Claire looked at the sea of boxes surrounding her, then shot Sophie a pointed glance. “You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”
Sophie smiled, her royal-blue eyes twinkling. Her brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and even in her maternity dress, she looked adorable. “The one that’s markedkitchen.”
Claire found the box her sister referred to and lifted it easily into her arms.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The deep, masculine voice had Claire turning in surprise to find Trevor’s good friend, Marcus Wesley, entering the kitchen, boxes in hand. Marcus had been the best man in Sophie and Trevor’s wedding. Claire had been the matron of honor. Marcus was, in a word, gorgeous. Not to mention devastatingly charming.
Claire found herself smiling at him. “Handing Soph this box.”
“Oh no you don’t.” Effortlessly, he lowered the boxes he was carrying to the polished wood of the kitchen floor. “No lifting for either of you.” He reached out and took the box from Claire’s hands. “The boss says so.”
“That’s right, I do,” Trevor chimed in as he strode into the disarray of the kitchen. He slid his arms around Sophie’s waist and kissed her so lingeringly Claire had to look away. “Sweetheart, I need to borrow you for a couple minutes. Marcus and I were trying to arrange the furniture in the bedroom, but I’m afraid we weren’t very successful. Come tell me where things belong.”
He grabbed Sophie’s hand and began tugging her from the room. Sophie rolled her eyes at Claire. “Men. I have no idea how they’d live without us.”
Marcus pretended to shudder. “I don’t even want to think about a world without women.”
Undoubtedly, the man had several hanging after him at any given moment and wouldn’t have to worry about a world without women any time soon.
“Me neither,” Trevor said softly, giving Sophie a look of naked adoration.
God, Claire didn’t think there had ever been a time when anyone looked at her like that, let alone her husband. Not to mention the father of her child.
Sophie and Trevor disappeared from the kitchen, leaving Claire alone with Marcus.
“It’s almost disgusting, isn’t it?” Marcus asked, cutting into Claire’s thoughts.
Her gaze flew to him. “What is?”
Marcus shot her a smirk as he bent to cut open a box with the scissors Sophie had left behind. “Our little love birds. What else?”
Claire’s smiled turned wry. “All these boxes, maybe?”
“That too.” He pulled out some drinking glasses and began stocking the cabinet behind him. “At least I just brought in the last of them.”
“Small favors,” Claire said, bending down to unpack some dinner plates.
“I told Trevor he’s used up his one free move,” Marcus murmured.
She raised a brow. “His one free move?”
Marcus nodded, a glint sparking in his eyes. “Each friend gets one free move at the beginning of a friendship. If they move more than once, they owe you something.”
Claire laughed at that. “Like what?”
He thought for a moment. “Free beer. Maybe a favor. Depends on how much of a pain in the ass the second move is.”
She sighed, thinking of a frosty bottle of Corona with lime jammed in the neck. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a beer.”
Marcus gave a shout of laughter, eying her from head to toe. “You drink beer?”
“Don’t sound so skeptical.” She crossed her arms and frowned at him. “Of course I do.”
He grinned. “You just don’t look like the type, I guess.”
She patted her belly. “Give me some time and then you can take me out and I’ll prove it to you.”
