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She opened the door with a flushed face and a wide smile. “Hey babe, looking good! Come on in, I was just wrapping up the brownies.”
I looked down at my jeans—without holes, for once—and my pale pink tunic and then over at Hannah, who was beautiful and feminine in a blue and white polka dot sundress that flared out at the knees.
“Wow, who are you getting all dressed up for?”
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t get a chance to dress up a lot and this dress is perfect for a backyard barbecue, don’t you think?”
“You look incredible,” I responded honestly. The dress hugged her curves, exaggerating her hourglass figure. “But now I feel like a garbage man.”
Hannah laughed as I followed her to the kitchen, where Gus sat with a smile on her face. “You look great, Teddy. That light pink highlights your year-round tan. Tell her, Gus.”
Gus, Augusta Thompson, gave me a long slow onceover, her green eyes taking in every detail before she looked down at her jeans and tank top. “You do look great, but now I’m left in the role of garbage woman.”
“With those boobs? I think not.” The green tank top matched her eyes and the fabric molded to perfect D-cups that women envied and men lusted after—at least, they would if she spent more time outside the pediatric wing at the hospital. “Fine, we both look good, but Hannah looks great.”
“And she’s bringing treats,” Gus added with a grunt. “At least she let me taste a few so I don’t have to hate her.”
“She makes it so hard to hate her, doesn’t she?” I shook my head because it was a common complaint about Hannah—she was impossible to hate.
“I can hear you bitches.” Hannah smiled and rolled her eyes at me and Gus before handing us two platters each. “Set these in the back and we can get going. Gus is eager to take full advantage of her one day off this week.”
“That’s right.” She blew out a breath from the back seat of my truck. “I haven’t had a full day off in fifteen days, and I plan to indulge in Cenzo’s famous Italian sangria. I deserve it.”
I let out a loud huff of laughter. “It’s just Italian wine instead of Spanish wine, bourbon, and fruit, Gus. There’s nothing else Italian about it.”
“I don’t care. It’s strong and fruity and it’ll be served by one of the Ricci brothers, the best eye candy in town.”
“Ew,” I groaned. “Please don’t ruin candy for me.”
I knew my brothers were some of the most eligible bachelors in town, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hear about it. Thankfully, Jackson’s Ridge was small and it took less than five minutes to reach Vincenzo’s place.
I groaned as soon as I stepped inside my brother’s backyard because the first person my gaze landed on was—surprise, surprise—Cal. He held a double-decker cupcake holder in one hand and a giggly Rosie in the other. What the hell is he doing here?
We had an unspoken agreement, of sorts, that Cal and I did not show up to the same family events. I let him have first priority over events at Antonio’s house since they were best friends, but the rest of my brothers were, well, mine, dammit.
My steps slowed as I contemplated manufacturing a work emergency to get out of today, but then Rosie spotted me and I knew it was too late. “Aunt Teddy, you’re here! Did you see my princess cupcakes with rainbow crowns?”
“Not yet, sweetie.” I bent down to accept her exuberant hug and the little bugger grabbed my hand and started tugging me toward a laughing Cal.
“Come on, I’ll show you!”
Before I could tell my niece, thanks, but no thanks, I was face to face with Cal’s smirking face. “Afternoon, Teddy. You’re looking lovely.”
I ignored the pleasure that shot through me at his compliment. “Cal.”
He laughed, and it was rich and smooth as a good bourbon. “I’m good, thanks for asking.”
“I didn’t ask.”
He winked at me like we were flirting. “I know, but you seemed like you wanted to know, so I thought I’d tell you anyway.”
“Show Aunt Teddy the princess cupcakes!” Rosie jumped up and down between us until Cal did her bidding.
He stepped in close, so close that I could smell his fresh-from-the-shower-scent combined with some over-the-top masculine cologne, leaving just enough space for the cupcake holder between us. “What do you think?”
I could admit, to myself, that the cupcakes were beautiful. Instead of plain icing, each cupcake was topped with a crown that held a rainbow of jewels. “Not bad. Where’d you buy them?”
His amusement grew at my question. “I made them myself, but if you want the ingredient list I’m happy to share.” Those blue eyes always seemed privy to some joke the rest of us were clueless about, and suddenly I felt like the ugly little girl I used to be, the butt of all the jokes.
