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I smiled. “A new baby in town is everybody’s business Pip, and all the women in my office insist on passing me bits of advice for you. That’s one that stuck. Don’t try to do laundry or clean when she’s asleep, just sleep with her. Makes sense now.”
She smiled. “All right. Thanks, I think.”
“The barn,” I reminded her with a playful tone.
“I assume Carlotta is assuming plenty of Ryan’s professional contacts will be invited, so tell her to book the bigger barn even if it is off-site, which will mean some kind of transportation from the hotels and B&Bs in town. And for food, I want Nina to do the food.”
“Isn’t she an employee of Dark Horse?”
“Yes, but I have an in with the owner. I’ll just have to use certain methods of persuasion.”
“Don’t need to know, thanks. Just confirm and get back to me. Or Carlotta.”
My sister’s blue eyes studied me in much the same manner as my niece’s had. “How are things going with Carlotta?”
“What do you mean?” Had Carlotta told her what happened at the barn? Did she feel that spark of attraction as I had and said something to Pippa? I doubted it, but dammit, was it normal to grow a sudden attraction for a woman I’d known forever?
“How are the wedding plans coming along?”
“Oh. Fine. Good. I’m just a go between, like a wedding planning conduit.”
“Yeah? Because I heard you went on a date with Carlotta. Is there anything else I should know?”
“Nope,” I answered quickly. Only then did I realize it was too quickly.
“Rrriiiight,” she drew the word out to four syllables.
“It was just two friends having dinner,” I assured my sister, or maybe I was just trying to assure myself. “It was a thank you, because she was able to find someone to build me shelves that I actually liked, and they did it on the weekend so my workday wouldn’t get interrupted. It was worth a big thanks, I think.” And it had led to the renewal of an unexpected friendship.
“Who did you call that couldn’t build shelves over a weekend?”
I sighed. “I had asked CJ to take care of the task.” At Pippa’s skeptical look, I shrugged. “What? It seemed like something she could handle.”
“She was probably hoping the inconvenience would mean working from the very private confines of your house. Some alone time, if you know what I mean.” Just in case I didn’t know what she meant, Pippa wiggled her brows, her insinuation a bit heavy handed.
“First of all, a blind person would know what you mean, Pip. Second, you’re wrong. CJ is a young woman and she’s just eager to do a good job.” I’d been the same way with my first job, and even during my first couple years as mayor. Over the top eager to prove myself, to prove to my fellow citizens they hadn’t made a mistake by casting their vote for me.
“She’s not that young,” Pippa insisted, and I knew she was arguing for the sake of arguing. One of her favorite past times was to give me a hard time about my dating life, or lack of a dating life, I suppose.
“She’s incredibly young Pippa.”
“I don’t know baby brother, Carlotta might say the same thing about you, but I’m guessing you both had a good time on your non-date?”
“Did she say that?” The question came out too eager, even to my ears.
“She hasn’t said anything. Yet. But based on your reaction just now, I’m damn sure going to ask.”
“Pip,” I groaned. “It was just two friends having dinner.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I insisted, suddenly the defiant little brother who would do anything to prove his sister wrong.
She pointed a finger at me, a triumphant smile on her face. “Maybe you want to tell that to the blush coloring your cheeks tomato red.” At my groan, she laughed and finished off that abomination she called coffee.
I stood and dropped a kiss on Ryanna’s head. “Would you look at the time? I’m running late for…something.”
Pippa laughed and followed me as I put her sleeping daughter in the playpen beside the kitchen. “You can’t hide from me forever Chase, you know that.”
