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Yep. Savannah’s mother needed a friend, and even though it went against God and nature, Colleen was going to be that friend.
* * *
BUSINESSATO’ROURKE’Swas freakishly slow that night, and thank God for it because it had been mobbed for the past two months. Everyone needed a break. Colleen sent Monica home, put Annie behind the bar to serve the four people there, and poked her head in the kitchen. Her brother was cleaning the grill.
“Close up, brother mine,” she said. “And then come join the girls and me so we don’t have to talk about you behind your back.”
Faith, her sister Pru and Emmaline Neal were sitting at the Girls Night Out table, and Levi and Jeremy Lyon were in a booth, nursing beers, though Levi kept shooting his wife those hot sleepy looks of his.
“Levi, enough!” Colleen called. “The testosterone is choking me, okay? No wonder Faithie’s knocked up. Jeremy, can’t you distract him?”
“I’ll do my best, Coll,” Jeremy said.
“You should try working with him,” Emmaline said. “He calls her constantly. ‘How you feeling, babe? You need anything, sweetheart?’ It sickens me.” She smiled at Faith, then looked over at Levi. “You’re a horrible boss,” she added.
“Then quit,” he answered easily. “Jeremy would hire you in a heartbeat.”
“That’s true, Emmaline,” Jer said. “I pay better, too.”
“But can I carry a gun in a doctor’s office?” she asked.
“It does tend to send the wrong message,” Jeremy said.
“And speaking of love,” Faith said.
“Oh, are we gonna talk about Carl and me?” Prudence asked. “I have to say, doing it in a car was a lot more awkward than I remembered. My back started to spasm when he—”
Faith put her hand over her sister’s mouth.
“When he what?” Colleen asked.
“Don’t answer,” Faith said. “I wanted to talk about Paulie. What happened with her and Bryce, Colleen?”
Colleen sighed. “One of my rare failures.”
“Bryce Campbell?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah.”
“He’s kind of a slut, isn’t he?” Emmaline said.
“Yep.”
“Poor Paulie,” Faith said. “She’s so nice.” She sighed. “Well, how are things with you and Lucas, Coll?”
“Let’s talk about Connor instead, how’s that? Does anyone know who he’s seeing? Other than his blow-up doll?”
“I’m right here,” Connor said.
“Really. What a shock.” At that moment, her phone rang. She looked at it. “It’s Lucas. I’m going to make him wait because I’m just not the type to throw over my friends for a guy— Con, where are you going?”
“I’m leaving. I have to call my mystery woman.”
“I’m tapping your phone.
“I have to go, too,” Emmaline said. “Ink Warsis on. See you around.”
“Me, too,” Prudence said. “It’s RPG night at the Vanderbeek household. Abby’s sleeping over at Helena’s house, thank God.”
