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She shrugs. “We don’t have a sheep farmer in Winter Falls, so Phoenix and his goats will have to do.”
I watch as one of the goats takes a massive shit in the middle of the road. I turn away before anyone can suggest I need to clean the mess up.
“Cole!” I hear Rowan shout my name and search the area for him. I discover him standing behind a booth in front of his bakery with Ashlyn and his assistant Bryan.
Ellie hurries across the street, dragging me with her as she goes. “I can’t wait to see what kind of treats he made this year.”
“Hey, man,” Rowan greets as we approach.
“And a mighty fine man he is,” Bryan says as his eyes travel up and down my body.
“Don’t pay any attention to him.”
“Don’t pay any attention to me! How dare you insinuate I’m not the most important person in your life?”
Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “Meet Bryan, Rowan’s right hand.”
“We’ve—”
Before I get the chance to tell her I’ve met him before since I’ve started buying Ellie treats from the bakery, Bryan speaks, “Ooooh, if I’m Rowan’s right hand, does this mean I get to—”
Rowan growls at him. “There are children here.”
“You don’t know what I was going to say.”
“Really? After working with you for over a decade, I don’t know you’re going to make a raunchy joke?”
“Not raunchy, funny.”
“Will the two of you stop bickering now?” Ellie scowls. “The West baby is hungry.”
I squeeze her hand. “I think you mean the Hawkins baby.”
Rowan barks out a laugh. “Good luck with that. Your child will be known as one of those West kids no matter what her last name is.”
“Her?” Bryan’s eyes widen before he leans close to whisper, “Do you know it’s a girl?” Ellie shakes her head. “My bet’s still on a girl.”
“My bet’s on a boy,” Ashlyn says.
I don’t think they’re speaking hypothetically. “Are they betting if our child will be a boy or a girl?” I ask Ellie.
She nods at me before asking her sister, “How much is the pot up to?”
Ashlyn wags her finger. “Nuh uh. No way. You can’t bet on the sex of your own child. It’s cheating.”
Ellie snorts. “Like you’re not going to bet on the sex of your child?”
“Ashlyn’s pregnant!” I have to cover my ears from Bryan’s high-pitched squeal.
Ashlyn frowns. “Not yet.”
Ellie reaches across the table to squeeze her sister’s hand. When she releases her, she announces, “I’m still hungry.”
Ashlyn hands her a plate. “Try this. It’s a dulce de leche buttermilk cheesecake.”
“You had me at try,” Ellie mumbles before stuffing half the cheesecake into her mouth at once.
She groans and suddenly I wish I hadn’t forced her off the sofa and out of her apartment to come to the festival. If we were at home, I’d be the one making her groan instead of a piece of cheesecake. My pants tighten as I consider all the different ways I know to make her groan.
