Page 84 of Isla

"Don't leave," Pen begs when she sees me turning toward the door.

"Answer my question, Penny,” he says gruffly, demanding her attention.

"Yes? Maybe? I don't know?" she says, the words rapid-firing from her mouth. "How am I supposed to know what I want when we only ever flirt?"

"I know exactly what I want, and I bet all four of my crewmates do, too."

"Fuck," she whispers, breathing hard. "Let me go, and I promise we'll talk about this later."

"Define later."

"On the drive back home."

"Okay." He bends and pecks her on the cheek before releasing her and going outside to join the guys.

"What in the fuck was that?" I ask her, my eyes wide. I watch as she slides down the wall like a glob of jelly, staring vacantly at the parquet floor. "Pen? Are you okay?" I drop to my knees in front of her.

"Oh god," she groans, hugging her knees. "What did I just do?"

"You just made your life at least five times more interesting," I say, grinning. God, I can't wait to see how this plays out.

38

Sunday morning arrives with the healthy dose of panic that comes with deciding last-minute to make the baby shower co-ed–which means more chairs, more food, moreeverything. The joy in Charlie's eyes when I suggested it more than makes up for the extra work. I would do anything for her. By the time guests start filtering in, I have a gigantic charcuterie table set up, along with tables for drinks and desserts. Pen helped me decorate several round tables for gifts, all of them of different heights, draped in tablecloths and trailing flowers. Peach and green tones are woven throughout the room, giving a unisex vibe, but also one that screamsI Am Woman.Soft. Elegant. Sexy.

"How did you make this roomfeellike Charlie?" Lach asks, stopping beside me. His chin slowly drops in awe as he takes everything in.

I grin. "It does, doesn't it? That's exactly what I was going for since this is a celebration of her and her body."

"You're amazing, Isla. Thank you so much."

"You don't have to thank me. She deserves it, especially for putting up with the three of you." I grimace, then burst out laughing when he gives me a dirty look.

"Will you be able to relax at all?" he asks, squeezing my shoulder.

"Yes, actually. I wanted to have time to enjoy the party, so I hired some of the local teens and tasked them with refilling the tables with food and drink. It should be pretty laid-back. I really just wanted to create something where she could enjoy herself and her friends and family before the baby is born. Speaking of that, how's the nursery coming? Do you need any help getting things set up?"

"No, but I would like to schedule a dinner with all of us sometime in the next two weeks. Enjoy one last get-together without a little munchkin to worry about."

"My guys were actually considering cooking dinner tonight. Is that too much in one day for Charlie?"

"Your guys, hm?" Lach asks, looking over at me, the corner of his mouth ticking up. I can't keep the grin off my face, but I don't say anything, not wanting to encourage him. "As long as Charlie doesn't have to do anything, I'm sure she'd be up for it. Doyour guyscook?"

"Henry and Theo both do. Dylan doesn't cook much, but God, does he know how to bake."

"I'm proud of you, Isla."

"For what?" I ask, turning to face him.

He shrugs, not sure how to put it into words. "For not being afraid to live outside of the box. You had created such a tidy little life for yourself and then acted like it was nothing when it disintegrated right in front of you."

"Believe me, I didn't act like it was nothing. But in the end, I think it was for the best. I finally feel alive again. I'm excited to wake up every morning. Excited to create something new."

"I can't wait to see what you come up with for the brewery. I'm sure it will be spectacular."

"More like you can't wait to come home and have an unlimited supply of beer at your fingertips."

"That, too," he laughs.

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