“You should totally have waited to start until after New Year’s. Who starts a diet the day after Christmas?” The groan of pleasure as Piper finished off the cupcake punctuated the lunacy of such a thing.
“The woman who ate half a chocolate chess pie out of stress due to the presence of her in-laws, that’s who.” Shelby shuddered. “How my husband came from those two, I will never know.”
The door to the exam rooms opened and Miranda edged out, her arm around an older lady. “Now you be sure to run right on over to the pharmacy and pick this up. I called it in already, so Riley ought to have it ready by the time you get there. You start it tonight at bedtime. And let me know if you have any side effects.”
As the woman shuffled toward her waiting husband, Miranda shoved a hand through her thick blonde hair and turned, clearly checking for more patients. “Please tell me that’s the—” Her eyes widened. “Norah!”
“Surprise.” Norah grinned.
Miranda’s white coat flared like a cape as she leapt across the room and wrapped Norah in a fierce hug. Norah held tight, burying her face against her friend’s shoulder and breathing in the familiar scents of alcohol, starch, and new plastic. Something hot and tight lodged in her throat, and she had to fight to keep the smile in place. “God, I’ve missed you.”
“It’s so good to see you!”
“Sorry for just dropping in like this.” Norah pulled back. “I hope your guest room is available.”
“For you? Always. What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t get away again until summer.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to let it all spill out. The fate of Morton. The firing. All the ugliness that had made her pack up and run. But shame and embarrassment locked her throat.
Something must’ve shown on her face because Miranda frowned and took her by the shoulders again. “Norah? What’s wrong? Is it your parents?”
/> Norah shook her head. “I got dumped.” By my life.
The immediate outpouring of sympathy and suggestions about what her ex could do with his manhood had her throat clogging yet again, even as Piper shoved a cupcake into her hand.
“Give us a chance to change clothes, and we’ll go out tonight and drink to the shriveling of his dick. Liam Montgomery’s welcome home party’s going on over at Speakeasy right now anyway.”
Norah let out a bark of laughter. “Oh God, as much fun as that sounds, I’m absolutely wiped. I’ve been up since four and drove straight through.”
“Then we’ll stay in and have Chinese and Ben and Jerry’s before you crash.”
“And tomorrow night you can flirt with the best male specimens Wishful has to offer,” Piper added.
“Beg pardon?”
“I’m throwing a big New Year’s Eve bash. Everybody who’s anybody in our age bracket will be there.”
“It’ll be good for you.” Piper looped an arm through hers. “An excuse to dress up, look fabulous, and party with people who have way better taste and sense than your ex. Throw off all this sad stuff.”
Norah held back a grimace. Much as she enjoyed people, that kind of socializing was the last thing she was in the mood for. It was so incompatible with licking one’s wounds. But she was the one who’d popped in unannounced. She couldn’t expect everyone to change their plans to suit her. She mustered a sassy smile. “Well, I did pack this amazing dress.”
~*~
“…and we’ll be taking applications for the future mother of my grandbabies right over here.”
Cam laughed along with everyone else as big bad Staff Sergeant Liam Montgomery blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. “Mom!”
Molly pulled Liam down for a noisy kiss. “Kidding! Mostly. Please, everybody, enjoy the party!”
She and Liam stepped down from the tiny stage that usually hosted local musicians and karaoke. A big Welcome Home! banner stretched above their heads. Tables had been set up along one exposed brick wall, and they were lined with an assortment of Speakeasy’s signature pizzas. Cam noticed Liam skirted these, giving a wide berth to everyone of the female persuasion.
The scents of spicy tomatoes, pepperoni, and yeasty crust set Cam’s stomach to rumbling, reminding him he hadn’t actually gotten around to lunch today, while he was pushing through those year-end reports at the nursery. But social duties had to be satisfied before his appetite. He cornered Liam as the other man lifted a beer from a passing tray.
“Welcome home, Sergeant.” Cam offered a hand.
“Good to be back.” Liam shot a glance back at his mother. “I think.”
“You had to know settling back here was gonna open you wide up for that. You’re the oldest.”