his very pregnant wife beside him. “You should be inside getting us a table.”
“I saw you parking,” Travis said easily, moving to the door and opening it. “Decided we might as well enjoy the nice weather and wait for you.”
He and David followed Mary Karen and July inside.
“Table for four and a highchair, please,” David told the hostess.
“Are Lexi and Nick coming?” Mary Karen had seen the couple in church seated toward the front. But when she’d looked for them after the service, they’d disappeared.
“I called Lex on the way over here. Apparently Addieisn’t feeling well,” July said. “They skipped out during the final hymn.”
Nine-year-old Addie had been born during Lexi’s last year in graduate school. Lexi and Addie’s father had never married and for a long time Lexi believed there would be no happily ever after for her. Then she’d met Nick and they fell in love. Now he was her husband and in less than a month they’d be welcoming a baby into their family.
Though happy for her friend, Mary Karen couldn’t help being the teensiest bit jealous. Until her trip to Vegas, she’d still secretly hoped that someday a man would come into her life and sweep her off her feet. A man who’d love her sons as much as Nick loved Addie. A man who’d look at her like Nick looked at Lexi, or David looked at July.
Okay, so maybe she hadn’t really believed it would happen, but she’d hoped. Now that dream was gone.
All because she couldn’t keep her hands off the man pulling out her chair. Mr. Right for sex. Mr. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong for marriage.
She’d barely sat down when July motioned to her. “Come with me to the bathroom.”
A shiver of warning skittered up Mary Karen’s spine, but she pushed back her chair and rose to her feet. She only hoped this down-the-hall jaunt had more to do with her sister-in-law’s bladder than her desire to play Twenty Questions.
Keeping secrets had never been Mary Karen’s style. She was used to talking out her concerns with friends and family. That’s why she’d confided in July. She’d known her friend would understand. After all, July had been single when she’d gotten pregnant with Adam. Butthat didn’t mean that Mary Karen wanted to talk about her “situation” this morning.
The bathroom was a single stall, a fact Mary Karen felt sure July had forgotten until her sister-in-law pulled her inside and locked the door.
“What are you doing?” Mary Karen resisted the sudden urge to giggle. She hadn’t hung out in a restroom with a girlfriend since she’d been in her teens. “There’s barely enough room for one much less—”
“Four?” July leaned back against the sink, her belly bearing a strong resemblance to Connor’s basketball.
Mary Karen had been about to say “three” but July was right. Two babies. Two baby mamas.
“I heard you went with Travis to the awards ceremony last night.” July’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “I also heard he wanted to spend the night.”
“It wasn’t like that at all,” Mary Karen protested, then stopped. “Where did you hear all this anyway?”
“From your mother.” July’s lips lifted in an innocent smile. “Want to know what else she told me?”
Mary Karen pretended to shudder. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Linda thinks Travis is falling in love with you. And—”
“She did not say that,” Mary Karen interrupted.
“Yes, she did.” July nodded her head decisively. “She thinks there’s definitely something different in the way Travis looks at you.”
Mary Karen shoved down the hope the words had fueled, angry at July for bringing it up and even angrier at herself for wanting it to be true.
“Well, Mom is mistaken,” Mary Karen said in a flat tone.
A knock sounded at the door. “Is someone in there?”
July blew out an exasperated breath. “Yes, someone is in here,” she called out. “That’s why the door is locked.”
“We should let her in.” Mary Karen
“I saw you parking,” Travis said easily, moving to the door and opening it. “Decided we might as well enjoy the nice weather and wait for you.”
He and David followed Mary Karen and July inside.
“Table for four and a highchair, please,” David told the hostess.
“Are Lexi and Nick coming?” Mary Karen had seen the couple in church seated toward the front. But when she’d looked for them after the service, they’d disappeared.
“I called Lex on the way over here. Apparently Addieisn’t feeling well,” July said. “They skipped out during the final hymn.”
Nine-year-old Addie had been born during Lexi’s last year in graduate school. Lexi and Addie’s father had never married and for a long time Lexi believed there would be no happily ever after for her. Then she’d met Nick and they fell in love. Now he was her husband and in less than a month they’d be welcoming a baby into their family.
Though happy for her friend, Mary Karen couldn’t help being the teensiest bit jealous. Until her trip to Vegas, she’d still secretly hoped that someday a man would come into her life and sweep her off her feet. A man who’d love her sons as much as Nick loved Addie. A man who’d look at her like Nick looked at Lexi, or David looked at July.
Okay, so maybe she hadn’t really believed it would happen, but she’d hoped. Now that dream was gone.
All because she couldn’t keep her hands off the man pulling out her chair. Mr. Right for sex. Mr. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong for marriage.
She’d barely sat down when July motioned to her. “Come with me to the bathroom.”
A shiver of warning skittered up Mary Karen’s spine, but she pushed back her chair and rose to her feet. She only hoped this down-the-hall jaunt had more to do with her sister-in-law’s bladder than her desire to play Twenty Questions.
Keeping secrets had never been Mary Karen’s style. She was used to talking out her concerns with friends and family. That’s why she’d confided in July. She’d known her friend would understand. After all, July had been single when she’d gotten pregnant with Adam. Butthat didn’t mean that Mary Karen wanted to talk about her “situation” this morning.
The bathroom was a single stall, a fact Mary Karen felt sure July had forgotten until her sister-in-law pulled her inside and locked the door.
“What are you doing?” Mary Karen resisted the sudden urge to giggle. She hadn’t hung out in a restroom with a girlfriend since she’d been in her teens. “There’s barely enough room for one much less—”
“Four?” July leaned back against the sink, her belly bearing a strong resemblance to Connor’s basketball.
Mary Karen had been about to say “three” but July was right. Two babies. Two baby mamas.
“I heard you went with Travis to the awards ceremony last night.” July’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “I also heard he wanted to spend the night.”
“It wasn’t like that at all,” Mary Karen protested, then stopped. “Where did you hear all this anyway?”
“From your mother.” July’s lips lifted in an innocent smile. “Want to know what else she told me?”
Mary Karen pretended to shudder. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Linda thinks Travis is falling in love with you. And—”
“She did not say that,” Mary Karen interrupted.
“Yes, she did.” July nodded her head decisively. “She thinks there’s definitely something different in the way Travis looks at you.”
Mary Karen shoved down the hope the words had fueled, angry at July for bringing it up and even angrier at herself for wanting it to be true.
“Well, Mom is mistaken,” Mary Karen said in a flat tone.
A knock sounded at the door. “Is someone in there?”
July blew out an exasperated breath. “Yes, someone is in here,” she called out. “That’s why the door is locked.”
“We should let her in.” Mary Karen
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