Page 60 of Cashmere Cruelty

“Nope,” I splutter, chasing that thought firmly away. “Nope. Absolutely not.”

“If you say so,” Corey says, clearly skeptical. “But my offer still stands. If he so much as raises his voice…”

I shake my head and smile. “He really cares about this baby,” I tell Corey, and I mean it. “He cares about family.”In his own ominous way, but still.“He wants us to have dinner together every night.”

“He wantswhat?” the siblings squawk in unison.

“For the baby!” I cut in quickly. “I’m just saying, he cares. And I know… he’ll take good care of us.”

The words come out of their own accord. The Evanses blink at me in surprise, and I realize I’m surprised, too.Since when do I feel this way?

“Okay,” June exhales. “Cool. So when’s the wedding?”

I promptly spit out my water.

It takes a good few minutes—and Corey patting me forcefully on the back—for my coughing to subside. “Jay.”

“What?” June asks defensively. “You’re his baby mama now. Surely a guy like that will put a ring on your finger?”

I shake my head like a wet Labrador. “Icrashedhis wedding, in case you forgot.”

“With a mobster chick,” Corey adds helpfully.

“Yes, with amobster chick!” I shiver internally at the thought of Petra overhearing anyone calling her that. From what I’ve seen, that “chick” has claws like a harpy. “So that kind of disqualifies me.”

“Does it, though?” June squints. “Plans can change.”

Gee, don’t I know that?“Not these plans,” I mutter. “Trust me.”

“Who knows? A smile here, a token of everlasting love there, a bit of lace in the right spot…”

“Jay, please.”

“Alright. If you insist. Party pooper.”

“Thank you.”

“… It’s not Mobster Chick he’s taking to dinner, though.”

I choke again.

Once the waiter’s been talked out of calling me an ambulance, we inhale the rest of our food and make a hasty retreat. With my cheeks still filled with fried goodness, I walk my friends to the exit. That’s when I notice a familiar face waving to us. “Hey!”

I light up. “Rob!”

Corey bounds up to meet him. “You made it!”

“Of course,” Rob says, leaning over to peck him on the lips. “Couldn’t miss the chance to say hi, could I?”

He crushes me into a hug. That’s the third time today, but I don’t mind. After nine months in there, Nugget’s a squeeze warrior. “God, I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Guilty as charged,” Rob admits. “In my defense, the partners have been riding me like it’s the damn Kentucky Derby.”

“Price of success, right?” I grin. We all know how hard Rob’s been working to become the youngest junior partner at his firm, and we’re all one hundred percent behind him. “A little bird told me it’s a matter of months ‘til you get the corner office.”

“Did he, now?” he says with a sly grin, turning to Corey. “Little bird talks too much.”

“Little bird’s got spousal privilege. He can do it.”

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