“Yes, in front of Elisa!” Elisa slapped the tabletop with both hands.
“Fine.” Cade leaned forward, his cologne wafting over her like a favorite memory. “I got to my office and realized—we’re friends, right? I mean, that’s what you clearly stated in the car.”
Elisa’s gaze jerked to Rosalyn. “You did?”
“And there’s no reason two friends can’t have a moment and not still be, you know—friends.” Cade tapped his knuckles on the table. “Right?”
Rosalyn nodded again. “Right.”
Elisa’s eyebrows threatened to vanish into her hairline. “You had awhatnow?”
“There was this thing.” Cade waved his hand toward Rosalyn. “But she set me straight, don’t worry.”
“You friend-zoned Cade after amoment?” Elisa’s voice squeaked and she dipped her head to lower her voice. “Why?”
Heat flushed Rosalyn’s neck and for a second, she felt as crazy as the look Elisa was giving her. Why had she, again? “I—I’m not…”
Cade’s smile remained steady, but his eyes softened a little, as if this part of the conversation was more for them than for Elisa. “Bad timing, as I recall.”
Rosalyn squared her shoulders. “Right.”
Cade continued. “And while Rosalyn here is clearly adorable, I agree it’s the best choice.”
His words pinched a little, even as her tight shoulders loosened. “So why do we need a do-over, exactly?”
“Because I need to run some errands on the mainland for Magnolia Days, and I thought it’d be more interesting to go with afriendthan go alone.” Cade scooted the plate closer toward him, then winced as the vegetables registered on his radar. He slid it away.
Too easy not to bait him. “You have friends. Why not ask Noah? Or that funny Owen guy.”
“Owen would try to convince me he can tightrope walk at the circus. Or Hula-Hoop with fire, and he can’t do either of those things any more than he can walk on stilts.”
“Fair.” Rosalyn struggled to keep a straight face.
“Besides, I can’t leave off the way we did between us in the car. Way too awkward.” Cade pursed his lips in exaggeration. “I don’t need that kind of bad energy.”
Her own straight face was starting to fail. “Might wrinkle your clothes.”
She would much rather have Cade as a friend than not at all—and he was giving her that gift. Despite her best effort to resist, she found herself leaning forward again. “Sounds like a date.”
He squinted at her.
“A friend date, obviously.”
“Good thing. You couldn’t handle a real date with me.” He wiggled his eyebrows and for a second, she wanted to call his bluff.
“This isn’t over.” Elisa waggled her finger between them. “One of you two are telling me this whole story later.”
Cade smirked as he slid out of the booth. “Don’t bet on it. I’m a gentleman, Elisa. I don’talmostkiss and tell.”
Elisa looked up at him with a pout. “That’s something Noah would say.”
“That’s something Noahdidsay once—about you.” Cade gestured for Rosalyn to slide out of the booth and join him. “Ready?”
Elisa gripped Cade’s wrist. “I’ll make you cookies.”
He tilted his head. “Chocolate chip?”
“Double chocolate chip.”
