Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker - Cat Johnson Page 0,53

and down the aisles of the home store choosing tile for her sister’s new DIY project.

“She’s at a work thing,” she told her, which was actually true.

“At McP’s?” Jen asked.

“Mmm-hmm. The San Diego office is throwing one of the executive producers a surprise birthday party. Some of the cast from the shows should be there.” Also true. Alicia was getting very adept at this deception thing.

This conversation was starting to feel like that game, two truths and a lie.

Jen’s eyes widened. “Will Gabrielle Lee and her hot SEAL hubby Zach from Trash to Treasure be there?”

Alicia let out a laugh at her sister fangirling over reality television stars—if you could actually call them stars. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Shelly.”

After a pout, Jen must have gotten over her disappointment of Alicia not having a copy of the guestlist and got a dreamy look in her eyes. “It’s so cool Shelly works for the company that produces one of my favorite shows.”

“So cool,” Alicia mimicked, before rolling her eyes.

It was that show, Trash to Treasure, that was the reason they were currently here choosing tile. So Jen could redo the top of an old cocktail table she found along the curb.

Some garbage should stay garbage in Alicia’s opinion. By the time her sister bought the paint for the legs and the tile, adhesive and grout to redo the top, she could have bought a brand new table. But who was she to deny her sister her trash picking fun?

“So, how are things going with Brian?” Jen asked, making Alicia long for the conversation where they’d been talking about reality TV. Couldn’t they go back to that?

“He’s fine. I told you. He’s deployed. So, you know, I can’t see him.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. There are plenty of ways to see him. And do other things too. Webcams are a wonderful thing.” Jen waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Eww, jeez, Jen. No. I’m not talking about video sex with you at all. And definitely not in the Home Depot.” Alicia glanced down the aisle, hoping no one had heard.

Jen scoffed. “You’re always so worried about what people think.”

“And you never are,” Alicia returned.

“So, are you guys serious?” Jen asked, not letting it drop.

“I don’t know.” Juggling the intricacies of this fake relationship was starting to get difficult with Jen the inquisitor on the case.

Alicia couldn’t get too fake-serious with him, or Jen would expect too much. But being too fake-casual with Brian could be dangerous. Jen might start looking around for a replacement. It was a delicate balance.

Now might be a perfect time for some of that truth she was throwing around before. “I’m nervous about getting too serious.”

“Nervous about what?” Jen paused with two different colors of grout in her hands to look at Alicia.

“I don’t have the best track record with long-term serious relationships.”

“Everybody has break-ups in their past. You can’t let it define your future.”

“But what if I fall hard for this guy and then it ends like it did with Greg? I don’t want that again.”

Putting the grout down, her sister drew in a breath. “Remember when we were little and old Digger died? And I wanted another puppy right away and you started a campaign to talk Mom and Dad out of getting another dog.”

“Yes.” She did remember. It was heartbreaking losing a pet at that age.

“You were so upset when we got Dash, you refused to even pet him. Until you got pneumonia and were stuck at home alone while I went to school. He slept with you, day and night, the entire time you were sick in bed. And he didn’t stop after you got better. You two were joined at the hip after that. And even though you didn’t want to in the beginning, you loved him.”

“And he died too,” she reminded her sister.

“Like fifteen years later. He was old.”

“It still hurt.”

“Don’t be sad it’s over. Be happy it happened.”

Alicia pulled her mouth to one side. “Don’t quote your inspirational coffee mugs to me.”

Jen lifted a brow. “Just because it’s on a coffee mug, doesn’t make it any less true.”

She had doubts about that, but while standing next to tile adhesive in the Home Depot wasn’t the time or the place to debate it. “I hear what you’re saying, Jen. It still doesn’t mean I’m ready for a serious relationship with Brian. Or anyone for that matter.”

There was still a box of Greg’s stuff sitting by her front door waiting to be mailed back. That