“You’re welcome. And happy early baby shower.” Paulie stood before the waterworks could start. “I should get downstairs and see how Randy’s doing. This is the first time he’s run the show alone. Plus, there’s no way in hell I’m sticking around here to cut the tags off all that.”
She managed to get out of Beth’s apartment without triggering another pregnancy-related crying jag and stopped by her own place for a yogurt before heading down to the bar. Not too busy, but a steady crowd of mostly regulars. Nothing Randy couldn’t handle. She gave him a wave, chatted up a couple of regulars for a few minutes, then went back upstairs. When it picked up around suppertime, she’d head back down but in the meantime, maybe a movie.
First she fired up her laptop, disgusted to find herself holding her breath as she checked her email account.
And there it was, the email with the sender listed as S. T. LOGAN.
She shouldn’t be so ridiculously happy to see it. It was a dead-end relationship, after all. Not even a relationship. It was a flirtation destined to go absolutely nowhere because the reason she’d run was still between them. But she couldn’t stop the pleasant thrill of anticipation as she clicked to open the message.
Do you remember the day we blew off that luncheon and drove the convertible up to the mountains in New Hampshire to see the fall foliage? In the sunshine, laughing, and trying to keep your hair out of your face, you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. You still are.
How could she forget that day? They’d played hooky—running from their social calendars and responsibilities—and cruised up the Kancamagus Highway until they found a pull-off overlooking a panoramic blaze of autumnal color. He’d kissed her senseless as the sun slowly dropped behind the mountains and she remembered wishing they could keep driving north and leave it all behind.
But, as always with Sam, business and duty beckoned and the idyllic day faded into a fond memory. When she suggested they do it again, he was too busy. She pushed and got the lecture—he couldn’t just drop everything on a whim, especially her whim. He had responsibilities.
Her hand hovered over the touchpad, ready to hit Reply, but she didn’t know what to say. Was there any sense in encouraging him? If she let him continue laying on the charm, she was going to end up in his bed. And if she ended up in his bed, he was going to push for more. It was in his nature.
Her cellphone rang, the bar’s main number showing in the window. “Hello?”
“Hey, Paulie.” It was Darcy. “We’ve got a table getting rowdy and they’re not all that impressed by Randy’s stern looks.”
“I’ll be right down.” She closed the lid on her laptop, grateful for the reprieve. She’d deal with Sam later.
Chapter Fourteen
Kevin would be home soon. That, and thoughts of a Jasper burger, were all that kept Beth going through a long seven hours on her feet.
One of the other waitresses had a sick kid at home, so she’d agreed to work the early shift on her scheduled day off. Opening at six in the morning was tough enough, and now it was the tail end of the lunch rush. Her tip cup was full, but her back and feet ached.
To make matters worse, the manager had made a few snide remarks about priorities and single mothers being unreliable because it was the second shift in a month the other waitress had missed. Then there were a few sideways glances at the burgeoning bump under Beth’s apron and she was getting nervous. Now that she was feeling a lot more pregnant, she was more aware of what a maternity-unfriendly place she worked for.
Which meant if she didn’t keep her aches and pains to herself and a smile pasted on her face, she could find herself out of a job. But dwelling on the possibility of financial ruin wasn’t conducive to the fake smile, so she’d shoved it out of her mind.
Kevin had told her he’d be home in the evening, but probably not early enough for supper. That left her time to enjoy a long, hot shower and a cheeseburger before she saw him. With her spirits bolstered, maybe he wouldn’t be able to tell she’d spent the day exhausted and stressed out.
When the time finally came to punch out, she wrapped herself in her warm winter coat and made the walk back to Jasper’s. She let herself in the back door so she wouldn’t get sucked into a conversation with Paulie or Darcy or even Randy, if he was feeling chatty.
The shower revived her, as did slipping into one of her new maternity outfits—a soft, pink dress with a white sweater to throw on over it. The fabric felt like heaven against her skin and the color cheered her up immensely. All she needed was a bacon cheeseburger and Kevin and she’d be one hundred percent.
Not that she needed Kevin to feel complete. It would just be nice to have him home so she could stop worrying about him. He was her baby’s daddy after all. It was natural for her to be concerned about him getting in an accident.