“Four. She’s in Syracuse.”
“I’ll swing down at three-thirty. Three-fifteen if you think you can fit me…in.”
His lascivious tone made me take a deep breath. “Before my appointment?”
“Time enough for a shower.”
“In your world, speedy.”
“That’s not always a compliment but in this case—is that Ivy texting again?”
“Yeah. Distract her. I don’t want to tell her we had sex in Bess’s apartment.”
“Wonder if it’s still open?”
I grinned. “Seriously? You’re a pervert.”
“I’m a sentimental guy. What can I say? Later, Kin. I’ll deal with Ivy. But you owe me. And I always collect.”
He clicked off and I held the phone to my chest, smiling like a hopelessly in lo—lust, slightly crazy, hopefully soon to be pregnant woman.
But not too soon. I was a fan of the practice part.
And now I would sell my unique, hard to find items to Bess Wainwright, possibly with a small guilt-induced discount. Assuming she hadn’t gotten annoyed at my awkward response and left.
I walked to the door to the sales floor and opened it. There she was, still shopping with Vee. Thank goddess.
“Hi there, Bess, my apologies. I remembered an urgent call I had to take care of.”
Speaking of which, Ivy was still texting up a storm. I had no clue what August had said to her, but whatever it was, it hadn’t worked yet.
Bess turned toward me with a funky pair of Art Deco bookends. “I want these.”
“Why, of course.” My smile grew. Those were one of the priciest items in my shop. “If you truly love Art Deco, let me just show you—”
I pivoted and caught sight of Vee in front of the item in question, a long mirror on a stand done in Bess’s preferred style with beveled edges and glimmering stones set along the frame. She was twirling back and forth in a dress in shades of pink that brought a lovely flush to her skin and highlighted her new mom glow. The flattering V-neck top clung to her curves and flared
out into a kitschy skirt I’d repurposed from a retro Halloween costume. On top of it, she wore a cropped denim jacket that made her look young and fresh and happy.
So happy with her husband and her babies and her new business helping other women find their way to their dream of having a child. We all lovingly teased her about the “baby club” she’d started matching potential parents, but she was a godsend to those women. And some men too, I’d heard. She truly had it all.
I touched a trembling hand to my throat. “Oh, Vee, that’s perfect for you.”
“You think so?” She turned toward Bess and me. “I was planning on seducing Murphy, but tastefully, you know? Not with the crotchless panties just yet.” She laughed. “That’s for Saturday night.”
“Two date nights in one weekend?”
“Yeah, Macy is taking all three kids until Sunday morning because Dani is with her mother. Something about learning how to deal with a ‘houseful of rugrats’. I think she’s super hormonal right now, but she won’t admit it. Just wants some baby cuddles and is getting a dose of Brayden with it.”
“Aww, Brayden is the sweetest baby himself. Just a little older.” Bess smiled. “He’s around the age of my great-granddaughter Lily. Of course my newest great-granddaughter Rose is a cutie too. Nothing like that baby smell, is there? Here, I have new pictures.”
Bess pulled out a purple leather wallet from her expensive purple leather handbag and flashed half a dozen pictures at me of two giggling baby girls, one closer to toddler stage. Vee crowded in to see the pictures too before pulling out her phone to scroll through some snapshots of her own.
Normally, I would’ve felt awkward. Out of place. Unhappy, if I was truly being honest.
Today? I didn’t. Because I had August and the plan. I could have everything too—or a reasonable facsimile of it.
“There he is,” Vee said with a sigh as she looked at a picture of her husband.