“Absolutely!”
“There is nothing going on with Nick and me.”
“I beg to differ!” Holly ignored her warning look and continued, “Nick and Noel are singing together for the Christmas concert and when I say the heat between them is scorching, I do not exaggerate.”
“Oooohhhh,” Gabby drawled. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Lock ’em in a cabin together for the weekend with no way to escape?” Holly teased.
“Why are all of you so obsessed with getting Nick and me together? The thought never struck you before, so why are you pushing me now?”
Holly raised her hand. “Hi, yeah, actually, Merry and I have been shipping this for years. We just had to wait until Amber was out of the picture to bring the matter to light.”
Gabby held her fist up for Holly to punch. “#TeamNock all the way.”
“You people need to get a life,” Noel grumbled, taking a turn toward the baking aisle. She picked up a cute cake pan, fully intent on ignoring the two busybodies for the rest of the day if need be.
Gabby trailed after her. “We’re just trying to help you out!”
“Let me be perfectly clear.” Noel stopped and faced both of them, sternly meeting first Gabby’s, then Holly’s gaze. “Nick and I are friends. That is all we want to be. So, no cabins, no plots, twists, hints, or hashtagging terrible name mashups. We are perfect the way we are. Capiche?”
Gabby mumbled affirmative but Holly held her hands up. “I make no promises. All’s fair in love and family. And there is nobody else more suited for my brother than you.”
Her traitorous friend stroked her chin thoughtfully. “The girl does have a point.”
Noel groaned, realizing that the only way to keep her friendship with Nick safe would be to avoid his sisters at all costs.
A little hard to do that when they’d be rehearsing three days a week until the concert.
I’m doomed.
Chapter 13
NICK
“I can see all the way up your nostrils from this angle, man.”
Nick laughed, holding his hands out to spot Anthony as he pushed through one more bench press. “Last one and then you can stop examining my nose hairs.”
“Thank…God!” Anthony’s breath whooshed out as he set the bar back on the rack. Nick grabbed the spray bottle and a handful of paper towels to wipe down the equipment.
“Ah come on. You don’t like my sweat.”
“Sorry, laying on a bench covered in another dude’s juice is nasty.”
Anthony punched him in the shoulder good-naturedly. “You’d be lucky to roll around in my juice. Might help you get your mojo back.”
Nick scoffed as he slid onto the bench and gripped the bar in his hands. “There is nothing wrong with my mojo.”
Taking a deep breath, he lifted and pumped.
“That’s the way. Getting swole.”
He laughed, a breathless wheeze between his teeth as his muscles strained under the weight. After being the scrawny kid most of his adolescence, he loved the sensation of working out. It’s why he hadn’t wasted any time signing up for a membership at Toe the Line Fitness. Anthony enjoyed working out as much as he did and would keep him honest.
When he finished his last rep, he grunted as he set the bar back in place.
“Isn’t Pike meeting us?”
“Nah, he had to skip it. He’s been pulling a lot of late nights and dragging ass at work. Called him out on it a few times, but he won’t tell me what he’s up to.”
Pike worked on the road crew with Anthony during the week, but while Pike hadn’t been interested in going to college, Anthony took several online classes every semester. It took him a little longer, but he would have his bachelor’s degree after this semester.
“Maybe he’s got a new girl?”
Anthony sneered. “Please, if he was getting laid, he’d be giving us a play-by-play.”
“That’s disturbing, but accurate,” Nick said.
“You know he’s into Noel, right?”
Nick stilled at his friend’s bluntness. “I didn’t know for sure.”
“He’s been carrying a torch for years, but she keeps him strictly in the friend zone. Just thought you should know.”
“While I appreciate the heads up, nothing is going on with Noel. Not officially, anyway.”
“Officially or not, I saw the way you two reacted to each other at Brews and Chews. Even if y’all aren’t ready to admit it, there is something there. I’m only telling you about Pike so you’ll have a care with how you handle it.”