Page 20 of Bourbon & Bonfires

My lack of sleep last night, thanks to Mason needing me to pick him up from work again and me having to see Landon, is catching up with me, and I’m not able to suppress the yawns as we move into Warrior I. Minnie shoots me a concerned look, but I wave her off and attempt to focus on my pose. I finally manage to rid my mind of all thoughts and immerse myself in the class. As always, by the time we’re coming out of Savasana, I feel better and ready to face the day.

When the lights come on, I open my eyes and rise from my mat. I don’t realize I haven’t spoken to my friends until Dakota taps my shoulder. Startled, I gasp and turn to her.

“Wow, jumpy much? You’re supposed to be all zen after yoga.” Her tone is teasing, but I see the concern in her eyes.

“Sorry, I was more zoned out than I thought. I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Hot date?” Minnie asks with waggling eyebrows.

Scoffing, I roll my eyes and follow the group toward the cubbies to slip on my shoes. Everyone is chatting among themselves as I grab my keys and phone.

“Addy, right?” Ashton asks.

“Yes. How are you feeling, Ashton?” I ask as she rests her hand on her stomach.

“I’m much better. You were right, rest was what I needed.”

“You two have met?” the beautiful redhead says before introducing herself. Piper. She was the bride at that wedding my brother made me go to.

“Yes, Addy is Doc’s new nurse. And Taylor’s sister.”

“Oh! Taylor’s sister! This is great. We want all the dirt. Your brother is quite the mystery in this town,” Dakota says as she begins walking toward the door. “Ladies, we have a breakfast to get to and dirt to be told. Let’s move it.”

“I think I’ll pass today,” I say as we exit the studio.

“Nope. Not happening. Something is going on here,” Minnie says, motioning toward my face with her finger in a circular motion. “You need girl talk and carbs.”

I laugh because she’s got me there. Carbs will probably make all the difference. “Fine,” I agree as we make our way down the street.

Breakfast is fun, and I regale the girls with stories of my brother when we were kids. I know these ladies and their boyfriends, or husband, are friends with Taylor, so I’m surprised they don’t know more about him. Sure, he’s a private guy, and his years in the military only added to that privacy, but still, the only one who seems to know him at all is Ashton, and that’s probably because she’s worked for him for a few years.

“Okay ladies, my man is on his way here to pick me up. I finally have enough energy for us to go shopping and start our registry for this little nugget,” Ashton says, rubbing her hand over her baby belly.

“When do you find out the sex?” Dakota asks, taking a drink from her coffee cup.

“We aren’t. I know, I know. Before you say anything, or this one,” Ashton says, pointing her thumb at Piper, “starts in on me, we want to be surprised.”

“I didn’t find out either,” I say, and she smiles at me.

“See, not everyone has to know all the things, Pipe.”

“Whatever, I want to spoil my niece or nephew and win best aunt status right out of the gate. Just humor me, and let me find out. That way, I can start shopping now.”

Everyone laughs when I catch a glimpse of a very handsome man as he approaches our table. But, it isn’t the handsome blond who has my attention, it’s the man standing behind him.

Landon.

Great, this fun breakfast just went to shit in two seconds. I busy myself folding and unfolding my napkin when I hear Ashton squeal and laugh. “Baby daddy! Yes! Let’s do this. I just carb-loaded and will be ready for a nap in a few hours. Get me while you can.”

My eyes fly up when I hear the voice respond to her and don’t recognize it. “Baby, stop calling me that. I feel like we’re on an episode of Maury or something.”

Baby?He said baby. He said it, not Landon.

I sit stunned, my mouth open, and not a word spoken as I look to Landon who has a shit-eating grin on his face. When he nods his head at me and raises a single brow, I suddenly feel like the biggest idiot ever.

“Wait, I thought Landon was yourbaby daddy,” noting how inappropriate that was to say.

“Landon? God no. No offense, Lan.”

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