“What are you actually doing in town?” Gemma asked.
I turned, raising my coffee mug to my lips, and was relieved to find the two of them untangled. Aaron sat down at the table, snacking on a pile of scrambled eggs. “He missed me too much,” he answered, smirking at me.
I rolled my eyes. “I missed Princess,” I corrected, smiling down at my feet where Princess had set up camp. “I’m looking for apartments that allow dogs. I should be able to bring her over in the next few weeks. I’ll even hire a dog walker and I found a couple of dog daycares where she can go when I’m overseas.”
“How metropolitan of you,” Aaron teased. “A doggie daycare.”
Gemma smiled. “I’m sure she’ll love it. I’ll miss her, but I won’t miss her fur getting on everything.”
I cringed. “Sorry. I’ll hire a carpet cleaner to come by when she’s gone.”
“Thank you,” Gemma replied. “Here, Jack, take a seat.”
I took my place at their small dining table and Gemma placed a plate in front of me. Three waffles stacked with butter and syrup and a generous pile of eggs on the side, sprinkled with paprika. “Thanks, it looks amazing.”
“It is. When’s the last time you had a good home cooked meal?” Gemma countered.
“Right now,” I laughed, digging into my eggs.
“So you’re really staying in New York?” Aaron asked, his expression suddenly serious.
Gemma dropped a hand to rest on his shoulder as they waited for my answer. In that flicker of a moment, I saw how much my friend was hoping I’d say no.
I lifted my fork. “It’s for the best. For now, at least.”
Aaron opened his mouth but Gemma squeezed his shoulder and he stopped short. I started to ask what he wanted to say but thought better of it and dug into breakfast instead.
21
Holly
“So, what do you think? How long would it take?”
“I’d say two, two and a half weeks.”
I smiled, glancing around the bathroom, and imagining it once the renovations were completed. I finished taking the visual tour and landed on Harley Westlake, the stocky contractor who’d come over to give me an estimate on the project. “That sounds perfect.”
Harley stretched out his hand. I shook it and he gave a quick, professional smile. “I’ll send over the contract as soon as I get home and then we can set up the schedule.”
“That’s great. From seeing your portfolio, I just know it’s going to be wonderful.” I waved a hand back into the hall and we backtracked down the stairs and to the front door. Harley gave me his card for reference and then we said goodbye. I watched from the window beside the door as he hopped into his beat-up looking truck and started down the road.
The bathroom was not in urgent need of repair, but I decided the best way to settle back into living at the house was to keep myself busy and while it was still early, planning and decorating the nursery and remodeling the adjacent bathroom to get ready for baby, was the best thing for me.
I started back toward the kitchen but a knock on the door stopped me. I turned back and checked through the peephole. Carly was standing on the porch, a large white bag in her hands. I opened the door and ushered her inside. “What are you doing here?” I asked, as she hurried inside. “This is lunch rush, isn’t it?”
Carly went into the kitchen and set the bag down. “Margot can handle it. I wanted to bring you some lunch.”
“That’s lunch? For how many people?”
Carly laughed as she unpacked the food. The containers were marked with the coffee shop’s logo. Once she’d spread out the containers, she reached back into the bag and tugged out a second bag. This one wrapped around itself. “There might be a few things in here from that super cute baby shop downtown.”
I smiled. “You didn’t.”
“I did.” She hurried to unpack the bag, laying out half a dozen onesies, each one more adorable than the one before. Then a rattle toy and a pair of baby high tops rounded out the gifts. I gently ran my fingers over the soft baby clothes, trying to imagine the chubby baby belly filling it out and the smiling cherub-cheeked little one staring up at me. Tears pricked at my eyes as I pictured it all.
“They’re perfect, Carly. Thank you.”
Carly smiled. “I’m glad you like them. When will you find out if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“Not for a couple of months. At least, not officially. They have a blood test they’re running now and it’s supposed to be pretty accurate but I’m not sure I want to know.”
“You want the mystery?”
I brushed at my eyes. “Maybe.”
Carly squeezed my arm and then started to pack up the garments. “You have time to decide. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Now, come on, I brought pasta salad, sandwiches, salads, soups, and a ton of pastries! I’ve been experimenting with lavender and vanilla this week.”