“Well, that wasn’t subtle. You all should work on that more.”
The layout of the café is one of my favorites. When you walk in, the front is open, with the bookstore to the right and the café to the left. The front of each location mirrors the other, with couches and chairs, and a cute, cozy little fireplace tucked in the corner.
The shared wall between the two spaces that they didn’t knock down has bench seating, with tables and chairs. On the other side of the café are large family-style farm tables. It’s one of my favorite places to eat.
I’m also pretty sure it’s where the old ladies in this town get their gossip.
“What? We weren’t talking about you,” Alex stammers from his spot on the couch next to Jaxon. The group groans.
I roll my eyes and make my way over to pour myself a cup of coffee. Which I should not be drinking.
Whatever, I’m starting tomorrow… after my morning cup.
The doors to the kitchen swing open, and Finn, with long blond hair that has no right to look that good, and Beckett, our dark-haired, mysterious chef, come out carrying some kind of fruit and cheese platter before setting it down on the coffee table.
Dom, our resident tall, muscular, scary dude, plucks a piece of cheese off the platter and pretends like he’s not feeding it to Chester, Alex and Jaxon’s dog. Of course, none of us say anything because Chester is a good boy and deserves all the treats.
I look around, wondering how I’ve become included with these people. If we ever attempted to rob a bank, the police would arrest us before we even started. Subtlety is not this group’s middle name.
Ohhh, we should come up with a group name.
I scan the room, and it dawns on me we’re still without one person. “Where’s Olly?” I ask. I mean, the guy is never on time for anything, but he’s neverthislate.
“I don’t know,” says Spencer, who’s now wrapped up in a hug with his boyfriend, Finn. His brows crease. “I talked to him earlier. He sounded frazzled, but never said he wasn’t coming.”
Olly is always one enormous ball of frazzle.
I sit down on one of the big comfy chairs. See, this is how chairs are supposed to be; big and comfy. Jaxon and Alex are sitting on the couch to my right, and Dom to my left, while Mira and Jules have both squeezed themselves into the chair opposite me.
Conversations are flowing around me, and I take in the scene. I’m surrounded by people who I love more than anything, but who I’ve never truly letin.
It’s possible that Marcus is right. It’s time. Maybe it’s my turn to open up and allow myself to be brought into the fold.
“So, Jasper…” Jaxon says, and I have to chuckle because I know it’s been killing him.
“Yes, Daddy?”
“Hey… that’s my line.” Alex protests.
Jaxon leans over and whispers something into his ear, making Alex blush before focusing back on me.
“As I was trying to ask: how did it go today?”
I blow out a breath. I don’t want to get into everything right here, but I at least can tell them something.
“It went fine. The doc says I have high blood pressure and put me on some meds.” I fail to mention the additional test he wants to do.
“So, does that mean you’ll start taking better care of yourself?” Dom questions. “Could we consider slowing down a bit?”
I roll my eyes. “The doc said I just needed to…” The bell over the door jingles and my words trail off as I turn my head to see Olly walking through the front door. There’s a collective gasp and my eyes go wide.
It’s Spencer who breaks the silence. “Hey, Olly…umm, where’d you get the baby?”
Walkingthroughthefrontdoor of the café and being able to hear a pin drop lets me know I’ve made a grave miscalculation. I don’t think I thought through all the facts when I decided showing up to dinner with a baby would be no big deal.
My eyes scan the room, taking in the familiar faces, their expressions a mix of surprise, concern, and curiosity.
I knew if I avoided tonight’s dinner, they would all show up at my door–just like the one time I worked 3 double shifts, came home, and passed out. I don’t want to wake up to nine pairs of eyes staring at me ever again.
