Pit Stop: Baby! (Crescent Cove 4)

I settled in with the newest shipments of Macy’s merchandise and spent the next few hours redoing her grid layout. Macy came by a few times to make a comment, but generally, she left me alone. I was in the middle of a television display on one of the shelves when I had to jump in and help with the dinner rush.

I wished desperately for coffee but forged on with a large ginger-lime flavored water concoction that Macy set next to me around seven o’clock.

“You’ve been at it for hours.” Vee settled on the floor next to me with another water. “I love that new table you did out front. I asked Macy if I could switch out the window graphic next weekend.” She breathed out a happy sigh. “Spring is in the air.”

“I found a box full of pretty spring cups for teas and flavored waters.” I dug behind me and pulled out a soft pink and green frosted cup that was unreasonably tall, but seemed to fly off the shelves. “Maybe something with these colors?”

“Oh.” She snatched it out of my hand. “Maybe some baby-friendly drinks to lure all the preggers girls in.”

“Smart.” I took back the cup. “I didn’t know you did all that. I mean, I’ve seen you do the menu board, but the windows are crazy.”

Vee shrugged. “I went to art school, but couldn’t decide between baking or art. Then I met Macy and got to do both.”

“It’s got to be amazing to be good at something.” I picked through the cups and started organizing them by color.

“What, like you and this?” She waved her arm around the three different tables and half wall of cubbies I’d arranged.

I waved her off. “That’s just making things look cute.”

“Macy can build the hell out of nineteen drink orders in less than a minute each. However, her idea of decorating is adding a bat or skull.”

“Hey, I like her aesthetic.”

Vee linked her arms around her knees and rocked a little. “It works, but this is amazing, Ry. Really.” She reached over and touched my belly. “And you’re cooking that little nugget too.”

At her wistful sigh I tilted my head. “Thanks. Cooking the baby isn’t exactly tough. Luckily for me, I don’t really have the nausea thing too often.” Nope, I just had the super sleepwalking thing, but I didn’t need to get into that with her.

“What’s it feel like?”

“Like my jeans don’t fit and I want all the salt.” I laughed. “Why?”

She shrugged. “I always wanted a bunch of kids. And here I am. I can’t even keep a boyfriend around long enough to get him suited up, let alone convince him about forever.”

“Really? You’re gorgeous. You should have guys knocking down my displays to get to you.”

“Thanks. I’m too weird, I guess. And I don’t know what to say to guys.”

“Like Moose?”

She blushed. “He’s sweet. I’m just getting impatient, I guess.”

“You’re only what? Twenty-six, I think Macy said.”

She nodded. “That biological clock is ticking away.”

“You’ve got plenty of time.”

“You’re the same age, aren’t you?”

A little younger, but I didn’t think I should mention that. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

She rolled to her feet and brushed off her butt. “See? I’m way behind.”

“Ugh, enough with the baby talk. You’re killing me,” Macy called from the front counter. “Hey, Ry, want to watch a movie after we’re done, or do you have something going with the boyfriend?”

Was that what I’d call Gage? My boyfriend?

I supposed it was less crass than baby daddy. I was tired of all the baby talk myself and I was the one carrying one.