returned from the city. Erica and Jake had even married on that brand new dock in front of friends and family. What good was it to have the primo outdoor wedding venue if you couldn’t do it up right for yourself?
As with most people in Crescent Cove, they’d done things a little backwards, but Erica had been determined to get herself in a wedding dress before she was showing. Jacob Mills had been all about the fast-forwarded timeline. If he’d had his way, he’d have married her the first day she stepped back in town.
Another best friends to married story for the annals of Crescent Cove. Even if they’d had a good chunk of time apart. Did that make it easier?
Was that why Jared and I had fumbled so very badly? The blurred lines between friends and…more had been moving for so long we hadn’t been able to see when it had actually changed.
I hugged the basket as I crossed the gravel parking lot. Minty green tulle with jaunty yellow balloons decorated the front door and porch. Frankie had obviously been involved. No one else in our family knew how to tie those kinds of bows or how to get that sort of material harnessed into a semblance of one.
My long navy wool coat flapped around my legs as I picked up the pace. I couldn’t screw around outside any longer. I was late. And I had to face that room of baby things. It wasn’t like I wasn’t surrounded by it at Jared’s place, but…
Everything felt a little bigger with the proof of an imminent newborn right here in the basket in my arms. The bunny, a caramel-colored blanket I’d finished crocheting in the summer, with the matching bear lovey, as well as enough bath time basics to open a small store.
Then there was Jared taking things into very public territory both with the stunt he pulled at Thanksgiving dinner, as well as what had happened right before the tree lighting ceremony. Never mind the betting pool.
It was a lot. Both good and bad.
The good part was definitely because a certain someone had kept me up far too late. Then wouldn’t let me go this morning.
Everything felt a little looser and brighter inside me. My long sex fast had been broken thoroughly. While I’d had more than one inappropriate thought about Jared over the years, it had nothing on the reality of him.
And us.
Together.
In all the ways.
The bad consisted of the nebulous future. I needed to take it day by day for now. Even if the future, and maybe the lack of one, was staring at me with large plastic eyes.
A big sign next to the door told me to take a rubber ducky before entering. The number on its butt was for the door prize drawing.
Again, that had to be my sister, Frankie. I just wasn’t that creative.
As I opened the door, more laughter and the ever annoying “Baby Shark” assaulted my ears. It would be a very good day in this world when that song was retired. I tucked my basket at the back of the gift table as I waved and smiled at the dozens of women wandering around the food tables.
My mother and Frankie were confabbing with Kayla over an empty chafing dish. My sister was sitting on a huge rattan chair that looked like it was a reject from school picture days. More tulle had been wrapped around the top part of the head rest and there were enough yellow and green balloons tied to it that I wondered if it was going to float into the rafters.
The cushion had been recovered in a baby pattern that could only mean it was a Kinleigh and August’s Attic refurb. And sure enough, Kin was pushing a matching footstool under Erica’s feet.
Erica huffed out an exasperated breath as people fussed over her.
My aunt Mindy kept trying to force a bottle of water into her hands, eventually giving up to sit by my abuela. Us Ramos women were the ultimate in stubbornness.
Kinleigh brought over a cup of punch.
“No, déjame levantarme!”
I winced and came forward. “All right, guys, give her a little space.”
Erica flailed like a beached whale, and I slid the footstool out of her way before grabbing her forearm to haul her up.
She rubbed the side of her belly. “Imma cut this baby out soon.”
“Now, now.”
Erica put her finger in my face. “Until you have a two-hundred-pound fetus bouncing on your bladder, I don’t want to