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“Not until December.” Kyra laughed. “Which seems like forever. But I’m feeling pretty good. A little nauseous every once in a while. And I already have to pee a lot! Sorry. I’ll be right back and then we can shop and celebrate some more.” She rushed off toward the back of the store.
“This is so fun.” Lyric looked around the store. “Now we have two babies to spoil with all the cute things.” She and Tess started to browse at a rack of onesies.
“Mm-hmm,” her friend murmured. “I have to say, you and Thatch are pretty convincing as a couple.” Her friend wasn’t wasting any time. “Or should I assume you’re really a couple after what happened between you two last night?”
“Keep your voice down.” Kyra didn’t need to hear this. “We’re not a couple. I don’t think. I don’t know.” Oh, how she’d like to go back to this morning when she hadn’t had to define anything. “Being with him felt right. I care about him. Deeply.” More deeply than she wanted to admit.
“That’s a good thing, honey.” Tess slung her arm around her shoulders in a half hug. “I’m not trying to give you a hard time. I’ve actually always thought you two would make a good couple. You complement each other well.”
“He makes me feel safe.” And protected. And cherished. And it was the best feeling in the world.
But she still didn’t know if she’d ever want to get married again. Even to someone as wonderful as Thatch.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Three over par again.” Thatch shoved his putter back into the rented golf club bag and smirked at Aiden. “But at least I wasn’tfiveover.” Like someone else he knew.
His friend flipped him off.
“I’m taking a picture of the scorecard so everyone will know I beat you both with two over par on this one.” Silas snapped an annoying selfie holding up their scorecard.
They walked back to the cart together, and Thatch hoisted his bag onto the back seat, sitting down next to it. “What the hell are we doing out here again?” Sure, the scenery at this course was something else—rolling, manicured green grass juxtaposed against the backdrop of rugged mountain peaks. But they didn’t golf. Not a one of them. He, Silas, and Aiden had all fumbled their way through a course a few times, but they sucked at golfing, and now here they were tromping around thegreens, taking mulligan after mulligan, when he could be hanging out with Lyric. “Why’d Kyra make us go golfing anyway?”
“Hell if I know.” Aiden slid into the cart’s driver’s seat. “She was so excited about this golf course. And she said she needed a day with the girls.” He shrugged. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her that we all suck at golf.”
Silas stabbed his finger into Aiden’s shoulder. “You mean you didn’t want her toknowyou suck at something.”
Thatch laughed. Accurate. Aiden had a hard time admitting he wasn’t good at everything.
“We were SEALs.” His friend turned the key and steered the cart toward the next hole, bouncing them over the grass. “Everyone thinks we’re good at everything. Why burst their bubbles?”
“We don’t have to burst their bubbles, but we also don’t have to play golf.” Thatch leaned over the seat. “Hear me out. We go sit in the clubhouse, grab a beer or two, and make fun of people at the driving range.” In his estimation, that would be far more enjoyable and less frustrating than playing through the eight additional holes they had in front of them.
“I’m in.” Silas elbowed Aiden. “We’ll even tell Kyra that you won at golf today.”
“By a lot.” Aiden flipped a U-turn. “Tell her I won by a lot.”
“Deal.” Thatch sat back and watched the people who actually knew what they were doing all the way back to the clubhouse, wondering how many of them had made fun of him out there on the course today.
They parked the cart and turned in their rented golf clubs, and then claimed a table outside on the deckoverlooking the driving range. Once the beer orders were in, Thatch positioned himself in the sun. Thank God summer was almost there.
“So how’re those bruised ribs treating you lately?” Silas asked, slipping on his sunglasses.
“His ribs have to be fine if he was twenty minutes late to breakfast because he and his girlfriend couldn’t get out of bed,” Aiden muttered before Thatch could answer.
“The ribs are better.” And yes, being with Lyric hadn’t hurt him one bit. “I’ve actually been doing some yoga with Lyric lately to get more flexible.” And stronger, but he wouldn’t admit he needed the strength part.
“Now, that I gotta see.” Aiden tipped his beer bottle in Thatch’s direction. “Can you put your foot behind your head yet?”
“Hell no.” He’d never accomplish that feat. “But yoga is a lot harder than I thought. You two should try it sometime.”
“No thanks.” Silas squeezed a lime into his beer. “I’m totally fine not being able to touch my toes. Tess has shown me a few yoga poses, and there’s no way I’d be good at moving like that.”
“I didn’t say I was good at it.” So he sucked at two things: golf and yoga. But he wouldn’t give up on the second one. Not when Lyric loved it so much.
“So things appear to be going well with you two.” Aiden seemed to watch him carefully. “Do you see a future with her?”
A few days ago, he would’ve said no. Because it had been clear then that Lyric didn’t want a future with him. But over the last few days, everything had shifted. And this morning, well, being with her had felt natural andright. At least for him. Still, he’d best play this conversation safe in front of his friends. “I think we’re taking things one day at a time right now.”
