Page 59 of Going Once

“Are you going to be okay with these?”

“Well, I’ll never be okay with them, but they’re not going to make me run screaming out into the yard. Do what you have to do. I just won’t look, okay?”

Cameron grinned, shook his head and went back to his work.

Wade winked, and then continued with his conversation.

But it was Tate she wanted, and she went straight into his embrace and gave him a one-armed hug.

“Good morning to you, too, sunshine,” he said. “Cereal okay with you?”

“Sure. You pour and I’ll eat.”

She scooted up onto a bar stool at the kitchen island, laid the pain pill down on the counter and waited for the cereal. When Tate set it in front of her, she hungrily took her first bite. Then he gave her a glass of water and a cup of coffee.

“Water for the pill. Coffee for you,” he said.

“Did you put—”

“Two sugars and a shot of milk? Yes.”

She grinned. “Thank you.”

His phone rang just as she was taking another bite. Beaudry’s number.

“This is Benton.”

“Morning, Tate. It’s me. I got in touch with Doc Tuttle. We’ll take Nola in through the delivery door at the clinic, and we’ll take her in my cruiser. The media already recognizes your SUV.”

“Thank you. When he can he see her?”

“Whenever we get there. You tell me when to come.”

Tate eyed Nola’s hair and outfit, and knew she wouldn’t leave looking that way.

“She isn’t through with breakfast. Give us about forty-five minutes and we’ll be ready.”

“Will do. See you then.”

“What?” Nola asked when he hung up.

“Beaudry is going to drive us to Doc Tuttle’s office. Hopefully that way we can keep the media from finding out.”

She began to fidget, feeling her hair and looking down at a spot on her shirt.

“When? I’m a mess.”

“Forty-five minutes. You have lots of time to get pretty. Finish your cereal, and I’ll help with the rest.”

“We’ll all help,” Wade added, grinning.

Nola rolled her eyes. “One of you is more than enough.”

Cameron laughed, and Tate gave both of them a look, but they ignored him. They’d already figured out that he was long gone on the woman and thought it was funny when he got all territorial.

As soon as she was through eating, she headed for the bathroom.

“I’ll yell when I’m ready for help,” she said.

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