Page 50 of Cold Foot Croc

“I’m not toxic!”

“You ate a dude,” Cash said from around another bite of crackers.

“Shut up!” Raynah demanded.

“Like, you digested him?” Kade asked, and now he was interested enough to put his phone down.

“Yeah, and the both of you are next if you don’t quit annoying the fuck out of me.”

There was blissful silence, so she sat back and huffed a sigh of relief.

“It’s probably the hormones,” Cash whispered.

“Cash!”

“We’re here,” Katrina announced, biting back a smile.

“They’re not funny,” Raynah admonished her former cellmate. “Don’t encourage them.”

Katrina parked in front of the 406 Saloon, right on the street with a clear shot to the door.

“Boys, can you help bring presents in?”

“We were already going to,” Kade grumbled, shoving his door open to get out. “What do you think we’re doing? You act like we have no manners.”

“Dude, you’ve been in Cold Foot Prison. How the hell would I know if you retained manners?”

“Well, we did,” Kade griped as he shoved the door open and got out.

Cash started getting onto Katrina for assuming they didn’t have manners, which was rude, and she was actually the one without manners, and blah, blah, blah. Raynah wasn’t really interested in listening to dumb arguments. She was texting Garret again.

Hey, just pulled up to the baby shower. I kind of wanted to say hi before I go in. Don’t know how long it will last. Wish you were here.Send.

When she shoved her phone in her purse and looked over at Katrina, she was just watching Raynah with this sympathetic look on her face. “You don’t seem very excited.”

“It’s not that,” Raynah said softly. “I’m so appreciative that you and the Crew planned this. I just feel…I don’t even know. Like getting presents and preparing for the baby will jinx something.”

Katrina reached over and squeezed her hand firmly. “This isn’t like last time.”

Raynah pursed her lips. Katrina had seen some big parts of what had happened. She’d seen her right after the first baby. She came into that cell for the first time when Raynah was completely shattered. She’d seen the aftermath and the heartache, and the fear when Raynah went back into the breeder program and got pregnant again. She didn’t have to say anything. The emotion in Katrina’s eyes said she understood as much as she could understand.

“You deserve this, and so does this sweet baby.”

Raynah nodded, but ducked her gaze so Katrina wouldn’t see how emotional this all made her feel. “I met a boy, and I wish he was here. I think this would all be easier.”

“Invite him,” Katrina said easily.

Raynah shrugged up one shoulder. “I did. He is steering clear of the Crew. He has his reasons.”

“I bet they are fair reasons.” Katrina was always wise with advice now that she’d settled into the Crew and wasn’t all posted up, ready to fight all the time.

She was right. Garret had his reasons, and that was that. Raynah had to respect them.

She would want the same consideration if she drew a boundary for him. That was probably why he wasn’t messaging her back. She was probably being way too needy right now.

In all the history of the universe, a creature had never been less graceful than Raynah as she shimmied out of the truck and onto the wooden deck in front of the 406. Cash’s stupid, baiting laugh dragged one middle finger up into the air from her, and then she waddled through the front door after the others. She was so sore and uncomfortable today. Her hips felt like they were splitting apart from the pressure of the baby. He had been sitting so low since she’d come home from camping.

Katrina hooked her arm in Raynah’s and led her to the left, to a room that was all decorated in blues and greens.

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