Page 67 of The Jackpot Screwer
Instantly she was pushing up and dragging herself away from me. “I really need to eat, like right now. I’m starving.”
Before I had a chance to question, or argue, Bronte was disappearing through the bedroom door, giving me a great view of her heart-shaped ass. So, smiling to myself, I pushed out of bed and followed her into the kitchen, knowing I’d follow her anywhere she damn well wanted to go.
Ellie looked absolutely joyful and so very much in love as she held out her hand. Hunter had asked her to marry him a few days before and of course she’d said yes. They were meant for each other, better suited than any other couple I knew. The absolutely kick ass, pear shaped diamond he’d presented her with, while on one knee, down by the creek on his pop’s land had to have helped too. It was beautiful and everything Ellie had done for the last hour at their impromptu engagement party at Stars & Stripes had been done with a flourish of her left hand.
I was happy for them. For myself not so much. Carter and I had been back together a little under a month and it had been amazing. Lots of sex, lots of cuddling and whispering into the night about our baby, more sex and just a whole lot of fun. My problem was me, or my body to be exact. I was excited about the baby, I really was, but what it was doing to my body was not so good.
Baby Maples—yeah it was getting Carter’s name, I wasn’t a modern woman who wanted it to be double barreled. Aside from Jackson-Maples being a mouthful and sounding like an old time Motown Singer, my experience of people with double barreled names was they were dicks—in my humble opinion. Anyway, the fact of the matter was Baby Maples had had a growth spurt and I was now at a point where I really couldn’t tie the laces of my sneakers. Carter took great delight in having to do them every morning, because yes, heels were getting to be a challenge too.
I’d practically moved into his apartment, bar a few items of clothing and personal items still at home, even though it hadn’t been done officially. There’d been no big goodbye to my folks and my childhood home, I’d simply stayed at Carter’s most nights and gradually filled his drawers with my stuff. I liked it that way. Carter and I weren’t really big on grand gestures, him arranging for me to win Easter Queen aside. We just liked to get on with things. I was pretty sure if he ever asked me to marry him it’d be in a bar in Vegas when we were both drunk on Whisky Sours. An hour later we’d be married. That would suit me just fine. I was girly and loved everything pink, but I’d never wanted a big wedding, not the sort that Ellie had dreamed of from the minute we’d seen pictures of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding in our British History class. Ellie looked like the heart eyed emoji as Miss Bambucci told us all about what a huge occasion it had been. Me, I thought it a little over the top and the dress had needed a press, but what did I know?
“Okay,” Carter said with a small smile. “One coke.”
Sighing, I pushed it back to him. “I’m not drinking coke. I told you that.”
“When?” he cried. “When did you tell me that?”
“Like, an hour before we came out.”
Carter laughed and I narrowed my eyes on him. “An hour before we came out, I was inside you, Lollipop. So, forgive me if I don’t quite remember what you said while I took you to the fucking moon and back.”
I glanced over at our parents who were sitting at the next table along. “Carter my folks might hear.”
“They’re drunk and the music is loud there’s no way they heard me.”
I leaned forward and poked Jennifer’s arm. She, Alaska, Minnesota, Nancy, Shaw and Austen were at our table—and yes there was still a war going on between Shaw and Nancy, tonight it was a cold one while they ignored each other.
“Jennifer, did you hear what Carter just said to me?” I asked as she looked my way and smiled.
“No, honey. Why, was I supposed to?”
Carter let out a low laugh, while I sighed. “No, it’s fine.”
“See. No one heard. Now, tell me if you don’t want coke, what do you want?”
“Well, what did you get me last time?” I arched a brow and stared him down.
“I didn’t. You took yourself a complimentary orange juice from Penny when we came in. Seeing as you’ve made that last a hella long time, you’re going to have to help me out here, Lollipop.”
Ugh, why did he always have to be right about everything?
“Apple juice,” I snapped back.
“Okay. Now, that wasn’t so difficult was it.” He leaned in, pecked a kiss to my lips and then disappeared back to the bar.
“You coming to dance?” Jennifer asked as she and Alaska stood up.
I shook my head. “Maybe later.”
“You okay, sis?” Shaw called over the music. “You usually love to dance.”
“Yeah, well,” I replied, pointing down at the bump stretching the fabric of my red dress. “I’m not usually carrying another human onto the dancefloor with me.”
“You’re getting plenty of exercise though?” Nancy asked as Minnesota stroked a hand down her long hair, his eyes firmly on her bare shoulder.
Shaw’s head almost swiveled off his neck. “You train to be a nurse in the last few months or something?”
“I work at a school where two of the teachers are currently pregnant. I listen to that shit all day.” Nancy held her hand up to me. “No offense, Bronte. I’m not saying your baby is shit, just hearing all the details all day every day is a bit…”
