Page 92 of Best Friends for Never

Parker steps out of their way, her eyes sparkling as they march me past her and farther into the two-story house.

Hi,I mouth to her, sending her a wink.

She smiles, and it’s worth feeling like I’m being taken prisoner by children.

They drag me through the living room, which is littered with toys yet still looks completely cozy, then down the hallway lined with painted handprints and terrible drawings and straight into the kitchen, where we find Axel and his wife at the stove.

They’re kissing.

“Ew!” the girls yell all at once.

The couple parts, grinning over at the kids, who are now in various states ofsee no, hear no, and speak no evilwith their hands over their eyes, mouths, or ears.

“Go play,” their dad instructs. “Or I’ll bring out the tickle monster.”

They all scream—even Mavis this time—then take off back toward the living room.

“Oh! Noel!” Axel’s wife says excitedly when she finally notices I’m here. She wipes her hands off on the apron that’s covering her swollen belly and comes around the island that’s in the middle of the expansive kitchen. “Oh, gosh. I’m Mary. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.”

I hold out my hand to shake hers, but she ignores it, going right in for a hug. She squeezes me just as tightly as her daughter did.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to officially say hi before now,” she says as we part. “I was hoping to chat at the auction, but this little one had different plans.” She rubs her belly. “So I’m glad you could make it. Now we get you for the whole night, and I can hear all the stories about this one over here that she refuses to tell me.”

Mary looks pointedly between the best friends as she makes her way back to the stove.

Parker holds her hands up. “Hey, I’m not ratting him out. He pays me.”

“Technically, I don’t. We’re even partners.”

“Does that mean I can say whatever bad things about you I want?”

Axel points a thick finger at her. “Watch it.”

Parker laughs, then reaches for the bottle of wine I brought. She holds it up, eyes wide.

“I saidred,” she whispers.

I shrug. “Oops.”

She narrows her eyes, knowing full well I brought white on purpose.

“Look!” She holds up the bottle. “Noel brought wine.”

“Ooh. White. It’s my favorite,” his wife says excitedly. “Too bad I can’t have any. Ax, have a glass for me.”

Axel just grunts, then takes the bottle from Parker to open it. She moves to a cabinet, pulling down a few glasses, then to the freezer, plunking two ice cubes into one of them.

It’s clear she’s comfortable here, like this is a second home to her.

I can’t deny the pang of jealousy that shoots through me.

I push it aside, then accept the glass of wine Parker hands to me.

She holds her own by the stem, tipping it toward me. She waves Axel over, and he steps between us with reluctance, eyes wary and lips turned down.

“To tonight,” she toasts. “And to my two best friends. May they not kill each other over dinner.”

Axel snorts. “We’ll see about that,” he mutters.

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