"What the hell?" I stopped dancing and stepped back.
Color flooding her face, Eva covered her stomach with her hands as if embarrassed. "I'm so sorry. She must like the music."
My mouth fell open. "Are you saying that was the baby that just kicked me?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I—"
"Oh, cool." I dropped to my knees in front of her and found myself eye level with her stomach as it shifted again. Mouth open in wonder, I placed my hands reverently on either side of the baby bump.
Tristy had never told me when Julian had been kicking her, but I hadn't ventured that close to her to find out, either. No way was I staying away from Eva's belly, though, not after her child had just made contact with me.
"Listen up, little girl," I called above the music. "I'm dancing with your mama right now, but as soon as you're born, you can have your turn. Got it, Miss Skylar? I have the perfect song saved for you and everything."
Another little bulge jabbed out of Eva's stomach in answer. I sucked in an amazed breath and pressed my hand to it. Skylar either high-fived me or kicked me. Still charmed out of my mind and sitting on my knees, I looked up at Tinker Bell to share my awe with her.
"That is just so . . . " I couldn't even fathom a word good enough to describe how much I loved connecting with her baby.
She shook her head, seemingly dazed. "How do you know her name?"
"Umm . . . " Shit. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too pissed at Lowe for blabbing. I climbed back to my feet. "Mason let the cat out of the bag earlier tonight." I hooked my thumb over my shoulder, totally incriminating him as I pointed him out.
"Mason told you?" The idea seemed foreign to her, but she smiled slightly and glanced over at him only to startle. "Oh! Reese is here. I should go." She began to step around me, only to pause and bite her bottom lip. "Thanks," she said, awkwardly. Her hand flailed a moment before adding, "for the dance, and you know . . . everything else you helped me with tonight. I really . . . I appreciate it."
A moment of indecision crossed her face before she lunged at me and gave me a quick hug, lasting only long enough for my nostrils to collect her lilac smell, and for Skylar to kick me one last time.
She didn't look as if she wanted to leave as she pulled away. I sure as hell didn't want her to go. It felt as if Madam LeFrey was ripping me out of my visions all over again. But Ten was already motioning to me from across the room that he needed help serving. Plus it was getting late, and Eva needed to get out of this place.
"See you around, Tinker Bell," I told her a little more solemnly than I meant to.
With a nod, she moved past me and made her way to Reese.
Though I returned to work and took an order from another table full of ladies, I kept my attention on her as she and her cousin bid a farewell to Lowe and left. A strange, crazy depression filled me after she was gone. She had her life and I had mine, and the two didn't seem to be headed in the same direction at all. But it would've been nice if I'd had a reason, one stupid insignificant reason, to see her again. Just one more time.
I wondered if I could get Lowe to tell me when she had the baby. Maybe I'd go visit her and . . . shit, having any more contact with her after this would probably just be needlessly torturing myself. I should stay away.
But after the bar closed and I was helping Lowe clean up, he found a way to suck me back in.
"Thanks for helping me keep an eye on Eva tonight. Reese would've killed me if anything bad had happened to her."
I nodded as if it were no big deal, even though my heart slipped in an extra thump when he mentioned her name. "It's cool. I would've kept an eye on any pregnant woman who wandered in."
Mason moved closer to me as he wiped down the bar with a cloth. "Well, thanks all the same. Hey, uh, Gamble, or Ten, or someone mentioned you work at a garage during the day, like an auto repair shop?"
"Yep." I stacked the last of the clean glasses under the counter before glancing at him. "Murphy's Repair down on Bullview Road. Why?"
"Really? That's great. I mean, Reese bought this . . . we'll call it a car for now. It's a real piece of work. I don't trust it to last a month."
"Sure, I'll take a look at it," I said before he could even get around to asking. I knew I probably sounded too eager. But for a chance to visit Lowe's place, where Eva was currently staying, I was all for it.
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise, but then a gleam entered his gray eyes as he smiled knowingly. "So, you don't mind coming over some time?"
I shook my head. "Not at all. My next night off is Saturday."
Lowe nodded. "I'm off Saturday, too."
I slid my hands into my pockets and rested my back against the bar, trying to play it cool. "Sounds like I'll be swinging by then."