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“I texted you.”
“Sorry, working.”
“And gossiping. About problems of a performance nature.” The diner was far too quiet around us, and I wasn’t about to give the town anything more to chat about today. “Is Sage working?”
“Sure am.” The cheerful blond crossed the restaurant with a tray full of dishes. “How can I help you?” Sage asked as she passed us, stopping to say something to Mrs. Negley in one of the booths.
They both giggled and glanced my way.
Fabulous.
“By the way,” I said, raising my voice, focusing on Ally’s face as it paled, “we both know my performance was just fine. Spectacular, in fact.”
“Enough to knock you right out?” Sage asked, blinking innocently when I narrowed my eyes.
“Back room,” Ally muttered, handing off Laurie to Sage without even waiting for my direction. Even with all this shit between us, we had a rhythm.
A damn fine one, in and out of bed. Fuck performance issues. Mine had been spot-on.
Sage hugged Laurie and carried her to an empty booth. “How about a nice cup of fruit while your Daddy and Ally talk?”
“Ice scream. Daddy promised ice scream.” Laurie glanced my way and banged a tiny fist on the table. “With sprinkles if I was good.”
“Were you good?”
“Yeah, put a hot fudge sundae with sprinkles on my tab. A small one,” I said out of the side of my mouth.
Sage nodded. “Will do.”
Ally was already headed down the hall that led to the bathrooms, the break room, and the storage room, so I followed, figuring she’d aim for the break room. Instead she went right for the storage area.
The second I shut the door, she whirled on me.
“What was I supposed to say? Everyone knows, Seth. Everyone. Someone must’ve seen us at the hotel, or hell if I know.”
I started to reply, but Ally wasn’t finished.
“They asked me questions all shift. I had to make a joke out of it, so people didn’t think you and I could—that we could ever be—”
“Had to make a joke out of me, you mean.” I tucked my thumbs in the pockets of my jeans. “Think you got your wish. Probably half the town is now wondering how I even managed to make my daughter.”
She bowed her head and her jaunty ponytail drooped over one shoulder. “I’m sorry. It was just a joke to save face and I guess I went too far.”
“Save face why? Even if someone got the idea that we were together, why not just roll with it?”
“Roll with it? Are you crazy?”
“I must be, considering the last week.” I stepped forward and forced the irritation from what she’d told people out of my head. When compared with my recent sins, it didn’t really rank. “I texted you that I was sorry.”
She tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “For what, exactly?”
“I never should have asked you to have my baby.”
Ally’s gaze shot to the door as if she expected it to blow open at any moment. “About time you realize that.”
“It was completely unfair of me. I’m not enough to be both mom and dad to a new child. I mean, with Laurie, it just worked out that way, but to set up a situation where I’m the only one making all the decisions for another child isn’t right. I’m simply not enough.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ally stepped forward, going toe to toe with me. “Laurie is a happy, well-adjusted little girl. She adores you.”
