My Ex's Baby (Crescent Cove 8)

Luna spun around. “Photo shoot?”

I leaned back on the big pink hassock. “Yeah, for those jeans you guys went wild for. Do you guys want to stay and help? The more models the better.”

Ryan dropped into a bean bag chair in front of me. “That sounds like fun. However, what sounds like much more fun is if you tell us about that tall drink of handyman-slash-carpenter-slash-booty call, August.”

I flushed and stood up. “Nothing to tell.”

“Right. That’s why your aura is a neon pinkish-red right now.” Luna lifted her can and took a long drink.

Ryan nudged me. “So how much after-hours treatment are you getting?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh? Then how is it like?” Ryan batted her eyelashes at me.

“We’re friends.”

Luna snorted and popped the top on another spritzer. “Naked friends.”

“Shh.” I looked around to make sure no one had come into the shop.

Ryan tipped her head and studied me. “Hmm.”

“We’re keeping things quiet.” I sighed. For the first time, I had the option of actually talking about August with someone. “He’s my best friend’s brother.”

“Ohhh.” Luna dropped down on the mat again. “Well, that makes a little more sense. But he sure didn’t seem like he was hiding anything when he was snuggling up to you at the desk. Is there anything more romantic than a guy who can’t stay out of your dance space?”

“At all,” April chimed in.

I flushed. “It can’t be like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because. It just can’t.” I drained my can of wine and stood up to gather their discarded clothes. I couldn’t look too closely at that far too appealing fantasy. The one where I could wake up next to August without guilt or panic. Where I could not worry about who saw us together.

It was just smarter to make sure I didn’t ruin the one bit of family I could count on for something that was at best a bad idea and at worst, a breakup begging to happen. And I couldn’t put Ivy through that. Nor could I ever make her choose sides. It wasn’t fair and I knew which side I’d land on. Just like always.

A lifetime of lessons had taught me that.

“I have flipped the closed sign and locked the door, it is time to party!” Came a voice from the front of the store.

“I brought the wine.” Gina’s sweeter voice followed her sister Gabby’s.

“Thank goddess, more wine,” I muttered and rushed to meet them.

A little more wouldn’t hurt. I hoped. Besides, I wasn’t pregnant yet.

Probably not, anyway.

“This conversation isn’t over,” Ryan called after me.

“There’s nothing to converse about.”

“What are we not conversing about?” Gina rushed toward me, her long hair still tied into her work ponytail. She smelled like syrup and fresh bread with a little extra diner grease.

“Nothing.” I hugged her back. “I’m so glad you could come.”

“Let me get out of this freaking uniform and drink half a bottle of wine and I will try on all the jeans.” She shoved two bottles of wine and a handled brown paper bag at me.