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“Holy shit. Pregnant?” I nodded. “You sure?”
“Me? No, but the doctor is pretty sure about it, so I will have an answer in a day or two.” That seemed like a lifetime away, like this would be the longest forty-eight hours of my life.
“And? Have you thought about what you’ll do when you have a concrete answer?” Leave it to Mara to get right down to business, maybe her willingness to face things head on was why she was running the bakery so successfully.
“Come up with a life plan?”
Mara let out a soft laugh. “Is that a question for me or for you?”
“That depends, do you have a good answer?”
Mara dropped down in the chair beside the only desk in the office. “I highly recommend a life plan. It’ll help you organize. Start with telling Miles.”
“What makes you think I have anything to tell Miles?”
Mara rolled her eyes. “Because I’m not an idiot and I have eyes. Plus Mrs. Peabody told the whole bakery that you two rushed inside like you couldn’t wait to get your hands on each other a few nights back.”
That old biddy! “Small town living,” I grumbled more to myself than to my companion. “I’m not going to tell him. I won’t be in town long enough to start showing and he’s made it clear that he’s not big on commitment.”
Mara nodded and sat up straight until she was perched on the edge of the chair, her brown gaze focused on mine. “Well, you aren’t either.”
“Yeah well, if I don’t make a decision one will be made for me and that’s not true with men. Miles can be free and happy for as long as he wants.”
“What if he wants to know his kid?”
“Mara,” I groaned like a baby.
“Look, I get it but I grew up in foster care and there were plenty of kids who didn’t know their fathers, who could have been saved had their moms just done the right thing. I’m not judging-,”
“Sounds like it.”
Her lips twitched in amusement. “I’m just saying, tell him. He deserves to know and if he’s an asshole about it, I’ll take care of him for you.”
“Thanks.” It was nice to have a friend who would casually threaten a guy for hurting your feelings. “That’s sweet.”
“I know,” she deadpanned. “I’m a real sweetheart. And you really need to tell him.”
“Once I have an answer and a plan of action, I’ll tell him. Maybe. Probably.”
Mara dropped her hands on her thighs and stood with a knowing smile. “You’ll tell him. Just know that if you wait too long, whatever it is you two are currently doing, will blow up in your face.”
I sighed and titled my head to the side. “Why do you do ominous so well?”
She shrugged. “It’s a gift. Now come on, we’ve got some cleaning to do.”
“And new promos. Don’t forget the new promos.”
“How can I when you won’t let me?”
I shook my head and laughed. My life had just gotten really complicated, unless there was a false positive with my name on it, and at least I had a good friend and a job to keep me sane.
Mostly sane.
Somewhat sane.
A sane woman trapped in an insane situation in the weirdest little town ever.
Miles
“My grilled cheese and salad would have paled in comparison to this delicious meal, so thanks Miles.” Shannon flashed a wide smile from across her kitchen table at me, and rested her chin in her hand.
“Listening to how much you’re enjoying the food, believe me it is my absolute pleasure.” The growling moans that came from deep in her throat and the way she licked her lips, closed her eyes in complete ecstasy and then smiled, it was doing wicked things to me. Thankfully we were seated at the table and she couldn’t see it.
“This is lobster mac & cheese, one of the top five wonders of the world, Miles. The pleasure is all mine. All. Mine.” The last two words were punctuated by her reaching across the table to steal the last few spoonfuls.
“Let’s agree to disagree, then.”
She nodded happily and I sat back in my chair and smiled back at her. Dinner tonight was casual and, very likely, a platonic affair. I hadn’t called Shannon up to plan a date, instead I surprised her with dinner and the pleasure of my company, and she surprised by my inviting me inside. “So, Miles. Tell me about yourself. Are you close to your parents? Do you have siblings?”
Those were date questions if I ever heard them. “I’m not as close to my parents as I used to be no, but they are at home in North Carolina and I make my way back when I can.”
She smiled around a bite of food and nodded. “So you have a sibling and he or she is the problem? Got it.”
