Page 11 of Wasted On You

“Cobi had her baby.”

“Your sister?”

He saw the surprise and nodded. “Yep. A little girl. All eight pounds ten ounces of her.”

“I didn’t know she was pregnant.” Ivy was clearly confused. “I didn’t know she was with anyone. When did she get married?”

“She’s not.”

“Married?”

“With anyone. She wanted a baby and there wasn’t anyone around she wanted to have the baby with, so she did it on her own.”

“Like a sperm bank?”

He nodded and hoped like hell she didn’t ask anymore questions.

“Huh.” Ivy shrugged. “I don’t blame her. The pickings are slim in Big Bend.”

He ignored the dart she threw at him and gave her his best smile. The one that usually got him whatever he wanted. The one his mother told him should be bottled and sold.

“So will you accept?”

“Accept what?”

Okay. His patience was running thin. “My apology.”

“I thought I already did.”

“I want you to mean it.”

Ivy looked down and rocked back on her heels. After a few moments she looked up, her expression not one he could read. “I don’t know,” she finally replied. “I’ll have to think about it.”

She pushed past him and headed for Kip, who was still chatting with Millie Sue and Cal. Mike Paul watched as she spoke to them, then linked her arm through Lafferty’s. A few moments later Jennifer appeared from the kitchen with a large brown paper bag and Ivy left with her ball player.

Mike Paul reached for his mug of beer and then joined Cal and Millie Sue at one of the booths in the back. They were playing tongue tag as he walked up, and he slid onto the empty seat across from them. He couldn’t blame them. It was their date night after all.

“Not in the mood for a show,” he said dryly, sitting back while Millie Sue dropped another kiss on Cal’s mouth and then turned to him. Their young son, Josh, was home with Cal’s father, Manley, and he guessed these two had to take advantage of alone time when they could.

“You did good.” Millie Sue winked. “Not putting any holes in my walls.”

“I don’t know who’s happier about that, you or Zach.”

Their server, Jennifer, appeared just then with a cold longneck for Cal and some fancy drink with an umbrella and a slice of orange for Millie Sue. They ordered their wings and fries and when the server disappeared, Millie Sue nudged his hand.

“How’d it go with Ivy?”

Mike Paul took a long drink and settled back. “Well, she didn’t throw a punch at my throat or kick me in the balls so that’s good.”

“I’d take that as a win,” Cal replied with a wry grin. He cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’ve decided to play nice and let things be.”

“Play nice?” Mike Paul snorted. “Who said anything about playing nice?”

Cal glanced at his wife, clearly out of the loop.

“I don’t support anything that puts this bar at risk,” Millie Sue said, between sips from her straw.

“I have nothing against your bar.”

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