“Oh, I guessed. You had that look. Plus, all of that stuff.” She gestured to the items in my arms. “You have the munchies. Been there, done that.”
“Right.” I might die right in this very spot.
“It’s a different kind of munchies than you get after taking marijuana. At least I assume. I haven’t tried that myself.” She frowned. “You’re not smoking in the room, are you? That’s prohibited in Section IV of the agreement you signed.”
“No, of course not. I wouldn’t do that here.”
Or anywhere, at least not since college. If I stayed down here much longer, she’d probably know all about my days at the university too.
“I should hope not. How many do you need?”
Now the flush was steadily moving up my body. Soon, my nose would be redder than Rudolph’s. “Do you have a…package?”
“Yes. Three, six, and fifteen.”
“Wow, that’s quite a jump.”
“You always save when you buy in bulk.” Her cherubic face was so serious I wasn’t sure if she was kidding until she grinned. “It’s almost Christmas. Consider this my gift to you. Be sure to put a nice note in the guest book. Don’t mention the freebies though. I don’t want to shake loose the bargain hunters.” She slid an organza-covered box tied with a bow my way.
I laughed so hard that one of our snacks went flying.
After I collected it, I tucked the box of condoms next to the pretzels in my arms. “Well, thanks. You’re all heart, Sage.”
She beamed. “I am, that’s why I’m going to warn you—you probably don’t need those. Unless you’ve had a vasectomy? And you look too young for that.” She waved a hand while I stared and wondered if we’d launched into another dimension. “Sorry, I’m getting too personal. Bad habit of mine. I just consider all of my guests to be staying in my home, so we’re more than friends, we’re family. Anyway, merry ho-ho-ho.”
“No, I haven’t had a vasectomy. What do you mean? Don’t need them, why?”
“You haven’t heard about Crescent Cove?”
Why, yes, now that she’d mentioned it, I’d heard about unplanned pregnancies related to the Cove. But that had to be like an old wives’ tale or something.
Even if it wasn’t, too late now. Still, the odds were in my favor.
Probably.
“Heard what?” I asked.
She bit her lip, her blue eyes getting even wider. “Let’s just say we’re having a baby boom. A lot of women come to town and end up getting pregnant. Quickly. Our tourism is up thirty-eight percent this year just due to that bit of legend and lore.”
The logical side of my brain immediately threw up a roadblock. “If that’s so, why are you needing to practice so much?”
“Oh, I could be pregnant already. We just enjoy the process.” She laughed. “Happy holidays!”
I went back upstairs in a zombie-like state. I couldn’t even claim not to believe what Sage had just claimed—that a propensity towards pregnancy might as well be in the water—since I was a mythology professor. Fantastical tales were my lifeblood.
Had I somehow stepped into one?
I unlocked the door to find Ellie sitting in the middle of my bed, her hair a riot of waves around her bare shoulders. She pulled the sheet up to cover herself, and her eyes were soft from sleep. “What time is it?”
“Just a bit after ten.”
“Oh.” She swung her legs over the side. “I should really head home.”
I crossed to her, dumping my bounty on the bed. “I got us some snacks and drinks.”
The ribbon-wrapped care package landed beside her leg. She picked it up. “A present?”
“Sort of a present for us both.”