Page 30 of Forbidden Love

The bell above the door jingled as she stepped inside. “Hey,” Deb called out, spotting Emily behind the counter with a deep frown on her face.

Emily looked up. “Hey,” she sighed.

Deb raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick again?”

“No. I feel great,” Emily huffed with an annoyed snort.

“Ah, okay,” Deb said with a frown. “Then what’s wrong?”

“Hunter won’t let me doanything.” Emily huffed. “Every time I so much as stand up, he’s hovering, asking what I need. Then he leads me back to this hard-ass stool.”

Deb couldn’t help but grin. “Seriously?”

“Oh yeah. Why do you think I’m stuck here behind the counter, twiddling my thumbs? I’m bored out of my mind. It’s been two hours, and I’m already about to lose it.” Emily growled.

Deb chuckled, clearly enjoying her sister’s frustration. “Where is the overprotective dad-to-be, anyway?” she asked, glancing around.

“In the back, filling an order,” Emily said with a dramatic eye roll. “I tried to help, and he practically wrestled the clipboard out of my hands and then led me back here.”

Deb leaned on the counter. “Okay, I’m going to say something I never thought I’d say about Hunter Foster…”

Emily gave her a wary look. “What?”

“It’s actually kinda sweet,” Deb admitted with a shrug.

Emily’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You feeling okay?”

Deb laughed. “I’m just saying, for a guy who used to have the emotional range of a brick wall where you were concerned, he’s turned into a total softie. But you’re right, he needs to chill out. He probably will once the newness wears off. He’s just excited... and worried. You can’t really fault him for that.”

Emily sighed, her annoyance cracking just a little. “I know. But I can’t just sit around for nine months and let everyone do everything for me. I’ll go insane.”

“What are you doing up?” Hunter’s voice rang out from the back room, followed by the sound of his boots crossing the floor.

Emily groaned and dropped her head back dramatically. “Here we go again,” she muttered.

Deb turned toward him, fighting back a grin as Hunter appeared, brows drawn tight and worry practically written across his face.

“She’s pregnant, Hunter,” Deb said with a teasing smirk. “Not on her deathbed.”

Hunter gave her a flat look, then turned his focus to Emily. “You were supposed to be sitting,” he said, hands on his hips like a man ready to lecture.

“Iwassitting. Then I stood up. It happens.” Emily crossed her arms, clearly trying not to smile.

“She’s fine,” Deb cut in before he could launch into a full monologue.

“Do you know what I found her doing while I was in the back?” Hunter looked from Emily to Deb, then back to Emily, his arms crossed.

“What?” Deb also looked at Emily, who wasn’t looking at either of them.

“Decided to leave that out of your conversation, huh?” Hunter eyed Emily. “She was on a ladder lifting heavy boxes from the shelves.”

“She definitely left that little tidbit out.” Deb narrowed her eyes at Emily.

“Well, someone has to do it.” Emily tried to defend herself, but it fell flat.

“I told you both that if there was anything heavy to be done here, you should wait, and I would do it,” Hunter said, giving them both a stern glare. “I’m here more than once every day.”

“Emily, don’t make me pull the big sister card and fire you until after the baby is born,” Deb warned her.

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