Page 40 of Rafael

Gisele smiled at her friend, feeling guilty for wanting to be somewhere else. “Same. I’ll do better.”

Shelby pulled onto the road leading to the Crawdad Hole. The sun had sunk to the edge of the horizon, painting the sky brilliant shades of orange, mauve and magenta.

Determined to do her part as a friend, Gisele worked at keeping the conversation going. “So, how are you and Remy getting along?”

Shelby smiled. “He’s great and so attentive. He anticipates my every move to the point he won’t let me lift anything.” Her lips twisted. “It’s sweet and annoying at the same time. I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”

“He cares and doesn’t want you to hurt yourself,” Gisele said.

“I know. I don’t complain to him, but I secretly vacuum and mow the lawn when he’s not at home.”Shelby grinned. “My lawn gets mowed twice a week. It’s never looked better.”

Gisele chuckled. “You’re a stubborn, independent woman.”

“I am. As are you.” Shelby shot a pointed glance her way. “It’s how we roll.”

Sensing her friend was about to launch into questions she wasn’t prepared to answer, Gisele brought the topic back to one Shelby was passionate about. “And the baby? Have you felt it kick?”

Shelby’s face lit up. “I have. I’m convinced this little nugget is going to be a soccer player or a gymnast.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” Gisele asked, another stab of guilt hitting her in the gut. Shelby was her friend. A good friend would know the answers to her questions already.

Shelby shook her head. “Remy and I discussed it. We don’t want to know until the day the baby is born.”

Gisele groaned. “That’s terrible. You’re going to make us wait until you deliver? That’s just cruel. That makes it hard to decorate at the baby shower. And where’s the fun in gender-neutral baby clothes?”

Shelby chuckled. “I know. But we’re sticking to the plan. We don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. We’ll love it either way. And if you don’t want to get gender-neutral baby clothes, you can always get us stock in a disposable diaper company. I never realized just howmany diapers a kid goes through in the first year of his life.”

Gisele sighed. “You must be over the moon. You have a man who is crazy about you and a baby on the way. Life doesn’t get better than that.”

“It doesn’t,” Shelby agreed. “But what about you? When are you going to start dating again?”

Gisele stared out the window. “I was so busy renovating the shop and starting the business thatI hadn’t thought about it until recently.” She shrugged. “I could be ready if the right guy asks me out.” Her thoughts went to Rafael and what had almost happened on the floor of her shop. Heat flared at her core all over again.

“I’m glad you’re thinking about it. You’re young and beautiful. You deserve to find someone special. Just don’t rush into anything. Know what you’re getting into this time. Make sure you have the same values and expectations for a relationship. Get to know the guy before you consider having sex with him. Sex changes everything. Be picky. Know what you want, and don’t settle for anything less.”

Gisele had the feeling Shelby’s warnings had to do with Rafael. Was she trying to protect her from the best-looking member of the team? Is that why she’d given Rafael the stink-eye?

It was sweet of Shelby to want to protect her from heartache, but Gisele wasn’t as naïve as she was when she’d moved to New York City all those years ago.She was a grown woman, had experienced betrayal and wouldn’t fall for that kind of nonsense a second time around.

She was also in the prime of her life with needs beyond her battery-operated boyfriend, whose batteries had run out months ago.

Gisele sat up straighter and lifted her chin. “What if all I want is sex?” she asked. “It’s been a while since I got laid. I might want to scratch my itch with no strings attached.”

Shelby’s head whipped around, and she almost ran off the road. “Are you kidding?”

Gisele reached for the steering wheel and gave it a little turn to keep them from driving into a ditch. “Sweetie, the road?”

“Got it.” Shelby gripped the wheel and focused on keeping the SUV in her lane. Her lips pressed into a firm line. “You can’t hit a person with a statement like that while she’s driving.”

“Sorry,” Gisele said.

Shelby frowned. “Youarekidding, right?”

Gisele shook her head. “No. I’m serious. Why is it okay for a man to sleep around before he marries and not okay if you’re a woman?”

“I get what you’re saying. Women have needs just like men. Committing to a long-term relationship isn’t something you go into lightly. It has to be with the right person. Sometimes, it takes a while to find the one who fits. Who makes you complete.”

“And how do you know it’s the right person?” Gisele turned to Shelby. “How did you know Remy was the right one for you?”

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