Page 14 of All Along

“Finally!” Chloe shouts. “I thought we were going to talk about Nova’s baby and her baby clothes forever.”

Nova wags her finger at her. “You’re the one who bought the baby an ‘I stop for seals’ t-shirt.”

“It’s tradition. All smugglers should have an ‘I stop for seals’ t-shirt.”

I ignore their argument and nab a Blackbeard’s revenge cookie. I moan as the taste of chocolate and peanut butter hits my tongue. I probably shouldn’t be eating cookies. I’m curvy enough as it is but who can resist chocolate and peanut butter? Not I.

Chloe leans closer. “Is that how you moan when Caleb touches you?”

Caleb hasn’t touched me, but I might have imagined him touching my naked skin a time or two thousand. My cheeks heat, and I duck my chin.

Nova hits Chloe. “Leave Maya alone.”

Chloe sweeps a hand over the bakery. “There’s no reason to be shy. It’s just us in here.”

I scan the room. It’s Saturday afternoon. Prime bakery goodie eating time but the place is empty except for us. The winter months when tourists don’t visit the island are slow but where are the locals?

“I need to get back to the kitchen,” Parker says and rushes off before I can ask her if she’s in trouble.

Sophia stares after her. “I’m worried about her business. Flynn helped her to renovate the apartment above the bakery for extra cashflow, but there aren’t any renters for the winter.”

“Maybe we could do some kind of fundraising activity. Smugglers do love their festivals,” I suggest.

“Are you going to be in charge?” Paisley asks.

Me? In charge? Of a festival? Talk to all kinds of people and order them around? I’d rather stick my hand in a bee’s nest while covered in honey. “I’ll handle the money.”

“Can we stop with all the delaying now?” Chloe asks. “I kept my mouth shut throughout our shopping trip.”

Sophia snorts. “You kept your mouth shut? You wouldn’t know how.”

“About the Caleb thing. I didn’t say a word.”

I raise my eyebrows. “You didn’t point to the camouflage onesie and ask me if it reminded me of anyone?”

“I didn’t say the name Caleb.”

She didn’t need to. “And you didn’t mention how cute ‘my little military’ baby would look in the onesie?”

“Again, I didn’t say the name Caleb.”

“Give the girl a cookie. She didn’t say Caleb’s name.”

Chloe beams at me before snatching a cookie from the pile. “Thanks.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

She winks at me. “I know. Don’t care.”

“Can we please leave Maya alone now?” Nova asks and I smile at her.

Nova is the only one of my friends who doesn’t push me. Who respects my privacy. Although, privacy is a relative word when you live in a small town on a small island where everyone thinks it’stheirbusiness to be all up inyourbusiness.

“Sorry, Nova. Love you more than my sister, but it’s time,” Sophia says.

“You don’t have a sister,” Nova says.

“Thus, why I love you more than my sister.”

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