Page 59 of Best Kept Secret

“Okay.”

She’d never been there before, but he obviously had. He walked up to the counter and placed his order for a green smoothie. When it was her turn to order, she stared at the menu board with consternation.

“Um… Do you have anything that isn’t green?” she asked the clerk.

He eyed her with amusement. “Would red be better?”

“Yes!”

“How about a strawberry-banana smoothie?”

“Sounds great,” she said, pleased that he’d suggested it.

“Have a seat, and I’ll bring them out to you.”

She and Jared sat down at a small table by the window.

“What do you want to talk to me about?” he asked, getting right to the point.

“Hudson.”

“I figured.”

“Why are you so against us dating? And don’t hold anything back.”

He looked out the window and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. She wasn’t patient enough to wait, though.

“Is it because of the friend code, or bro code, or whatever you want to call it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“According to Hudson, there’s this unwritten rule among men that you don’t date each other’s sisters.”

“That’s part of it,” he said.

Then the shop clerk came to the table with their smoothies. “Here you go. Let me know how you like it,” he said, smiling at Kelsey.

“Thanks,” she and Jared replied.

They sipped their drinks in silence for a few minutes. She was surprised at how good hers tasted and vowed to come here more often. Jared’s smoothie, on the other hand, didn’t look nearly as appealing as hers.

“So, what are the other reasons?” she asked.

He sighed. “Look, Kels. Hudson has a…colorful past. As a friend, he’s great, but he’s not who I would choose for my sister.”

“If this is about the women he’s been with, I know all about that.”

“He told you?”

“Not in so many words, but I got the gist. None of us are perfect, Jared. Not even you.” She hadn’t intended to say that, but the words had slipped out. It was an indication of how exasperated she felt.

He tried another tack. “He’s never had a long-term relationship. Did he tell you that too?”

“Yes. Why should that bother me?”

“Because you’re a relationship person. You’re bound to fall in love with him, want to marry him, and have his children. But he’s not that guy.”

She was stunned that he read her so well. It was true—she was falling hard for Hudson, and to hear her brother say it only cemented her feelings. If he’d been trying to dissuade her, he’d unknowingly done the opposite. Now more than ever, she wanted to prove him wrong. Hudson was a good man, and she believed he wanted a real relationship with her too. They weren’t just fooling around.