I loved music, so I had the answer. “It’s The Weather Girls.”
Then, like someone possessed—since I tended to be more on the quiet side too—and unable to control myself, I began singing the lyrics to the song Dusty was talking about. When all the ladies joined in, yelling about how it was raining men, hallelujah, I was pretty sure the guys thought we’d lost our minds.
Once we settled down, Dusty repeated her words from earlier, telling us how much she was going to miss all this.
“You’re welcome to join us any time you want,” Alley toldher. “You have been awesome and opened my eyes to new possibilities.”
“Oh yeah?” our newest friend questioned.
“Yup,” Alley said, popping the P. “I love my bat collection, but after the ass-whopping you gave that guy, I’m thinking of starting a cane collection.”
I swear I almost peed my pants laughing. Dusty had heard all about Alley’s bat collection, but since Dusty had used her cane to beat on the man who’d attacked me, Alley—and everyone else—had mad respect for her.
“Maybe I’ll start a bat collection, and we can compare next time I’m in town,” Dusty told her.
Alley grinned. “Sounds like a perfect plan.”
It did too.
Just hearing Dusty talk about coming back made me happy. I looked over and smiled at her, getting one in return.
Something in my gut told me that she and Jett would both be okay eventually.
Cocooned in his arms like a warm blanket, I murmured sleepily.
“It sucks that Dusty leaves tomorrow.”
The gathering had been awesome, but we finally called it a night around eleven. We had to get to the airport by ten in the morning and all needed some sleep. I’d been waning for hours before that, and Jett insisted it was past my curfew—everyone got a kick out of that.
What had them roaring with laughter was our banter that followed.
Being a total smart-mouth—maybe channeling my inner Alley—I replied, “Okay, Dad.”
Jett raised his brows, then with a smirk on his gorgeousface said, “There is nothing fatherly about the way I feel about you.”
I must have been really tired, delirious even, or that bump to the head was affecting my brain more than we thought, because I didn’t usually act the way I was—especially in front of people. But this new thing between Jett and me had me changing right before my own eyes. So I couldn’t resist egging him on even more.
“Does that mean we can skip the date then and just get to the?—”
My husband stopped my words by quickly reaching out and placing a finger over my lips. “Don’t finish that sentence.”
“Yes, please don’t finish that sentence,” Ruby said. “This is my little brother.”
“Hate to break it to you, girl,” Alley butted in. “Little brother ain’t so little anymore.”
Jett shook his head. “Trouble. You’re all trouble,” he said as he let his finger fall from my lips and walked over to the couch to pick up a sleeping Griffin.
I swear that sight had my ovaries exploding right there in front of everyone we knew. A sigh drifted out of me just as Dusty saddled up by my side. “He might not be the sperm donor, but in all that counts, he is his father. And he sure looks content being one to that little boy.”
My head snapped toward her. How did she know exactly what I was thinking? Well, that, and I was wondering if he wanted more kids? Her next words slayed me because once again she’d read my mind—everyone was a dang mind reader these days.
“He wants more children.” Her eyes bored into mine. “With you.”
Stunned, I stared at her for a beat before asking, “How do you know that?”
Jett had never said how he felt about me or anything closeto something as personal as wanting kids with me. For a second, I felt… What did I feel? Angry that he couldn’t tell his best friend how he truly felt? Jealous that he’d told Dusty, not me? Hurt that he couldn’t confide his deepest wishes to me? But all those feelings tumbled right out the window when she spoke again.
“He was afraid, Patience.” Her gaze softened. “Jett didn’t want to lose his best friend if she didn’t feel the same.” Her pretty eyes shimmered with tears, as she told me something that sucked the air from my lungs. “We thought we were going to die. That’s the kind of moment when you say all the things you thought you might never get to.”
