Page 49 of The Jackpot Screwer
I looked up and frowned at her. “Sorry.”
“Don’t get them out. Carter has arranged to pay for them and asked Dewey if we could deliver them to your house for you.” She gave me the brightest smile and laid a hand against her heart. “He’s so cute how he doesn’t want you lifting anything.”
“W-what?” I asked, glancing down at the twenty or so cans of peaches.
“He’s gonna pay for them sweetie, and Dewey’s gonna get Robbie to deliver them later.”
She nodded over to the little office which was on a platform and looked over the three checkout desks. When I looked over, Dewey, the manager, gave me a wave.
“Just push your cart over to the office and we’ll ring it up later. That okay, sweetie?” Molly beamed while my heart felt fuller than it had in a long while.
“He did that for me?” I whispered.
Talia, still in front of me, sighed. “Any chance we can move this along.”
When I looked at her, there were most definitely hints of the green-eyed monster looking back at me. ‘Well, tough titties,’ I thought. Carter did that for me. Me and his baby. I’d be damned if I’d let anyone else muscle in on him, least of all Talia Pitt.
Looking back to Dewey, I saw he was beckoning me over with a huge grin on his face. I maneuvered my cart around Talia, accidently clipping her butt as I did.
“Thanks, Molly. See you again soon.”
“Bye sweetie, you take care now.”
As I waved bye to Molly, I didn’t miss the fact that Talia was looking less than happy, and it made a girl’s heart sing.
* * *
Taking a huge breath, I knocked on Carter’s door, feeling apprehensive about visiting with him. It’d been a real nice gesture with my groceries, but I hadn’t forgotten how strange he’d acted over the puppy things in his cart. He was definitely hiding something from me.
“Just a minute,” Carter called from behind the closed door.
Biting my top lip, I waited anxiously for the door to be swung open.
“Lollipop,” he exclaimed. “You’re here.” He glanced over his shoulder and moved into the hallway, pulling the door to almost closed behind him. “This is a surprise.”
“I, erm, well I just wanted to say thank you for the groceries. It was a real kind thing to do.”
Carter’s face softened and a hand came up to take a hold of a lock of my hair. “Anything for you, Lollipop,” he whispered. He smiled and raked his eyes over my face and hair. “God, I love your hair this color, but you know I kinda miss the blonde.”
“Yeah? This has to stay for now. I can’t dye it, so it’ll have to grow out.”
“You know, that’s only the first trimester,” Carter offered. “I read in my book that there’s no real danger after that. You’re three weeks into your second trimester, so you’d be safe.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Carter opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a high-pitched bark coming from behind the door.
“What was that?” I asked, trying to look over his shoulder through the gap in the doorway.
Carter’s face blanched. “No-nothing,” he stammered.
Yap, yap.
There it was again. “Carter, do you have a dog in there?” I pressed on his shoulder with the palm of my hand. He pushed back, but I was determined. “Seriously, let me in.”
I pushed again and this time Carter sighed heavily and moved to one side. “It was supposed to be a surprise, once I’d got him house trained.”
Rushing inside, I gasped with delight when the cutest little black and gold fluffy bundle came running to me. Her ears were long, but she had a short nose and cute button eyes.
