“Now, are you drinking with me?”
I blushed. “Ah…no, I can’t.”
“You’re pregnant,” she guessed.
“Yes. Just found out.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I said. “He threatened to drag me to the courthouse on Monday, but I was able to ward him off for the moment.”
The server arrived and took our orders, interrupting our conversation, but Maisie brought it back around once the woman walked away.
“Do you want a big wedding?” she asked.
“Not really,” I admitted. “But I’d like his kids and my brother there. Something a bit more intimate. And I definitely want a pretty dress.”
“Did you tell him all of that?”
“I’ve been trying.” I rolled my eyes. “I haven’t been able to get a word in edgewise with everything going on, so I’m waiting for my moment, because I’m determined to get what I want.”
“Does that work? Waiting for the right moment?”
“Sometimes,” I said. “And if all else fails, I just kneel in front of him and I have a few blissful minutes of acquiescence.”
She chuckled. “See? You’re already figuring out how to manage your president. Well done.”
The server arrived with our drinks interrupting our laughter, and I stared at my raspberry lemonade and tried to pretend it was wine.
“It goes by faster than you expect,” Maisie said. “Believe me.”
“How old are your kids now?”
“Poppy’s twenty-five, married to a Dog, and just had a baby of her own. Flash is twelve and Jamie’s ten.”
“Wow, you don’t look old enough to be a grandmother.”
Maisie grinned. “Thanks, darling, that’s sweet. I don’t feel like I am, so I’ve chosen to pretend it’s not true. But that baby is delicious, and let me tell you, grandchildren are even better than your own.”
“Really? How come?”
“You can give them back.”
“I can’t wait.” I chuckled, settling my hands on my belly. “For all of it.”
* * *
Sundance
“Beer?” I asked as Hatch and I entered the war room.
“Sounds good,” Hatch replied, and I pulled two bottles from the mini fridge within the small bar set up at the opposite end of the room, handing him one. “Cheers,” I replied, raising mine.
“Quite a place you’ve got here,” Hatch said.
“Thanks. Morgan’s dad built it from the ground up, so I can’t take any of the credit.”
“You helped a shit ton if I remember correctly, so you can take some.”
