Ryan sighed and then gave in. “Because you’ll probably get pissed and I will never lie to you, so . . .”

Shit. After that comment, it’s too late for him to hold back now. I traded jeans for my favorite yoga pants. “Who is she?”

“Who is who?”

Yeah, now’s not the time to play ignorant, mister.

He huffed. “Paula, my set assistant.”

I pictured her clearly. My height—five-six-ish. Thin. Cute and spunky with short jet-black hair cut blunt at her chin. An inch-wide electric blue streak painted in her hair. Black framed glasses that gave her that naughty librarian look. “This isn’t their first date, is it?”

Ryan gave me a look that said he wasn’t denying it.

“Wonderful.

Marie’s

going

to

be

devastated.”

Ryan groaned as I walked out of our bedroom. “He’s just been taking her out to dinner, Tar.”

“For all you know. And he’s also been calling Marie every day, filling her with hope.” I felt my disappointment come on like a burn.

“I knew it. And I warned him, too.” I heard Ryan curse as he followed me down the stairs. “Look, he likes Marie a lot.

Trust me. But that isn’t happening for him right now, so what is he supposed to do?

Quit living?”

I couldn’t stop my swell of anger, knowing how torn-up Marie was just from all the crap Gary was putting her through. “I just wish he’d kept his tongue out of my best friend’s mouth. This is going to tear her heart out for sure.”

Ryan followed me into the kitchen. “So he kissed her. It’s not like he pledged his undying love to her.”

“I get that, Ryan. That’s not the point. He said he wanted to be updated on what’s going on in her life. He not only said that to her, he said it to me in private. You don’t make that step and then date your boss’s set assistant. You just don’t. He could have kept his distance but he made a choice knowing she was extremely vulnerable at the time.

And the daily phone calls? You can’t do that kind of stuff to girls. She let him in even though she had brick walls up and now this is going to mess with her head even more.” Ryan put his long legs up on the couch, tangling them with mine. “I get it. Why do you think it took me weeks before I kissed you? I could have had my lips all over yours the very first day I met you, but I didn’t.” Yeah right. “No you couldn’t have.” His confident look said otherwise. “I could have and you know it. But I didn’t want to rush into anything. Not with you. Kissing complicates things. I took it slow because I wanted you to know me, really know me, before we got physical. So I understand that them kissing has made Marie have feelings beyond friendship.”

I climbed over his legs and curled up on his chest. “I know you.”

Ryan shifted, getting us comfortable. He kissed my forehead. “I know.” My thoughts swirled. “Apparently those feelings beyond friendship aren’t strong enough for Mike to abstain since he’s on a date with another woman.”

Ryan groaned. “You’re blowing this out of proportion. You don’t know that.” I nuzzled into his chest and closed my eyes. “Well, what I do know is that as long as he’s picking dates from the production crew, I want him to stay far away from my best friend.”

Ryan rested a hand on my rear. “Don’t you think it’s up to them to decide that?”

“No,” I growled on his skin. “I’m deciding for her because I won’t let her heart get broken by another idiot. Mike had his chance and he blew it. I hope he and Paula are happy together.”

That got me a swat on the rear, followed by a squeeze. “Now you’re just being grumpy.”

I ran my fingertips over the defined dip in his chest. “Disappointed is more like it. After what Marie’s been telling me that he’s been

whispering in her ear when they talk, I thought he considered her to be something special. But apparently she must have misunderstood.”

He lifted my chin up and glared at me.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said. “He’s the one out on a date with someone else. I’m serious. I will not allow anyone to hurt her again. Gary never treated her right, which leads me to something else we need do discuss.”

He tipped up an eyebrow.

“My best friend needs me to come home.” I began missing Ryan terribly the moment my airplane taxied down the runway. It had been almost a month since I’d been home, but everything seemed to right itself the moment I saw my makeshift family waiting for me in the airport. God, how I missed my friends. I didn’t realize how much until I saw their faces light up.

Pete snatched me up first, lifting me off the ground. “’Bout time you got your ass back home. Missed ya, kid.”

I hugged and kissed Tammy and then wrapped my arms around Marie’s neck. It wasn’t until we piled into Tammy’s Camry that I sensed some tension between her and Marie. Marie had asked her a question but Tammy ignored her, which prompted Marie to appear disheartened.

Walking up the steps to my apartment felt familiar but somewhat strange, since I hadn’t been there for a few weeks. Tammy pulled some aluminum baking pans out of the pub kitchen before following us up the steps.

“I thought you’d be hungry so I made my fried chicken that you love so much,” Tammy announced. I turned and hugged her. God I loved them all so much.

I spotted a few boxes in my living room and presumed they were Marie’s. “Were you able to get some of your stuff from the house?”

Marie shook her head. “No. Gary won’t let me in the house.” She pointed at two black garbage bags. “I went over there the other day and found those sitting on the side porch. It’s mostly winter clothes and stuff I don’t wear.”

I growled, aggravated enough for the both of us. “What do you mean he won’t let you in the house? Did he lock you out?” Marie shrugged. It was obvious that all this stress was taking its toll on her. “It will get straightened out.”

I was surprised she didn’t just kick the door in. “I called the bank and verified that they change the routing for your automatic deposit to your new account. Did you get your paycheck?”

She nodded.

“What

about

the

check

from

the

fifteenth?”

Marie massaged her temples. “Went into our joint account. I pulled two hundred out at the ATM and he called me bitching about owing him money for bills. I guess the money is his until the lawyers sort it out.” I quickly ran some numbers in my head.