Who's the Daddy (Crescent Cove 3)

“Don’t you think you should?”

“Don’t you think I did enough damage?” I tucked my hand under my chin. “I need to get my foot surgically detached from my mouth. I said it in front of everyone.” I flopped my arm out on the table and sagged. “It’s all his fault. If he hadn’t been all high-handed and jerk-ish, I could have handled it. But no, he had to spill the beans in public.” I hadn’t even known for sure and he’d announced it to everyone.

I had a right to my anger.

Just like he had a right not to answer any of my texts.

Then again, his jaw had been pure granite outside. When he’d seen me, the whole world had stopped for a second. I’d tried to recover by talking to Alex. But I’d felt his eyes on me. And God, he’d looked so good.

Dripping wet, for pity’s sake. His freckled shoulders dotted with sweat or water or whatever. All around delicious and not even close to touchable.

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You need to go to the doctor. That’s what you need to do.”

“I know.” With a sigh, I dropped my hands to the table. “I meant to call today, but things got crazy.”

“Things are always crazy.” Sage winced and rubbed circles along her side. “This little girl is determined to kick her way out, I swear.”

Ugh. I was being selfish. “Can I get you something?”

Sage placed her hand over mine. “I’m good, honey. This is about you right now.”

“I’m fine.”

“Far from it, cupcake.” Her eyes widened. “Speaking of cupcake.”

Macy came back to the table with a plate full of pastries, cupcakes, and a decadent-looking cookie that was mine. I snatched it off the plate before Sage could even lift her hand.

“Wow. And she says she’s fine.” Sage smiled up at Macy. “You almost lost a finger.”

“Hazards of the job.” Macy passed out little orange plates with lettering on them. “Especially with Vee in the sweatshop in the back. Hard to resist.” She winked. “I’ll be back with your drinks in a minute.”

I broke apart the fat cookie and moaned when chocolate flowed out of the center. I scooped up a finger full and moaned. “Nutella.”

Ally broke off a hunk of the cookie and laughed when I dragged my plate closer to me. She popped it in her mouth with a groan.

“Back off.”

“Okay, okay.” She lifted a blueberry muffin off the center plate. “Man, I keep trying to get this last ten pounds of baby weight off, but it ain’t happening today.” She broke off the top and plump blueberries dotted the golden cake. In the center was a jam of some sort. Ally swiped her finger through the rich blue stuff. It had to be some sort of curd. And I only knew that from watching the Great British Bake Off for the last three nights. I was officially almost done with season two.

I was pathetic.

The lot of us were moaning through our food when Macy came back. “You’re going to give Gideon a hard-on with all the ruckus.”

“Worth it,” Ally said around a bite.

“Glad to hear it.” Macy set a bowl-sized mug in front of Ally. I leaned over to sniff the sumptuous coffee and hint of…mint?

Ally wiped her fingers on the napkin in her lap then wiggled them before cupping them around the cherry red ceramic. “I know it’s damn near ninety outside, but there’s nothing like a warm mug of coffee.” She brought it to her lips and sipped loudly. Her gold eyes widened. “That’s a liquid Thin Mint.”

“I can’t wait to not be pregnant,” Sage whined.

Macy hurried back to the counter and returned with two tall, pink glasses. “I have a little something summery for you two. Even if fall is my favorite season, I appreciate a little extension on summer. It doesn’t exactly go with chocolate, but I think you’ll forgive me.”

I sniffed at the glass and the little lemon-shaped ice cubes. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Well, taste it.”