Page 70 of All At Once

“Fine, thanks, Gail.” Tori smiled, fixing Caitlin with a pointed, apologetic look.

Gail waved at the photo. “So I can congratulate Lenora the next time I see her?”

“You can.” Caitlin tucked the photo back in her tote. At least the rumor wouldn’t be that Tori was pregnant.

Gail moved to another table, and Caitlin sighed, reaching for her phone to text Tick.

Word we’re pregnant will be all over town today. Call your mother if she doesn’t know.

Three bubbles hovered and manifested into a What the hell?

Gail

Enough said. I’ll call her

This town is ridiculous

I like that “we’re” since you’re doing all the heavy lifting

Considering the timing suggests it happened against the dressing room wall — you’re in on the heavy lifting as well

There was that second time that night, when you woke me up to seduce me . . . could have happened then

She smiled, pleased by his teasing, a glimpse of the man she’d fallen in love with. I wasn’t the seducer in that scenario, remember?

We both know you were fake coughing to wake me up

Keep telling yourself that, Calvert

You wanted me, Falconetti

She could see his arrogant, teasing grin with that last missive, and her smile widened. This was more and more real every day, too — the way they felt like them again. She laid her phone aside and met Tori’s rueful gaze.

Tori twirled her fork in a slow circle. “Maybe this will make my baby fever better.”

Caitlin lifted a brow. “That’s a thing?”

“Yes.” Tori’s gaze softened, her body melting again over a bite of chocolate cake. “I want one of my own.”

She was twenty-four. Caitlin didn’t get it — at twenty-four, she’d been navigating her first year at the Bureau, grad school and single parenthood. Another baby had been the farthest thing from her thoughts.

She lifted a cube of cheddar to her lips. “How does Cookie feel about that?”

“We’ve been out twice.” Tori scoffed over another bite of cake. “It’s not like I’m planning to marry him-—”

The words died on her lips, and she stared at Caitlin, realization stilling her face. Caitlin lifted a brow and let a soft smile curve her lips. “Then why are you dating him?”

“Because . . .” Tori rested her forehead on her hand. “We’re friends, kind of, and he can be sweet and fun and . . . okay, I could envision marrying him.”

She lifted her head, slumping back in her chair to meet Caitlin’s gaze.

“You think he’s not a marrying kind of guy.”

Caitlin lifted a shoulder in a shrug, keeping her expression and tone neutral. “I said no such thing.”

“You wouldn’t.” Tori’s full mouth twisted in a wry pout. She was quiet, thoughts flitting across her face. “Darn Mama and her rules.”

“It’s not a terrible rule.”