and quickly start packing up their sewing gear and sliding their sewing projects into bags.
No! I do not want to be alone with Blake. Or rather I do, very badly, which is why it can’t happen. “I will smother you with your pillow!” I hiss at Isabella.
“No you won’t. You’d have nobody to walk Xena.”
Xena, who was dozing off, hears her name and wakes up with a bark of confusion. She looks around, sniffs at Edna’s cookie, which is still lying by her nose, and shudders.
Isabella grabs Xena’s leash. “I need my puppy fix. Don’t worry, I won’t fill her up with too much pizza and return her with a severe case of the cheese farts.”
I glare at my former best friend. “Yes you will.”
Isabella nods. “Yes, I will.”
“And for your information, Xena is a lady and ladies do not fart. They break wind,” I say loftily.
“By the way, not that you asked, but I approve!” Nico looks at me and gives Blake the thumbs up. His wife nods enthusiastically.
“Have you been talking to my sister?” Blake demands.
“What? Who?” Nico and Renata glance at each other, then turn to face him, an adorable united front, smiling innocently.
So, I have the Alice stamp of approval. That makes me feel good. She’s a real sweetheart. Then it makes me feel sad. This isn’t going anywhere, and I adore Alice and Tamara, and I’d love to be part of all that.
“Am I invited?” Henry wonders. “Your invitation referred to everyone except Blake and Winona.”
“Of course.” Isabella looks surprised. “You want to come hang with us, Fancy British Man? We’d love to pump you for dirty details about Blake.”
“Go on, then,” Blake says to him. “Abandon me in my hour of need.”
Henry nods agreeably. “If you insist, sir.”
Yes, I really do like Henry. He’s already moving away, helping the ladies fold up chairs. Nico and Renata join them, and they put the wine in Clarita’s little wheeled cart.
“I’ll find you a volunteer lawyer!” Blake calls after them as they start to move away. “You need one!”
“He’s not a complete bastard, then,” Clarita says to Isabella.
“Nope, he’s like eighty percent bastard,” Isabella agrees. “Just enough to be sexy.”
Just as they vanish around the corner, Quinton comes flying into the courtyard. He hurries up to Blake and me, huffing and puffing. “Where’s the dog?” he demands.
I look at Blake. “What dog? Did you see a dog?”
Blake makes a big show of looking all around the courtyard, then he looks back at Quinton and shakes his head. “No dog here. I haven’t seen a dog all night.”
“My boss is on my case because we know you have a dog!” Quinton scowls at me, and his voice rises to a nasal whine. “Also, you changed your lock so I can’t get into your apartment. You need to let me in so I can inspect it, because I know for a fact you’re hiding a dog there.”
“You are required to give her twenty-four hours’ notice,” Blake informs him. Then he glances at me. “See? That’s why you guys need a lawyer.”
“Consider yourself notified,” Quinton huffs, and stalks off.
Great. We’ll have to clean and deodorize everything and hide all of Xena’s stuff, then find a place to park her for a day or two at least. And realistically, we need to find a permanent place for her ASAP.
When Quinton’s gone, I turn to face Blake. An awkward silence descends. He stands there, looking down at me from his great, handsome height, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looks as if he’d be content to stand there all night, just staring at me.
I like looking at him too, but I’m getting a crick in my neck from staring up at him. “So, uh…here we are, not having a relationship.”
He quirks his lips in a small, sad smile. “Here we are. Sucks, doesn’t it? By the way, I forgot to tell you earlier. Your mom emailed me. Wanted to tell me about some houses that are available in downtown Peach Pit at, I quote, ‘a very reasonable price’.”
“What?” I shriek. “She did not.” I bury my face in my hands. “Of course she did. I’m going to freaking… I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Other people would say “I’m going to kill her”. After helping Dad nurse her through a double mastectomy, I don’t joke like that anymore. But I’m angry. And embarrassed.
“Apparently several of her church friends spotted the two of us together at the gala, thanks to, I