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His face blushes pink. “No! Carrie! I would never.”
There is little in life more enjoyable than pulling Tel’s leg. “I’ll order the pizza while you try to stop blushing.”
“I’m not blushing,” he argues. “It’s hot in here.”
“Sure.” I drop my gaze back to the phone to complete our dinner order. “I won’t be wearing that dress to our meeting. I’ll wear something befitting of a world-class fragrance chemist because that’s what I am.”
“That’s what I am, too,” Telford chimes in. “Order a large of the dessert pizza. We’ll take a walk after dinner to burn off the extra carbs.”
“Speak for yourself.” I smile. “I have a date with my couch after dinner.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Rook
“Mommy told me if Daddy asked her to marry him, she would say no.”
“Yeah, right,” I whisper in a tone that I know my daughter can’t hear.
It’s not that Kirby is paying any attention to me at the moment. She’s immersed in a conversation with the woman who will soon be the wife of one of my closest friends.
Abigail Duvall also happens to work for me.
It should be a complicated dynamic, but it’s never been.
“What was that, Rook?” Declan cups a hand around his ear. “Did you say something?”
I shoot him my best ‘shut-the-hell-up-look’ along with a perked eyebrow. “I was commenting on your stellar choice of restaurant.”
Declan gazes around Crispy Biscuit, a diner with a menu that includes every home-cooked favorite a man could crave. It also satisfies the hunger pangs of a five-year-old.
I glance at the remnants of a plate of chicken nuggets and fries in front of Kirby. She finished all but two bites of the food.
A streak of ketchup on her cheek is evidence that she enjoyed her meal.
Gingerly, Abby reaches for a napkin to rub the red stain away.
Kirby’s face lights up. “Thank you. I’m sometimes a messy eater, but at least I didn’t spill on my dress.”
The dress is pink, frilly, and courtesy of Kirby’s mom.
Despite my constant protests, Chesca is always adding a new piece to our daughter’s already bulging wardrobe. The closet in her bedroom at Chesca’s penthouse is full. I can say the same for the walk-in closet in her room at my apartment.
The last thing my child needs is another dress or an extra pair of patent leather shoes.
“I can’t come to your wedding,” Kirby announces for the third time since we met up with Declan and Abby. “I have to go visit my Grams. It’s her birthday, but she says no one needs the reminder at that age.”
Abby stifles a laugh. “Your Grams sounds fun.”
“She’s okay.” Kirby shrugs. “Your wedding would be way more fun.”
“The cake part is the fun part,” Declan interjects. “That’s the part you don’t want to miss, right?”
Kirby’s cheeks blush pink. “I do like cake, and Daddy says I can’t have it every day.”
“You can have it today.” Declan moves to stand. “I had Jo bake us a special cake for tonight. It’s chocolate with that buttercream frosting you like, Kirby. She promised to decorate it with a few pink flowers.”
I can’t say I’m surprised that the owner of this diner went above and beyond. Jo is known for doing what she can to put a smile on the faces of her regulars.
