“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. You seem like... You want a cup of coffee? I made a pot. We can go in my office. I don’t have any appointments this morning and Rosalind can handle any walk-ins.”
“Sure.”
Shelby followed Madeline into the back. They got their coffee, then retreated to Madeline’s small office. Shelby sat across from her friend.
“Is it Aidan?” Madeline asked gently. “I heard about the lunch at Jo’s. He was a hit with everyone. I’m sorry I missed it.”
Madeline had been unable to come because of an appointment with a bride. Shelby held her mug in both hands as she tried to figure out what to say.
“I’m confused,” she admitted. “You know why I wanted to get to know Aidan.”
“Of course. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about your plan, but it’s working. You like him and you trust him. Right? Is there something wrong?”
“No. He’s great. He’s nice and funny and reasonable about stuff. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him. We’re good together. Good friends.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know. I feel strange. Uneasy.”
“Have your feelings turned romantic?”
“No,” Shelby said quickly. “Of course not.” They couldn’t have. Sex wasn’t love. It was...different. “I just don’t want to lose what we have.”
Madeline sipped her coffee. “Okay, okay, I get it. You put a time limit on your relationship. That’s what has you uneasy. Your project or experiment or whatever you want to call it was only supposed to last six months. You want to make sure that you don’t lose Aidan. So don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t stop being friends with him. There’s no rule that says you have to. If it’s working for the two of you, keep doing that. Hang out. Whatever.”
That. Shelby held in a smile. She would like to keep doing that with Aidan, very much. But she knew what Madeline meant.
“We talked about staying friends. And we will...in a way. But everything will be different.”
“Why does it have to be? I’m assuming he likes hanging out with you as much as you like hanging out with him.”
“Yes. I think so.” Now that she thought about it, she realized they never talked about their feelings. Although he’d been very clear about not wanting to screw up what they had with sex. So he must like her.
“I’m going to talk to him,” she said firmly. “Man to man.”
Madeline raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“I mean talk to him like a guy would talk to his friend.”
“In grunts?”
“No. Being straightforward. No hints, no talking around the point. Just saying what I mean. That I want to stay friends. Real friends. Not just acquaintances who run into each other.”
“Impressive. Look at you, all brave with the new business and the attitude. I like it.” Madeline’s humor faded. “Has this relationship with Aidan done what you wanted?”
“I hope so. I won’t know for sure until I get involved with someone, but I think I’m stronger. More willing to trust. That’s what I wanted. A chance to be normal.”
“So it was worth it?”
“Completely.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE WOMAN—JULIE—had been crying for forty-eight hours straight. Mostly she tried to hide it, but everyone knew. Both Thursday and Friday nights, the sound of her muffled sobs had drifted through the campground, and there were still another twenty-four hours to go.