AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I led them to the table, puzzled by Ava’s lack of familiarity with the baby. Puzzled by so much. “Are you two babysitting?” I couldn’t hold the question in.
There was a tense pause before Ava said, “No.” She and Knox exchanged a look. “It’s going to get out,” she said quietly.
Knox set the carrier on the floor to the right of one of the chairs, out of the way and out of sight of most of the restaurant. He lowered himself to the chair and seemed defeated.
“Quincy won’t talk,” Ava said.
Bursting with curiosity, I studied him. When he finally turned his gaze on me, I was taken aback by the intensity in his expression. I hadn’t noticed how gorgeous his blue eyes were before.
“Someone left this baby in my driver’s seat while I ran inside my house,” he said. “So if it seems like I don’t have any idea what to do with a baby, that’s accurate.”
My eyes popped wide open, and I craned my head to look beyond him at the bundle in the carrier. “Oooh,” I gushed sympathetically, either for the baby or for him or…probably both. “My goodness.” I went around his chair and bent down to look at her. “Who would do such a thing?”
“We’re trying to figure out what to do,” Ava explained.
“I bet,” I said, forgetting my job completely as I gazed at the sleeping baby with angelic features. “It’s like a movie plot.”
Cash made his way from the kitchen on the opposite end of the building, toward the table, wearing his whites and looking stormy.
I straightened. “Oops. I guess I should get your drink orders.”
Before anyone could tell me what they wanted, Cash came up to the table with a scowl.
“Cash,” Knox said.
Cash’s response was a growl. “You left your coffee in the kitchen,” he said to Ava, setting a half-full mug down in front of her.
“Thanks, handsome,” Ava said, smiling. “Be nice.”
“You two planning to eat something?” Cash asked gruffly, ignoring me, which was fine. He could be intimidating when he was grouchy. Lately, since he and Ava had gotten involved, he’d been happier, but maybe his unfriendliness had something to do with Knox’s revelation that they were related.
“Um…” Ava angled her head to look at the baby on the other side of Knox.
“Who the hell is that?” Cash said.
Ava touched his arm with affection, and it seemed to have a calming effect on Cash. “Do you have five minutes to sit down?”
I hovered in the background, feeling like an intruder, but I still needed to get Knox’s drink order and find out whether they wanted food.
Cash glanced at the other dining sections behind him, scowled again. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you if you sit down,” Ava said.
“Fine.”
“Can I get you something to drink while you talk?” I managed to slip in.
Looking sidetracked, understandably, Knox said, “Water’s fine.”
“Anything else for you, Ava?”
“I’m good,” she answered.
“Thanks, Quincy,” Cash said, and I went to grab a single glass plus the coffee carafe.
When I approached their table, I overheard Cash saying, “How’s that for irony? The guy who sprung a family secret on us last night has a surprise baby dropped on him today.”
“Which means you should be more sympathetic,” Ava said.
