Who's the Daddy (Crescent Cove 3)

I may have actually. I’d been damn close even before he’d put his mouth on me.

Again, not something I’d been expecting from such a…one-night stand kind of thing? Did it count as a one-night stand when it was more like twenty-seven minutes and half a piece of pizza?

Hmm.

I shook those thoughts off, grabbed my notebook with the shower notes, and headed into the bar. I squinted at the swift change from searing sun to dim, dark wood. The Spinning Wheel was a coat of paint away from a dive bar, but I liked the atmosphere.

Ally waved from the back of the room.

Evidently, she’d gotten the memo about cute sundress day too. She wore a black and white checked one with a little black sweater over it. I crossed to her and nearly wobbled on my heel as I noticed a familiar pair of shoulders at the bar.

No.

Couldn’t be.

I was just seeing things.

A husky laugh floated out and a little shiver bloomed from the base of my spine.

Yeah. That was definitely Dare.

I wasn’t sure I was ready to face him quite yet, so I sprinted around a group of college guys gathered around a table in front of one of the TVs.

“Hey,” I said and quickly sat down across from Ally.

“Hey yourself. Wow. Look at you. Do kindergarten teachers wear stuff with so much shoulder action?”

I laughed. “I left my sweater in the car. It’s hot as Hades.”

“Is it? I can’t even tell anymore. I’m always hot. Probably because I’m pumping calories out of me on a near constant basis.” She lifted her margarita glass. “However, I pumped enough for three babies so I could have an adult beverage tonight.”

I laughed. “Is that a thing?”

“Oh, just you wait. You are a slave to a gorgeous baby for at least the first few months. Hell, a year for some. I haven’t decided if I’m going to go that long. Though if I’d let Alex hang off me forever, he would.”

I winced. That sounded horrifying.

She waved. “It’s not that bad. And tonight, I am just Ally who needs conversation with an adult. And to speak of baby things for someone else who is not me.” She blinked at me. “Sorry. Babbling. Want a Peachy Rita?”

“Sounds good.”

She gestured to the waitress and waved her glass. The girl smiled and nodded. Ally grabbed a menu off the little stand on our table. “I think I need something greasy too. I swear all I do is burn calories. I just want to eat and eat.”

“I wish.” I folded my hands over my planner notebook. “I had a few thoughts about Sage’s shower. Any clue on a registry yet? She told me she doesn’t have one, but it would be helpful for the guests.”

Ally seemed to hide behind her glass. She took another gulp then put it down. “Yeah, I keep forgetting to ask her to pick somewhere.”

“Well, she can do the registry online at most places. Though it seems to be easier and more fun to go around the store with one of those gun things that scans the item.”

“Oh, yeah. I had fun doing that. Sage and I pretty much tagged the whole place.”

The waitress came by with two more glasses and a basket of popcorn. “Can I get you girls anything?”

“What do you recommend?”

The girl flicked her ponytail over her shoulder. “Our cook actually makes a decent poutine if you like that kind of thing.”

“Oh, gravy.” Ally made gimme fingers. “Yes, that. A big one of that with extra gravy.”