Page 49 of Trials of a One Night Stand
It’s all I can do not to sigh. I must admit if I weren’t already pregnant, I probably would be.
“I want to introduce you to someone,” he says to the little girl. “Harlowe, I’d like you to meet Jayne. She’s staying at your uncle Roddy and uncle Mano’s house.”
Her eyes widen. “Are they back?”
“No, that’s why Jayne’s there,” Nate explains as Harlowe buries her face against the other side of his neck. Guess that’s the spot to be in this house.
“Hi, Harlowe.” I smile at her, even if she can’t see me. “It’s very nice to meet you. I love your skirt and wings.”
Harlowe straightens. “Uncy Roddy buy them for me. Sissy too.”
“This is sissy or, rather, Willow.” A beautiful blond woman carries a baby into the room. “You must be Jayne. I’m Chloe. I can see no one’s offered you anything to drink yet.”
Ashton shrugs with a sheepish expression on his face.
“We just arrived,” Nate says.
Buttercup lifts her head and looks at me. She’s cute when she’s still and not flying…
She launches herself at me, and I scream. Harlowe laughs. Ashton and Nate appear horrified.
The sugar glider lands on my thigh, crawls onto my stomach, and sniffs around. As if satisfied, she curls up and rests her head on my abdomen.
Harlowe points at me and Buttercup. “She likes you.”
“Looks like it,” I agree, still not sure what to make of the sugar glider’s actions.
Chloe comes closer, curiosity written all over her face. “Buttercup did the same thing with me each time I was pregnant with the girls. How far along are you?”
I can’t believe a sugar glider can sense a baby in my uterus, or Chloe’s, for that matter. At least Ashton takes Chloe into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner, leaving us with the girls, including Buttercup.
As Harlowe pours us imaginary tea into little pink cups, Nate holds Willow, and Buttercup is back on his shoulder. “I told Ashton about your pregnancy, but Chloe didn’t know.”
“She does now.”
“This tea is delicious.” Nate takes a pretend sip. “May I have more, please?”
“Yes, you may.” Harlowe pours more tea from the little pot and then goes to dig through a basket of toys. “I need to find cookies.”
“Don’t forget it’s almost dinnertime,” I say.
Nate shakes his head. “They aren’t real,” he whispers.
Oops. It’s been a while since I’ve babysat Steffi’s son. Guess I have to learn about playing with kids again. I’m sure I can read books and take classes. You can learn how to do anything online, right?
He touches the tip of Willow’s nose, and she giggles. He glances my way. “What do you think, Jayne?”
“Your brother’s family seems nice.” And wealthy. I’d bet there isn’t anything from a box store in the house. Well, other than toys.
“They are, but that’s not what I meant.”
I’m confused, but that seems to be my normal state lately. I hate it. I like knowing everything and being able to predict what people will say or do five steps ahead of it happening. It’s how I managed to get out of my small town and into college. That’s served me well since then. My mind works like a grandmaster, figuring out the possibilities with each chess move ahead of time, but with Nate Lowe, I can barely understand a simple sentence. It makes no sense. I wish I knew why because he makes me feel like anything but a good lawyer. “What do you mean?”
Nate makes a funny face, and Willow rewards him with another giggle. Drool drips down one side of her mouth, but that only seems to egg him on more.
“Nate,” I press.
“I just meant this could be us.”
