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She slipped off her top and Lark helped her glide the dress overhead. “What is Jennings doing while I change clothes?”
“He’s changing too. Didn’t you see him get in the back of the car? Now kick off the shoes.”
She did and pulled off her socks too, stuffing them inside the shoes. She shimmied her pants down her hips and off, then wiggled the dress down.
“Twist around and I’ll zip you up.”
She obeyed. “Is this how Sentry always operates?”
Lark laughed. “You’d be surprised at the situations we get into.”
“You seem to know just what to do all the time. I’m such a mess compared to you.”
“Oh, honey. You’re just trying to survive. Nobody expects you to be perfect, Wren. You already have the perfect name.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
Lark produced a hairbrush from the bag and set to work pulling the ponytail holder out of Wren’s hair. “Remember? You have the bird name. You fit in with us.”
“You also told me that Jennings is a player. He’s fling material.”
“Yes, but I was wrong.”
The brush working over her scalp sent prickles of pleasure through her. “How do you know you were wrong?”
“Because I saw the way he looked at you just now. And the way he shielded you when you jumped? Lordy, that man is built for loving a woman. He just didn’t know it until now.”
Stunned, Wren could only blink at Lark as she finished brushing her hair. She used the brush to curl the ends and arranged her hair over her shoulders. Then she pulled out some makeup.
As she worked, she talked about the baby and how her back ached and kept her up at night, but Lexis rubbed her muscles until she could fall asleep again.
At that story, Wren experienced a sharp pang. To have what Lark did—a loving man and a family—was one of Wren’s dreams. She’d never said it aloud, and she’d never told a soul how much she longed for a family of her own after going without one.
Of course, she had to get through med school first. Only after she had that degree in hand would she be able to settle down. By then, Jennings would be long gone from her life, the tenuous ties between them cut.
When Lark declared that she looked “stunning,” she climbed out of the SUV to find every person from Sentry staring at her.
Only one gaze mattered.
Dressed in all black with a black cowboy hat, Jennings stepped up to her. He lifted a hand to her face…and all Wren could see was the emotion that Lark claimed to see too.
That man was built for loving.
And God help her, she did.
Chapter Twelve
The massive platter with a sizzling steak sat before every member of the Sentry team at the table and more than a few of the women too. The long table was brimming with food and drink. The bread baskets had been refilled twice while they were waiting on their meals. But three pregnant women and a bunch of hungry men could destroy some food, especially when it was good.
Jennings wrapped his fingers around his beer and raised it. “To Livingston. Sixty-two looks nice on you.”
Laughter broke out, but Livingston shot him a flat look. “You know I’m in my forties.”
“And it looks amazing on you, babe!” Dove leaned over to kiss his cheek.
Their private party was in a small space at the back of the restaurant. Despite a wall shielding them from the rest of the place, the strains of a live country music band and the stomp of dancers wearing boots still made them raise their voices to be heard.
Everybody lifted their drinks and toasted the birthday boy. Then they fell on their food like hungry wolves. Jennings had devoured half of this Delmonico before he noticed that Wren wasn’t eating.
