She asked, following him into his room and flopping on his bed. “It was old by the time you got to fourth grade.”
He pulled out his phone and tried calling Julie back, but her phone went directly to voicemail. “Damn it.”
“What’s got your Jockeys in bunch?” KT asked. She watched him, her head half dangling from the edge of the bed.
“My dating life is complicated.” He went into his walk-in closet, changed into workout clothes, and grabbed his tennis shoes.
“Aw man.” KT frowned at the shoes in his hand. “You were serious about the brisk walk, weren’t you?”
“I know you prefer climbing hedges, but this’ll good for you.” He raised his brow at her as he laced one. “Consider yourself lucky that I’m not insisting you run with me.”
She heaved a sigh. “Damn your complicated dating life.”
He grinned. “That’s the spirit.”
She got off the bed and stretched her back. “The chick downstairs isn’t the one you’re dating, is she?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve always hated Barbie dolls. They’re creepy,” she explained as they headed outside. “If you hooked up with her permanently, I might be tempted to chop off her hair and twist a limb off.”
“Then it’s good for Zoe that I’m not interested in her. She seems like a nice person though.”
“Do you want ‘nice?’“
“No, I want Julie.”
Snorting, KT saluted her accomplice Celeste as she opened the kitchen door that led outside. “So Julie’s not nice, huh?” she asked when they were on the sidewalk.
“No. She’s a lot like you.” He grinned at the indignant look she shot him. “To tell
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