Her words brought another reluctant smile to my face. “Thanks Eva, and I want you guys to know that my work won’t be impacted at all, except maybe maternity leave when he or she gets here.” He or she. It was the first time I thought of this baby as a person, a little baby boy or girl and I smiled for the first time. Sorry about not being happy at first baby. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.
“Don’t even worry about that,” Sophie said. “We’re friends and partners, that’s better than family, which means we are all in this together. If you need help, just say the word.”
And those kindly spoke words were enough to break the resolve I’d been working hard to maintain since I sent out the emergency text an hour ago. “Thank you, ladies. All of you.” It meant a lot to know that I would have a support system when the baby came because being a single mother was hard. “It means a lot to know my baby will have a whole host of aunts to spoil them.”
“Speak of which, who will be the godmother, I wonder?” Eva tapped a manicured nail to her chin and smiled. “I vote me because your kid will benefit from my killer sense of style.”
Sophie laughed and shook her head. “I’m half tempted to vote Eva just because watching her try to tame a kid is going to be highly entertaining!” She shook her head and pointed at Mara. “I vote Mara, because your kid is going to need to be tough and Mara’s quiet, but she’s got that whole don’t screw with me thing down cold.”
Mara sat up a little taller and grinned. “Thank you, Sophie.”
I looked around at the three women who’d come running when I called and smiled, my heart full and warm. I could this. With their help, I could do this thing on my own. And I would.
Because I had to.LiamIt was good to be back home, that was the thought that kept bouncing around my mind as I parked my car and made the short walk to Bread Box for the best coffee and pastries in Pilgrim. Three months was a long time to be gone, made longer by the fact that I wasn’t working but recovering and visiting with family. It was an exhausting three months and the slow, leisurely pace of Pilgrim was exactly what I needed.
“Liam Reyes, you handsome devil!” Mirabelle Vargas arched dark brows up at me, punctuated by a teasing smile. “Glad to see you back and mostly in one piece. Stop by soon and I’ll fix you up with my chicken and rice.”
“Yes ma’am,” I told her with a salute, holding the door open as she stepped outside and waved me in. “Good to see you.”
She gave a wave over her shoulder and kept walking, heading towards Principal Rutherford, probably with matchmaking on her mind. Happy to be out of her line of fire, I stepped inside Bread Box and groaned internally at the long line. It was damn inconvenient but it was expected this time of day just after the early morning rush of shift workers and truck drivers passing through to get back on the freeway.
I took my place in line and kept my head bent low just in case any of the old timer wanted to share war stories or ask questions about the mission. Or the injury. The bell chimed again and when I caught sight of the cocky wannabe swagger of the modern douchebag. This one in particular, was Olive’s ex. My shoulders dropped in relief when he made a beeline to the front counter where her familiar crop of dark hair was bent low, chatting with Mara. If they were back together, maybe the calls would stop. And the text messages.
“Is it true?” His voice was loud, intentionally so, making sure the whole damn café was listening.
Olive turned slowly away from Mara and looked up at the douchebag with an eerie calm. “Is what true, Wyatt?”
“That you’re carrying my baby,” he barked at her, his tone clearly angry.
Olive tossed her head back and laughed. And laughed. “Do you really think you have the right to ask that?” She didn’t even wait for him to formulate an answer before she lifted her hand just an inch from his face and answered. “No, you don’t.”
“If it’s my baby-,” he began but she cut him off. Quickly.
“If it’s your baby, I’d have to be what, six or seven months along wouldn’t I? Even you can’t be this dumb Wyatt. Run along,” she said with a shooing motion that was meant to be disrespectful. “You’re not needed here.”
“It’s a good thing I dodged that bullet,” he sneered.
“Right back atcha, buddy! At least this baby started with an orgasm, something no woman of yours could ever say!” Olive smiled at her own witty comeback but the lines of stress and the worry on her face weren’t so easily erased. “If you get in my face again Wyatt, you better be able to dodge a real bullet.”