Page 68 of Baby, Be Mine

I tapped my finger against the block of sticky notes then set it on the desk and reached for a fry. I popped one in my mouth and the cheese and chives made me moan. I glanced at Mason. “Sorry, these fries are going to be the death of me.”

His dark eyes were a bit stormy and the crispy, fluffy potato got stuck in my throat. That he was so attractive was very annoying.

I kept on chewing then reached for a pen out of the Yankees mug on the edge of his desk. I scrawled my signature underneath the number and tossed it back to him.

He caught it against his chest with a grin. “Guess we have an understanding.”

“I guess we do.”

FOURTEEN

The next week was brutal.We’d only had six days to get the barge ready for this party and that included the lights that Emma convinced me needed to happen ASAP.

Which was why I was standing outside the front of The Mason Jar at six freaking thirty waiting for one of Gideon’s guys to show up.

Since mine was a last-minute job, I was at the mercy of Gideon Gets It Done’s schedule. It wasn’t their fault that I’d had to cover the closing shift for the last three nights, or that an order for sixteen pounds of lobster somehow became sixty.

Or that sleep was so goddamn elusive that I’d needed a double shot of espresso this morning. Thank God Brewed Awakening was open early.

It was Thursday and the party was coming at me like a freight train in T-minus three days. I closed my eyes and dragged in a deep breath of water-tinged air. Just a few more days and I could sleep for a whole day.

The sound of tires over the gravel in my parking lot made me open my eyes. I was expecting a truck, but instead the monstrosity of a station wagon Emma drove came up the lane. She parked in her usual spot near the path to the lake.

She spent most of her days on the barge and liked her car accessible if something came up with the baby.

She spotted me and waved.

I crossed the parking lot to meet her. “You didn’t have to come in early.”

“I know.” She ducked back into the backseat where Adriana was strapped in.

I hovered behind her. “Here, let me get her.”

“It’s okay. I got her.”

“I know.” Gently, I urged her back. “But you carry her all day. I don’t mind.” The baby was still teacup-sized and still made my chest tighten just picking her up, but I was getting better about it.

“All right.” She grinned up at me. “Look at you, getting all brave.”

“Oh, be quiet.”

She bumped me with her hip then she went around to the other side and got the diaper bag and her own giant to-go cup of coffee.

I set my coffee on the roof of her wagon and carefully unbuckled the baby. She was wearing a tie-dye onesie with a matching hat and bright pink socks. I still felt huge and awkward holding her, but at least Adriana was getting more baby-sized by the day.

She still mostly fit in the palm of my hands. I transferred her to the crook of my arm and took the diaper bag from Emma when she came back around to us.

“I can do it, you know.”

“I know. But you don’t have to.” I sipped from my coffee. “What’s on the agenda today?”

“Since you have the workers on the boat today, I figured I’d set up the tree.”

I frowned. “What’s wrong with the tree?”

“Lights, remember?”

“You can’t be climbing that tree.”

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