“Sorry.” Wren gave her a quick smile, a well-worn reflex. She was ready with another joke to relieve the tension but instead she found herself saying, “I’m not sure what the plan is.”
Stephanie’s smile relaxed into something more genuine. “I can tell you the plan doesn’t involve taking your first yoga class today.”
It was Wren’s turn to smile for real. “You don’t think so?”
“No, sweetie. I don’t think Elias is going to let you out of his sight after they’re done.”
That reassured her a little. But there was still that nagging little voice in her head.
Nothing good ever lasts in your life.
And Elias was the best thing that happened to Wren in a long time.
“You guys are old friends, huh?” she teased Stephanie, changing the subject.
“Actually, no, not old friends. Really only got to know all the little critters this year.”
Wren grinned. “The nicknames.”
“Cute, aren’t they?” Then Stephanie’s face lit up like she’d just thought of something. “Hey, you fit right in with your name.”
“Oh, right. Wren like the bird. I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“Lucky you. I keep angling to join the club but for some reason they’re resistant to calling me Cougar.”
Wren’s eyes went wide before she almost bent in half, laughing. She set the info packet on the desk because she waslikely to spill the folder’s contents all over the floor if Stephanie kept making her laugh like that.
“Hey!” Gabe shouted from down the hall. Wren looked up and watched him coming out of his office followed by the other men. “Knew you couldn’t stay out of trouble, Steph. What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing, boss!” Stephanie shouted back. She winked at Wren, who gave her another reflexive smile. All her attention was on the fact that Elias and Waylon weren’t among the other men.
Are they just talking? Or is there a problem?The anxiety she’d managed to get under control flared inside. She felt flushed, and hoped it didn’t show.
Shane, Ben, and Bear only stopped long enough to tell her and Stephanie goodbye before they were back out the door. Gabe lingered by the desk.
“All is well?” Stephane asked Gabe.
“All is well,” he assured her.
Wren was about to ask Gabe about Elias and Waylon when two women in workout clothes came running up to the desk. They had similar features and Wren figured them for sisters or maybe cousins. The younger woman looked like she was in her very early twenties while the other woman looked somewhere around ten years older.
Gabe held out his arm to pull one of the women into a hug and Wren realized who they were—Gabe’s wife Rochelle and her little sister, Sandra. Ellie had told Wren about them the day before. Sandra especially, since she was an amateur photographer.
Rochelle laughed at Gabe. “You don’t want to hug me right now, I’m covered in sweat.” As she spoke, she signed the words.
Gabe grabbed the woman anyway and pulled her close. “I don’t care, babe.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head.
“Stephanie,” Sandra exclaimed, a joyful smile on her face. “I just finished the book you recommended. I couldnotput it down.” She looked at Wren. “Are you a reader? Steph’s got the best recommendations.”
“Absolutely,” Wren said.
“Oh, here we go.” Gabe laughed. “Hope you like ’em spicy.”
“Sure do. Lay one on me, Stephanie.”
“By the way, this is my wife Rochelle and her sister, Sandra,” Gabe said, making introductions. “Wren is…she came in with Elias.”
Great. He’s not sure what to call me. Which made her feel ridiculously awkward.
