Page 14 of Coast

Chapter Four

Mac

Sitting in the diner, I half listened to the conversation going on around me while I picked at my food. I’d been starved when I left the office, but now the food was unappealing to me. I didn’t have to be a genius to figure out the sudden change in my appetite, it was due to the disappointing feeling I’d gotten when I walked outside, prepared to see Emery and he wasn’t there.

We’d stood on the sidewalk while Speed and Sami shared the news of their sonogram and the picture of their son, which of course, the men were in agreement with Speed on the little guy’s proud pose. Ally was quiet through the exchange until Speed asked her what she thought about having a brother.

“I guess it’s okay. But can I have a sister next time?”

“I’ll see what I can do, baby,” Speed answered and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“Excuse me, but I’m the one who bakes it for nine months,” Sami said and looked at Speed.

“And a fine job you do, babe,” Speed said, then kissed Sami’s forehead, too.

“Momma, can you turn the heat up next time and burn the penis off. I really wanna sister.”

I’d raised my hand to my mouth to muffle my laugh. Luna and Bailey didn’t bother muffling theirs as we watched the men shift uncomfortably at Ally’s words.

After everyone calmed down, we headed to the diner for lunch. I’d held out hope Emery was there, only to have that illusion shattered when I walked inside, and Flirt, Carly, and Crusher were the only three seated at the table.

Didn’t it figure that once I’d made my mind up not to run and face the man head-on, he was absent? My history with men was minimal because in college, medical school, I’d been too young and by the time men looked at me other than as a teenage girl, I was too focused to pay them any mind. Heck, it made me wonder that maybe he changed his mind and decided to run. Could I blame him if he did?

“What do you think, Mac?”

“Huh, what?” I asked as I looked up from my plate when Bailey said my name to find all eyes on me.

“Girl, you definitely need some sleep,” Bailey said, then chuckled. “Luna asked what’s the chance of telling the sex of the twins when she has her sonogram Friday.”

“Oh. Well, if they cooperate—a hundred percent.”

“Awesome. They’ll probably be like Speed and Sami’s little dude and hide,” Luna said.

“Ah, sweetheart, you already know there’s two. Wouldn’t you like to be surprised?” Ghost asked, then held up his hands when Luna snarled at him.

“No, I don’t like surprises. Besides, we need to get their room ready, and if I know what they are, then I can decorate accordingly.”

“Well, we’ll find out Friday whether they are boys or girls,” Ghost said and squeezed Luna’s hand that rested on the table.

“If they’re boys, can you just tell us instead of showing the picture and pointing to their junk,” Flirt said while he looked at Speed who laughed.

“You’ve got months. What’s the hurry?” Devil asked, and I chuckled when Bailey elbowed him. “Why did you do that?”

“They are further along than I am, and I’ve already started on the nursery.”

“No, you haven’t. The room you want to use still has bedroom furniture in it,” Devil said with victory in his voice that made me want to laugh because I knew Bailey had been ordering things.

“Lance, have you even noticed the boxes against the wall in the living room?”

“Yeah. Meant to ask you if you wanted me to haul that stuff to the Healing Hearts place. Isn’t it stuff you’re getting rid of? I figured it was Neely’s clothes she’s grown out of weekly.” Neely grinned at Devil, and he ran his hand down her face. I’d seen him do that to her a hundred times, but it still made me smile.

“How much stuff do you think Neely has, Lance? There’s like ten boxes of various sizes in the room,” Bailey said and shook her head when Devil shrugged.

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