Page 86 of Triplet Babies for my Ex's Best Friend

“It is.”

“Sure.”

I narrow my eyes. “You’re very smug for someone in pastry throwing distance.”

She smiles. “And yet…”

I sigh. “It’s good, actually.”

And it is.

Which still surprises me.

Maybe because I’d gotten used to expecting everything to become a disaster eventually. Bryce had that effect on my life. Every plan a little unstable, every promise held together with hot air and audacity. There was always a crack somewhere if you looked hard enough.

But this feels good. Complicated, yes. Potentially catastrophic, also yes. But steady.

“Oliver’s great,” I tell her. “He’s smart, funny, weirdly observant, and slightly manipulative in a charming way.”

“Those are the dangerous ones.”

“I know. He negotiated for extra story time yesterday like a tiny lawyer.”

“And the dog?”

I look down at Captain, who's currently resting his head on my shoe with the complete confidence of a man who contributes nothing to society.

“The dog,” I say carefully, “is an oversized golden criminal.”

Sophie laughs. “And the boss?”

My grip tightens a little on the coffee cup. “He’s… fine.”

She goes completely still for one beat. “Oh my goodness.”

“What?”

“That was the most suspicious use of the wordfineI’ve ever heard in my life.”

“I meant fine.”

“You meant hot.”

I nearly choke. “I didn't.”

She lifts one brow. “You absolutely did.”

I stare at her.

She stares back.

“I hate how quickly you got here,” I mutter.

Sophie grins in triumph. “So there's ahere.”

“There isn’t a here.”

Sophie gives me a long, unimpressed look over the espresso machine. “There’s a very obvious here.”