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“Why don’t we sit down,” Aspen suggests, and I mouth thank you at her.
“Shall I start first?” Feather asks before opening a book and beginning to read. “Don’t forget to have sex. Sex is important to—”
Aspen snatches the book from her. “You’re not supposed to read your advice out loud.”
“But how are we going to discuss who has the best advice if we don’t read everything out loud?” Sage asks.
“I told you the book of wisdom was a bad idea,” Aspen accuses Ashlyn.
“And I told you it’s unnecessary,” Mom says as she joins us. “Sorry, I’m late,” she murmurs as she kisses my cheek. “I was busy—”
“Nope!” Ashlyn cuts her off. “No one wants to hear why you’re late. It’s bad enough we caught you and Dad making out in the kitchen before Sunday dinner last month.”
Sage rubs her hands and leans forward. “Tell me more.”
A dog whines before anyone can answer. Aspen sighs. “Juniper, I told you not to bring your dogs today.”
“She’s heavily pregnant. I can’t leave her home alone.”
“She? Bark Twain and Indiana Bones are both males.” Ashlyn’s eyes widen. “You got another dog?”
“Nope. I’m fostering her until her puppies are born. She already has a furever home waiting for her.” Juniper winks at me. “Don’t worry. I reserved one of the puppies for you.”
I glance over my shoulder – surely, she isn’t winking at me – but there’s no one there. “I can’t care for a puppy. I’m never home.”
She nods to my belly. “You’re going to have to slow down after the baby’s born.”
I am? Says who? I plan to put a crib in my office at the inn and bring the baby to work with me. No one can complain since I’m the boss.
“Juniper,” Mom scolds, “you can’t give a person a living animal for a present without discussing it with them beforehand.”
“Are you still sore about the time I gave you a cat for your birthday? I took care of her. All you had to do was buy her cat food.”
“And clean the house constantly because she shed fur everywhere.”
Juniper shrugs. “Animals shed.”
“I have no room for a puppy either,” I interrupt before I have to listen to Mom and Juniper have the same argument for the millionth time.
Juniper waves away my concern. “Once you and Cole buy a house, I’m certain you’ll have a yard for the puppy to run around in.”
Buy a house? What does she know? Cole isn’t in the market for a house, is he? He would tell me if he were house hunting, wouldn’t he? He promised to be honest with me and omitting the truth is a lie no matter what Lilac says.
Does this mean Cole wants to live together? I love the man, but I don’t know if I’m ready to live with him. Hell, I haven’t gathered the courage to admit my feelings yet. Shit. I predict another discussion in my future and whenever we talk, Cole gets his way. Damn him and his logic.
