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“That’s what you get for calling me a pussy,” Nate told Luke. He looked to Elise again. “I’ll let him go when he learns his lesson.”
Elise rolled her eyes. “Luke, will you please apologize to your friend before I give birth to our firstborn? I really don’t want our child to grow up without a father.”
Piper knew Elise was joking; the woman hadn’t said anything that anybody else wouldn’t say, and part of Piper did think it was funny. There was also a small portion of her, deep inside, that was stung by the words. Because, if she’d had a child, it would now be fatherless.
“Elise,” Luke said, trying to pull Nate’s arm off of him, “I can’t let our child think I’m a total wuss.”
Elise raised her brow again, this time without a smile, and she saw Luke’s body relax as he stopped fighting.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I’m sorry I called you a pussy…”
Nate immediately released Luke.
Luke jumped up and finished his sentence. “Loud enough for you to hear. Next time, I’ll whisper it behind your back.”
“Fucker,” Nate said and made a swipe for Luke.
Luke took off and ran around to the front of the house, and Nate followed.
Elise turned and looked at Piper as she shrugged. “I give up. If they want cold food, that’s their fault. Let’s go eat.”
Piper led the way back into her house and pulled the food out of the bags. She separated her order from the rest, and Elise did the same. The two pulled out the stools at the counter and sat.
“Would you be more comfortable at the table?” Piper asked her.
“Nah, I’m fine here,” Elise said with a wave of her hand. “I have a while left before I’m really big.” She tilted her head. “At least, I hope I do. I’m only twenty-two weeks.”
Luke and Elise had been married for a few months, and Elise had told Piper that she was pregnant before they’d gotten married. Elise’s father had cancer, and they had hoped to have at least one child before he passed away. Piper hadn’t gone to their wedding because it was a small ceremony, and she hadn’t known the couple that well yet.
Piper and Jordan had moved to the area in January the previous year, and when they had first moved, it had been all about getting situated. Jordan had settled into his new job while Piper had to search for her own. Then, before she had known it, it had been May, and she was a widow.
After that had come his funeral and sorting out all the paperwork after someone passed, all while trying to deal with grief. For a while, the only people Piper had seen outside of work were her mom and Nate. She had just wanted to be left alone. Socializing took too much energy.
But she’d slowly started coming back to life a few months ago, and that was when Nate had really started bringing his friends around. She knew he’d been afraid that she’d be lonely with no family in the area. She felt like she was almost back to normal. Well, hernewnormal because she was never going to be the same person she had been before Jordan passed away.
And, now, she was grateful that Nate had introduced her to Elise. The two of them got along great, and while Nate was her best friend, sometimes, a lady just needed some girl time. They still didn’t know each other that well, but Piper hoped that could change.
Nate and Luke burst through the front door, shirtless, sweaty, and laughing. They went straight to the food without a word to either of the women and dug in like they hadn’t eaten for a week. Neither of them bothered to sit either; both stood on the other side of the counter.
“I apologize for my husband’s table manners—or lack thereof,” Elise said.
Luke looked up from stuffing his face. “Wha—” he said around a mouthful of food, his brown eyes gleaming with humor.
“You’re a pig,” Elise said.
Nate nestled in the corner of the counter and laughed.
Luke swallowed and smiled. “But I’m your pig.”
Elise shook her head and rolled her eyes, but Piper saw she was hiding a smile.
“Apologies, Piper,” Luke said. “I’m hungry.”
Elise turned to Piper. “Do you care if I get a glass of water?”
Piper jumped from the stool, feeling like a terrible hostess. “Oh my God, I’m sorry.”
“No, you don’t have to get up,” Elise protested, also rising from her seat.
