twice as grateful,” Susie commented with a grin.
Emma replied, “No argument there.” She absently rubbed her palm over her round belly. She was within a month of her due date and very pregnant.
It was moments like this that I was painfully reminded just how behind the ball I felt in my life. I wanted a baby, so, so much. I was already staring down thirty-three years old, and I had no potential father in sight. It felt like my biological clock had neon emergency alarms blaring. I knew it was all in my head, well not one-hundred percent. Hormones were definitely part of it. I could reason my way out of it, but it didn’t change that I desperately wanted to complain about not having a babysitter, or how hard it was to find one, and have a partner whose work schedule was a nightmare. I’d happily take all of those pesky frustrations if it meant I had a family with someone.
Instead, I envied my friends, and I hated my envy because it made me feel childish. Needing a distraction as they commiserated over babysitting, I snatched a menu from where it was tucked between the condiments and opened it.
No one even noticed I wasn’t part of the conversation, and I knew just how ridiculous I was being that even that hurt my feelings a little.
Blessedly, Delia Hamilton stopped by the table. “Hey, ladies.” She had a water pitcher in hand and immediately began filling our glasses.
“Are you the hostess tonight?” I asked as I glanced up at her.
Delia was the chef and managed the restaurant here. She’d been a few years behind us in high school, but we all knew her. Her blue eyes twinkled with her smile, and her blond ponytail swung over her shoulder as she leaned over to fill our water glasses. “Just in a pinch,” she replied. “Harry’s out of town this week, so I’m taking over when things get a little hectic upfront. Kayla will be serving you, and she’ll be out in a minute. Do you want to hear the specials though?”
“Absolutely,” Tess said as she glanced up.
Delia quickly recited the specials.
“I already know what I want,” Susie commented.
Delia grinned. “Kayla will be right here. I don’t even have a notebook. I can promise you that I won’t remember.”
After Delia hurried off, Emma, always perceptive, caught my eyes. Susie and Hannah were looking at something on Susie’s phone while Tess was texting someone.
“So, how have you been?” Emma asked. She and Hannah were strikingly similar in appearance. They were both tall and leggy with almost black hair that hung in straight glossy locks. Her blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled over at me. I loved having Emma as a friend, but she was a therapist and sometimes too perceptive.
“I’ve been fine,” I said with a light shrug. “The coffee truck is getting busy, and I need to cut back on my hours doing massages for the physical therapy office.”
“Do you like doing that in the winter?”
“I do.” The moment I said that, I recalled my appointment a few days ago with Elias. Dear God, that man made me feel all kinds of inappropriate.
“I need to get my doctor to recommend a massage,” Susie interjected.
“You don’t have to have a doctor’s recommendation. You can schedule on your own.”
“Yeah, but if my doctor refers me, then my insurance pays for it,” Susie countered matter-of-factly.
“True,” I replied with a grin.
Just then, a motion across the restaurant caught my eye. Looking over, I saw Elias walking in with Diego and Flynn. The moment my eyes landed on him, my belly did a spinning flip. Heat flooded my cheeks, and he hadn’t even looked at me.
As if he could read my mind, his head turned and his eyes locked with mine instantly. I could feel the intensity of his gaze from all the way across the crowded restaurant. It felt as if a flame licked through the air between us, traveling on a fuse of desire.
“Well,” Susie said. “Now that is a look.”
I abruptly tore my eyes away from Elias, grabbing my water, taking a gulp and almost choking on a piece of ice in the process. Tess had to whack me on the back. “You okay?”
After I caught my breath, I nodded and took a slower sip of water. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You were distracted by all that hotness,” Susie chimed in.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, casting a glare at Susie.
“You having a