sorry,” Ally said. “I just thought you should know.
“No, it’s fine. There’s nothing going on with us. We’re just friends.” Her words sounded sincere but tasted bitter on her tongue.
Ally’s phone vibrated with an incoming text. She tapped the screen and frowned as she read it. “It’s Chelsea. I swear she’s going to turn my hair gray.” Ally rolled her eyes.
“So what does Jack have to say about the baby and all?”
“Jack is beyond pissed. He wants to walk away from her and never look back. I can’t say I blame him, either. Maybe she really did think it was his kid. I don’t know. But it doesn’t excuse the way she played him.” She paused to take a sip of her coffee before continuing. “I feel kind of sorry for her. She doesn’t have anyone. It’s only her and the baby. Whenever I think my life is a mess, I look at her and think I’ve got it pretty good. And believe it or not, I kind of like her.”
“Shut the front door.” Karly slapped a hand on the table, unable to believe her ears. No one ever said anything positive about Chelsea. She never expected Ally to be the first. “Did I really hear that?”
“I know. I can’t believe it either, but when she’s not being a pain in my ass, she’s kind of entertaining. She’s like a blender without a top, stuff spraying out all over the place. All this drama happening around her.”
“Hey, ladies. Mind if we join you?” The deep, smooth baritone voice had them turning in unison. Jack stood next to their booth. A light dusting of snow covered the broad shoulders of his army jacket, melting into dark splotches on the drab green cloth. He jerked his head in greeting to Karly.
"Hi," Ally said. It was amazing how her face softened and her voice became breathless around him. "What are you doing here?"
"We were at the hardware store next door and thought we'd crash your girl party. Is that okay?" Jack shot Karly a quick look of apology but directed the question to Ally.
We? Karly’s heart skipped a beat. She dropped her eyes to the cappuccino and stirred the whipped cream with slow circles.
"Of course it's okay," Ally said to Jack. “Sit down with us.”
Jack bent to drop a kiss on the top of Ally's head. When he moved to slide into the booth, another person stepped forward. Randy stood beside the table, hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, a brown knit cap pulled low over his head. A shiver of pure unadulterated lust vibrated through her body, followed by a rush of heat to her cheeks. She glanced up at him with a polite smile. The handsome face gave nothing away, but the heat in his eyes warmed her. He stood awkwardly next to the table, waiting for an invitation to sit. An invitation she didn’t offer.
Ally caught the exchange and quirked an eyebrow at Karly. She shrugged, begging for help, completely at a loss.
"Have a seat, Randy," Ally said. "Are your ears burning? We were just talking about you."
Karly kicked Ally beneath the table. She grunted and smirked. Karly scooted to the far side of the booth, and Randy slid in next to her. Not just next to her, but right up against her. The guy was big, the booth small, and he didn't even make a pretense of putting space between them. Instead, he wedged her into the corner, spread his legs, and pinned her against the wall with his thigh. The friction of his leg bumping hers caused her heart to stutter.
Confused, she bit her lower lip and stared at her coffee. What was this guy's deal? One minute they're making out, and the next he's shoving her off his lap like he couldn't get away from her fast enough. Now, he had his leg alongside hers as if it belonged there when it didn’t. A point he made perfectly clear at her apartment. She scooted closer to the wall and glared at him.
“You know vervain will prevent that,” Jack said. The corners of his mouth quirked.
“Prevent what?” Ally and Karly asked in unison.
“Vampires from sucking on your neck,” Jack
“No, it’s fine. There’s nothing going on with us. We’re just friends.” Her words sounded sincere but tasted bitter on her tongue.
Ally’s phone vibrated with an incoming text. She tapped the screen and frowned as she read it. “It’s Chelsea. I swear she’s going to turn my hair gray.” Ally rolled her eyes.
“So what does Jack have to say about the baby and all?”
“Jack is beyond pissed. He wants to walk away from her and never look back. I can’t say I blame him, either. Maybe she really did think it was his kid. I don’t know. But it doesn’t excuse the way she played him.” She paused to take a sip of her coffee before continuing. “I feel kind of sorry for her. She doesn’t have anyone. It’s only her and the baby. Whenever I think my life is a mess, I look at her and think I’ve got it pretty good. And believe it or not, I kind of like her.”
“Shut the front door.” Karly slapped a hand on the table, unable to believe her ears. No one ever said anything positive about Chelsea. She never expected Ally to be the first. “Did I really hear that?”
“I know. I can’t believe it either, but when she’s not being a pain in my ass, she’s kind of entertaining. She’s like a blender without a top, stuff spraying out all over the place. All this drama happening around her.”
“Hey, ladies. Mind if we join you?” The deep, smooth baritone voice had them turning in unison. Jack stood next to their booth. A light dusting of snow covered the broad shoulders of his army jacket, melting into dark splotches on the drab green cloth. He jerked his head in greeting to Karly.
"Hi," Ally said. It was amazing how her face softened and her voice became breathless around him. "What are you doing here?"
"We were at the hardware store next door and thought we'd crash your girl party. Is that okay?" Jack shot Karly a quick look of apology but directed the question to Ally.
We? Karly’s heart skipped a beat. She dropped her eyes to the cappuccino and stirred the whipped cream with slow circles.
"Of course it's okay," Ally said to Jack. “Sit down with us.”
Jack bent to drop a kiss on the top of Ally's head. When he moved to slide into the booth, another person stepped forward. Randy stood beside the table, hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, a brown knit cap pulled low over his head. A shiver of pure unadulterated lust vibrated through her body, followed by a rush of heat to her cheeks. She glanced up at him with a polite smile. The handsome face gave nothing away, but the heat in his eyes warmed her. He stood awkwardly next to the table, waiting for an invitation to sit. An invitation she didn’t offer.
Ally caught the exchange and quirked an eyebrow at Karly. She shrugged, begging for help, completely at a loss.
"Have a seat, Randy," Ally said. "Are your ears burning? We were just talking about you."
Karly kicked Ally beneath the table. She grunted and smirked. Karly scooted to the far side of the booth, and Randy slid in next to her. Not just next to her, but right up against her. The guy was big, the booth small, and he didn't even make a pretense of putting space between them. Instead, he wedged her into the corner, spread his legs, and pinned her against the wall with his thigh. The friction of his leg bumping hers caused her heart to stutter.
Confused, she bit her lower lip and stared at her coffee. What was this guy's deal? One minute they're making out, and the next he's shoving her off his lap like he couldn't get away from her fast enough. Now, he had his leg alongside hers as if it belonged there when it didn’t. A point he made perfectly clear at her apartment. She scooted closer to the wall and glared at him.
“You know vervain will prevent that,” Jack said. The corners of his mouth quirked.
“Prevent what?” Ally and Karly asked in unison.
“Vampires from sucking on your neck,” Jack
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