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“Shut up.”
The two men stood at the counter by the cash register, waiting for service.
Baylee cocked her head towards them. “Aren’t you going to go help those fine gentlemen who just came in?”
Meg growled and headed towards the register. Baylee laughed as she watched Meg serve them both coffee and pie to go. It wasn’t tough to see Chet watch every move Meg made, even giving her a dimpled smile as he turned to leave.
“Why, Meg Malone, I do believe you have a not so secret admirer.” Baylee teased when her friend returned, looking like she’d eaten a lemon.
“Because I am a grown up, unlike you, I will refrain from rolling my eyes.”
Baylee stifled a chuckle. “I don’t know why you fight it. Chet’s a good guy, has a good job, and happens to be hunky good-looking. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is no one uses the word ‘hunk’ or ‘hunky’ anymore. Get with the times.”
“Avoid the topic all you want but, someday, I’m going to find out why you protest so much.”
Meg blinked and a frown formed. She took the fork from Baylee’s plate and shoved a piece of pie into her mouth. Baylee had never seen Meg this worked up. Dropping the subject was definitely a good idea.
“Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?” Baylee asked.
“Can’t.” Meg answered around a mouthful of pie.
Baylee didn’t want to push. Meg was her closest friend in Silver Bay, but still had a few skeletons in her closet she wasn’t ready to share.
Baylee understood. “Okay.”
Meg sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get testy with you. You’re the one person in the crazy town who even puts up with me still.”
“That’s not true.”
“Feels true.” Meg took the plate and turned to set in in the large sink behind her.
“I’ve gotta go.” Baylee stood and set her purse strap on her shoulder. “If you change your mind about dinner, just come over.”
“Thanks.” Meg came around the counter and hugged her. “And I know you’ll make the right decision about baseball boy.”
“Thanks for listening.”
“Always.”
*
“I’m home!” Bayleecalled as she entered her house.
Her mother sat at the kitchen table, a laptop in front of her and creases in her brow. That couldn’t be good. Whatever she was looking at, she wasn’t happy about.
“What’s up, Mama?” Baylee set her purse down on the front entry table and joined her mother.
Looking over her mom’s shoulder, she saw a news article on the screen. There was a picture of Drew with a woman, a pretty brunette dressed in an expensive black suit and stiletto heels. Her back was to the camera, but Drew’s face lit up with a smile as he leaned in for a hug, the woman’s arms around his neck.
Baylee’s stomach dropped. “Who is that?”
“It doesn’t say. The article is all about whether the women in his life can handle him being with the ‘Hot Baking Bombshell.’ Good Lord, what a nickname for you. Makes you sound like a pinup girl.”
Baylee could think of worse things to be called but, at the moment, her eyes were lasered in on the woman in Drew’s arms. Who could she be? Baylee had never thought to ask about the women in his past because, in all honesty, it didn’t matter to her. But the picture was dated right before he’d come to Silver Bay. Was she an ex-girlfriend, a friend? Her imagination ran away with possibilities.
She plopped into the chair beside her mother. The reality of Drew’s life hit her like a slap in the face. He was a big-time baseball star. Money, cars, women– anything he wanted whenever he wanted them. Of course, the man she had come to know had integrity, character. Her eyes wandered to the picture again. But there was still so much she didn’t know about Drew. The evidence sat before her on the computer screen.
