* * * *
“Come on in!” Elaine held open her cabin door to the women.
Fleur, Lia, Gioia, Charlotte, Marci, Nina, and Suzan filed through, each of them bearing bottles of wine and bags of goodies. She gave them all hugs as they entered.
Reinforcements. She breathed a sigh of relief. It hadn’t been her intention to host a girls’ night so soon after her arrival, but sometimes plans had to change. The cabin had felt so empty when she returned home without Connor. After his shift, he’d gone straight to his own cabin to prepare for his date with Marcelle.
His sexy date with sexy Marcelle.
Okay. You can do this. He should be seeing other people.
The waters were muddying. Emotions were getting confused. She needed to give him some space and embrace a new clarity.
Yes, tonight was all about seeking clarity, and maybe a couple of glasses of merlot.
And yet, even as one of the girls handed her a tempting bottle of red wine, Elaine’s grumpy bear wanted to run out, snatch Connor, and hold him hostage for the next few years.
Connor had been around so much and she’d gotten used to seeing him there. She liked hearing his voice in the next room, reading to the kids, or listening to his off-key singing when he was in the shower. The sight of his boots on the mat in the front hall cheered her, and it was nice to see four sets of plates drying on the rack next to the kitchen sink.
He seemed at home with them, and having him around brought her great comfort, despite this strange new awareness.
Then again, maybe she just missed having a man around the house. Maybe she was using Connor and taking advantage of his good nature.
She’d been thinking something along those lines when she’d turned him in Marcelle’s direction. It was a good thing, setting him up with another woman. It was the right thing to do.
Then why did she feel like crap? Her heart wobbled into an uneven gallop. She wanted to shoot the lame, old thing and put it out of its misery.
“Are the kids asleep yet?” asked Lia, lowering her pregnant body into the nearest chair.
“No, just pretending. They’ll probably be listening at their door all night, so no swear words.” She pointed at Charlotte. “That means you.”
“Me? Fuck.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I need to fix that habit before little Lloyd catches on.”
“I’m glad Bart could take the baby tonight and give you some girl time,” said Elaine.
Charlotte snorted. “Who’s kidding who? You know the guys are all over our place right now, cooing over Lloyd and offering to change his diaper. I’ve never seen so many eager uncles.”
Elaine smiled. “He’s good for you guys. For all of us.”
Charlotte kissed her on the cheek and headed to the kitchen to grab wine glasses.
“So what’s with the impromptu invitation?” Gioia Snow popped open a couple of bags of chips. “Didn’t Doctor Josh say you’re supposed to be resting?”
“You mean Doctor Hot Pants?” said Suzan.
They all looked at her.
“What?” Suzan held up her hands. “Don’t tell me the rest of you haven’t noticed. Josh is gorgeous. With those blue eyes and that wave in his blond hair, he looks like the guy on the cologne commercials.”
“Ooh!” Gioia laughed. “The one standing on the balcony in Paris. I love that guy. When that commercial comes on, even Soren checks him out. I called him on it, too. You should have heard him. He got defensive and said he was ‘admiring the Parisian architecture’.”
Suzan cackled. “Well, I happen to know something about Doctor Josh. That man is hungry for a mate.”
“How do you know?” demanded Marci.
Suzan, being an empath and attuned to the emotions of others, merely grinned. “I know. I felt it the last time he was here. He’s…on his own too much. His practice is demanding, and he works long hours. The guy’s lonely. It’s just too bad his office is on the mainland. It would be nice to have him around more.”
“What on earth would Byron and Percy say if they could hear you right now?” asked Lia.
