Page 21 of Infinite Love Novella

I shouldn’t have chuckled, but I couldn’t help it. “Says the workaholic,” I joked, then flinched when she gave me a dirty look.

“I’m giving advice because I understand how hard it is to turn off your brain sometimes.” Narrowing her eyes, Evelyn looked me up and down before snorting. “Clearly, not something you ever have trouble with.”

Her little quip left everyone laughing, but not me. I was too busy fighting the impulse to drag her out of the room and go for round two in a darkened corner or closet somewhere. It wasn’t such a mystery, really, since her snarky, even bitchy, attitude was part of what first drew me to her. The fact that she never hesitated to call me on my bullshit or to deflate my ego a little. I wasn’t a hypocrite. I could admit there were times it needed deflating.

Barrett flagged down a server and asked for a screwdriver. He’d been strangely quiet through all of this, barely mustering a soft laugh or a grunt. “Do you plan on taking the table apart?” Connor asked, feigning ignorance when Barrett was clearly referring to the drink.

Barrett rolled his eyes. “So I went a little heavy on the drinks last night. Nothing like the hair of the dog… I hope,” he added, sounding miserable.

“Eat something greasy,” Pepper advised, nodding sagely. “That’s always the best cure.”

“I can’t remember the last time I drank enough to end up with a hangover,” Barrett muttered, rubbing his temples. “I didn’t think I drank too much, that’s the thing.”

“Do you want to be the one to tell him, or should I?” I asked Connor, who laughed in understanding.

“Tell me what?” Barrett muttered, eyeing me warily.

I took way too much satisfaction in folding my arms on the edge of the table and leaning in. “News flash, old man. It doesn’t take nearly as much once you start getting up there in years.”

“He just called you an old man,” Lourde reminded him, clicking her tongue while laughter danced in her sparkling eyes. “Are you going to take that lying down?”

“Considering my head’s about to split open, I don’t think I have much choice.” Even in his misery, Barrett could laugh at himself. “He’s right. We’re not kids anymore. We can’t do everything we used to do.”

Evelyn cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow at her brother. “From what I’ve heard, it’s not a bad thing you can’t do that sort of stuff anymore.”

“All right, fine,” he retorted. “I get the point. I’m a reformed man, which you well know.” I was fairly sure he would kiss the girl who brought him his drink, which he barely stopped short of gulping.

Life was changing. There was no way of getting around it. I had to believe it was changing for the better, and we all had exactly what we needed. And as the years went on, as our lives continued to change and grow, we would still be there for each other. I was sure of it.

While she was at the table, the server asked, “Can I get anything for anyone else?”

“A bellini, please,” Pepper requested, with Evelyn and Olivia nodding enthusiastically and asking for their own. I ordered another coffee while Ari and Connor followed Barrett’s example.

Pepper stared at Lourde, tipping her head to the side. “Nothing for you?” she asked with a frown. “You feeling okay?”

Lourde’s cheeks reddened before she exchanged a glance with Barrett, who nodded. “Might as well.” He sighed before gulping down more of his drink.

“Might as well what?” Evelyn asked. “What don’t we know?”

Olivia gasped. “Tell me it has something to do with you sending Naomi down to the drugstore in the village yesterday.”

“You did that?” Evelyn’s mouth fell open. “I didn’t notice. Wait. Are you…”

Connor’s eyebrows jumped up. “Are you?” he asked as a smile began to form.

Lourde spread her arms in a shrug. “I sent Naomi out for a pregnancy test, and yes. It came back positive. We’re giving Colton a brother or sister.”

“And you didn’t tell us?” Olivia shrieked. She even threw her napkin across the table, which Lourde deftly caught. “How could you?”

“And steal attention from you on your wedding day? I hope you know me better than that.” Lourde laughed through her happy tears as we congratulated her and Barrett, our voices overlapping. The group was about to grow again, and I could only imagine it getting bigger as time went on.

I exchanged looks with my best friends and knew they were thinking along the same lines I was. None of us could have predicted life would turn out this way, and we wouldn’t have changed a damn thing.

EPILOGUE

LOURDE

Sixteen years later.

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