across his face. “You wanna hold her?”
What? I couldn’t. She’s so frickin’ tiny! “But … what if I drop her?” I whisper-growl.
He chuckles. “You won’t drop her.”
“Don’t worry. I freaked out too, Lacey,” Jack says. “Now she gets carried around everywhere like a rugby ball.”
“Um, I’ll just watch from here if that’s okay.” I place my hand on Quade’s shoulder and lean in to him, watching this tiny human take in her surroundings through beautiful hazel eyes.
“She’s like a doll. Beautiful,” I say, and look over at two very proud parents, both with their eyes focused on their daughter.
Little Lila spits the dummy out and it drops onto the floor. Her tiny chin quivers. She opens her small mouth and a loud high-pitched cry bursts from her, making me jolt in my seat. I can’t believe something so tiny could produce such a racket.
“Um,” Quade says, looking straight at Lila’s mother for help, I presume.
“That’s mum’s cue for ‘feed me now’,” Susie says. She pulls a bottle from a bag hanging from the back of the pram and makes her way to her baby. “We’ve got about eight seconds before the windows in the pub are shattered.”
Quade wastes no time getting up and returning the child to her mother. He walks back to our side of the table. Standing, he grabs my hand, pulling me from my seat. We walk over to the bar again, hand in hand.
“Godfather, huh?” I say, and pat him on the shoulder.
A proud smile appears on his face, and he puffs out his chest. “That’d be me. The christening was up in Port Stephens last month. Pretty stoked to be asked, really.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yeah, it is.” He sweeps a long length of hair from the side of my face and tucks it behind my ear. That simple act has goosebumps budding all over my skin.
As if he doesn’t notice my reaction, he turns to the bar and calls the attention of the bartender with an upward jerk of his strong chin. “Do you want another drink?” Quade asks.
“Nah, I’m good thanks.”
“Too much Coke, huh?”
“Yup. I’ll be bouncing off the walls ’til sunset.”
Quade orders a light beer, and the bartender pours his drink into a tall frosty glass.
“Just didn’t feel like a drink, or …” he says, his wide eyes prompting me to finish his sentence.
“Or I don’t drink alcohol anymore.”
He frowns. “Oh, okay. Cool. How come?”
Since I lost my best friend … then woke up with Jamie Fairfield and the mother of all moral hangovers.
“Lots of reasons, I guess,” I say with a shrug. No more stupid decisions under the influence .
The solemn look on his face accompanied by a slow nod tells me he gets my number-one reason. “My mother’s garden will be relieved you’ve given it up.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
A pang of guilt hits me when I realise the last time I was near the garden. I’d love to see if the cubby is still standing, but given Mrs Kelly’s feelings towards me, I can’t see that happening.
He takes a sip of his beer, and then licks the white froth which clings to his top lip. It causes an ache in my lower belly. I wanna lick it off those lips, even though I hate beer.
“How about I finish this drink, we say our goodbyes and then head off?”
I clear my throat, shaking thoughts of licking him to within an inch of his life. Even though tonight has been lovely and the company has been nice, I’ve felt like all eyes have been on me, particularly where Mr Unreliable is concerned. “Um, sure. Sounds good.”
A short time later, Quade and I say our goodbyes. He slips his hand into mine once more. I could definitely get used to this hand-holding business.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“You tired?” Quade asks as we pull out of the car park.
“Nope. Too much Coke.”
“I’m taking you for a drive then.” The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I don’t like being in a car at night. I avoid it wherever possible. Do I make this a big deal or do I just swallow
What? I couldn’t. She’s so frickin’ tiny! “But … what if I drop her?” I whisper-growl.
He chuckles. “You won’t drop her.”
“Don’t worry. I freaked out too, Lacey,” Jack says. “Now she gets carried around everywhere like a rugby ball.”
“Um, I’ll just watch from here if that’s okay.” I place my hand on Quade’s shoulder and lean in to him, watching this tiny human take in her surroundings through beautiful hazel eyes.
“She’s like a doll. Beautiful,” I say, and look over at two very proud parents, both with their eyes focused on their daughter.
Little Lila spits the dummy out and it drops onto the floor. Her tiny chin quivers. She opens her small mouth and a loud high-pitched cry bursts from her, making me jolt in my seat. I can’t believe something so tiny could produce such a racket.
“Um,” Quade says, looking straight at Lila’s mother for help, I presume.
“That’s mum’s cue for ‘feed me now’,” Susie says. She pulls a bottle from a bag hanging from the back of the pram and makes her way to her baby. “We’ve got about eight seconds before the windows in the pub are shattered.”
Quade wastes no time getting up and returning the child to her mother. He walks back to our side of the table. Standing, he grabs my hand, pulling me from my seat. We walk over to the bar again, hand in hand.
“Godfather, huh?” I say, and pat him on the shoulder.
A proud smile appears on his face, and he puffs out his chest. “That’d be me. The christening was up in Port Stephens last month. Pretty stoked to be asked, really.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yeah, it is.” He sweeps a long length of hair from the side of my face and tucks it behind my ear. That simple act has goosebumps budding all over my skin.
As if he doesn’t notice my reaction, he turns to the bar and calls the attention of the bartender with an upward jerk of his strong chin. “Do you want another drink?” Quade asks.
“Nah, I’m good thanks.”
“Too much Coke, huh?”
“Yup. I’ll be bouncing off the walls ’til sunset.”
Quade orders a light beer, and the bartender pours his drink into a tall frosty glass.
“Just didn’t feel like a drink, or …” he says, his wide eyes prompting me to finish his sentence.
“Or I don’t drink alcohol anymore.”
He frowns. “Oh, okay. Cool. How come?”
Since I lost my best friend … then woke up with Jamie Fairfield and the mother of all moral hangovers.
“Lots of reasons, I guess,” I say with a shrug. No more stupid decisions under the influence .
The solemn look on his face accompanied by a slow nod tells me he gets my number-one reason. “My mother’s garden will be relieved you’ve given it up.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
A pang of guilt hits me when I realise the last time I was near the garden. I’d love to see if the cubby is still standing, but given Mrs Kelly’s feelings towards me, I can’t see that happening.
He takes a sip of his beer, and then licks the white froth which clings to his top lip. It causes an ache in my lower belly. I wanna lick it off those lips, even though I hate beer.
“How about I finish this drink, we say our goodbyes and then head off?”
I clear my throat, shaking thoughts of licking him to within an inch of his life. Even though tonight has been lovely and the company has been nice, I’ve felt like all eyes have been on me, particularly where Mr Unreliable is concerned. “Um, sure. Sounds good.”
A short time later, Quade and I say our goodbyes. He slips his hand into mine once more. I could definitely get used to this hand-holding business.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“You tired?” Quade asks as we pull out of the car park.
“Nope. Too much Coke.”
“I’m taking you for a drive then.” The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I don’t like being in a car at night. I avoid it wherever possible. Do I make this a big deal or do I just swallow
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