Claim My Baby (Crescent Cove 2)

Seth sighed. “You’re probably right.”

“Wonders never cease. I haven’t been right too often lately.” My dragon fell off my leg and landed face down, ass end up.

An apt metaphor for my life.

Seth sat on the edge of my desk. “You’re coming out with us tonight.”

“If it involves listening to Alexander cry all night at some restaurant, I’ll pass.”

“You know damn well my son is a sound sleeper already, and I caught you cuddling him several times this week, so don’t even go there. Besides, this doesn’t involve the baby.”

“Oh, really? Did you convince Sage to watch him and Laurie while you and Ally trip the light fantastic?”

“That phrase went out of vogue in approximately 1979.”

“As did your suit.”

He ignored me. “Do you remember Wes, Laurie’s little friend from school?”

“Her boyfriend? Mmm-hmm.” Low blow, but I was feeling snarly.

“Excuse me? What do you mean, her boyfriend? She’s not even five yet.”

I held up my hands, palms out. “Hey, just repeating what she told me.”

“When did she tell you this?” Before I could answer, he waved off the question. “You know what, never mind. I’ll stay happily in the dark.”

“Good. I won’t tell you how she said they’re getting married someday then.”

He gave me a gimlet stare. “Anyway, Wes’s dad, Dare, and I are going out to shoot some pool and have some fun for his birthday. The guy works all the time and hasn’t been in town all that long, so he doesn’t know many people.”

“How long is all that long?”

“A couple of years.” Seth jerked a shoulder. “He’s a single dad. He doesn’t have time to get out and talk to anyone who doesn’t come into the shop. He’s a mechanic over at J&T’s Automotive.”

All at once, Sage’s commentary on the plane to Vegas about my lack of friends turned into an anvil in my brain. Mostly because she was right.

“And you think he’s so desperate for friends that even I will do?”

“No. I think you both could use a break. Ally is watching Wes and Laurie and the baby, so we can all go out and have a good time, so you know, don’t be a dick.”

“I don’t even know this guy. I highly doubt he’d care if I went.”

“No,” Seth agreed. “But I’d care. How long has it been since we’ve hung out?”

Guilt immediately tried to worm its way into my chest. “I’ve been over to the house almost every night lately.”

“To see the baby, which is great, but it’s not the same and you know it. We used to be best friends.”

“Not since high school when you abandoned me for Alison.”

“Back to that again. And I didn’t ‘abandon’ you for her. I didn’t even know her yet when I switched schools.”

“Semantics. Fine. I’ll go to your little boys’ night out. But don’t think you’re going to pry any information out of me.” I pointed at him. “Unlike how you behaved during your breakup last spring with Ally, I don’t feel the need to go to confession about my sins.”

He rose off the desk and crossed the room. “Not quite how I remember it, but whatever. Keep your delusions.” Halfway out the door, he stopped and craned his neck. “Oh, and lose the suit tonight. The guys at The Spinning Wheel always rip you a new one behind your back when you show up in your three-piece penguin outfits and drink iced tea.”

I flipped him the bird and bent to retrieve my dragon from the floor. Maybe the jerk was right. Along with manning up and figuring out how to woo Sage properly, I needed to break out of my comfort zone. Buy some jeans that didn’t still have the department store creases in them, as Sage loved to tease. Loosen up a little. Drink and play pool. Go for broke in more ways than one.