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Chapter 1
Carlotta
“You’re here, thank goodness!” Pippa wrapped her arms around me, her ready-to-pop-any-day-now belly looming large between us as she tugged me and my bags inside the house. She pulled back with a sheepish smile and a small blush. “Sorry, I’m a little restless.”
I laughed and shook my head. “That’s an understatement. How are you feeling?”
Pippa shrugged. “I’m uncomfortable all the time, hungry just as much, and I miss Ryan.” Her shoulders fell in disappointment, and she motioned for me to follow her into the spacious living room. “What’re in the bags?”
“Dinner.” I set the heavy-duty paper bags with the Dark Horse logo on the large square coffee table. “All put together by Nina, who misses the heck out of you.” The chef at the restaurant Pippa managed was a genius in the kitchen, and I couldn’t wait to see what she prepared for this impromptu girls’ night to keep Pippa sane until the baby came. Or until Ryan returned to Carson Creek. Whichever came first.
Pippa tried to get on her knees to help unpack the bags, but there wasn’t enough room between the sofa and the table for her and her belly. “Dammit,” she sighed. “I’m so fat right now I can’t even pig out properly.”
“Not fat, pregnant,” I clarified in my haughtiest southern belle tone. “I’ll lay out the food Pippa, you go get some dishes and silverware for us. And glasses.”
Pippa pouted and tried—and failed—to push herself from her purgatory spot wedged between the furniture. “This baby better be so darn cute that I forget that I can’t even stand up without help.”
I laughed and stood to help her. “Welcome to my world, only there’s no cute baby I can blame.”
Pippa scoffed. “Oh please, Carlotta, everyone in town admires your sexy curves, and the expert way you highlight them. You’re practically the same size as when we were in high school.” Pippa grabbed her boobs and then let them go dramatically. “When this baby comes, my boobs will be gone forever, along with all the other good bits that you have all the time.”
I rolled my eyes at her compliment, I knew what I looked like. I was cute, some might even call my pretty, but my whole life my beauty queen mama told me that my curves were a problem for respectable clothes and careers. My body, she often said, was meant for making babies and nothing else.
“Whatever you say Pip,” I told her and helped her up.
“Of course it’s whatever I say. It’s my house, and I’m fifty-two months pregnant, I dare you to argue with that.”
I laughed and when I heard her shuffling around the kitchen, I turned my attention to unpacking dinner and thinking about Pippa and Ryan’s baby. There’s was a romance novel worthy story of second chances and an unexpected pregnancy, and then, finally, reconciliation. They were lucky.
The doorbell rang, pulling me out of my envious thoughts and back to the present. “I got it,” I yelled and went to open the door for Lacey. “Well aren’t you a sun-kissed sight for sore eyes?”
Lacey’s face flamed pink in a blush that made me laugh. “Thank you Carlotta. You look as good as you always do.”
I rolled my eyes at the compliment. “Come on in, world traveler, you’re just in time for dinner.”
“Dinner?” Lacey’s eyes went wide. “Was I supposed to bring something? Pip just said to come over and keep her company. I only brought booze, one non-alcoholic bottle for the mommy-to-be.”
“Nah, she’s always hungry, so I figured you can’t have a girls’ night without goodies.” I shrugged as we made our way to the living room. “Oh, and Pippa is restless,” I warned about two seconds before she put down the dishes and flung herself at Lacey.
“Wow, look at that tan! I guess Paris was as good as everyone says.” She nearly hugged the life out of Lacey, who looked to me for an explanation, but all I offered was a shrug and a smile.
“Paris was amazing,” she said on a long drawn out sigh. “We saw all the tourist traps, but with a guided tour, there was so much history to the city. And the last few days we got caught up in a protest, which turned into work for both of us.” Her face glowed with happiness and satisfaction, something she’d worked hard to achieve. “It was incredible.”
“That’s so wonderful,” Pippa shot back with a beaming smile, one hand absently stroking her round belly.
“I’m so happy for both of y’all,” I told my friends sincerely. I truly was happy they’d both found love in their forties—again, or for the first time—but I couldn’t help but wonder if that was in the cards for me. Maybe Mama and Daddy were right, and I shouldn’t have turned my nose up at all those wealthy suitors from good families when I was younger. But back then I was determined to stand on my own, designer heeled feet.
It’ll happen or it won’t, something I told myself so much over the past year that it was becoming my mantra. One I didn’t want to think about now, if ever. “So Pippa, serious question?”
“Uh oh,” she said, her eyes wide as she backed away from me and took her spot on the sofa where she promptly began plating up some of the food. “What did I do now?”
“Nothing,” I laughed. “Just curious if you ever plan on marrying Ryan.”
She huffed out an annoyed breath. “Technically, we’re already married, we just haven’t had a wedding. Yet.”
Lacey scoffed. “You know good and well that if you don’t have a big wedding, you’re not really married. Unless you’re planning on moving back to Chicago?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “Not that. I do plan on having a wedding, a big white one. I gave in to a quick marriage with a Justice of the Peace because Ryan wouldn’t shut up about being married well before the baby came, in case they ended up being good at math.” She gave an affectionate eye roll. “I’m not giving up on being as hot as humanly possible at my wedding.”
