“Just one glass for me.”
“But you never do dinner without wine, unless… Oh my God!” Mabel’s mouth fell open. “Are you pregnant?”
Ana bit her lip and tried not to smile.
“You are! My partner got you good and knocked up again!”
Ana’s smile bloomed across her face. “I’m still in my first trimester, so we’re not telling anybody yet. We had another appointment this afternoon.”
Mabel whooped and twined her arms around Ana’s neck. “Mum’s the word. But you’re going to name this one Mabel, right? Dave promised me you would last time, and then you guys let me down and had a boy.”
Ana’s smile dimmed a bit. “We haven’t started talking names yet. Honestly, this one’s been rough. More nausea and fatigue than usual, that kind of thing. Poor Dave’s basically turned into a single dad with all the puking and sleeping I’ve been doing. Today’s the first good day I’ve had in ages. Take my advice and stick to heavy petting, just in case.”
Mabel hugged her friend again. “As we just discussed, sex is so far from happening that it’s not even funny. But you’ll let me know if I can help out with anything? Cook you dinner sometime?”
“Cook? You?”
Mabel laughed. “Okay, order you a pizza.”
Three hours later, Mabel and Aiden were both moaning in discomfort over their full bellies as they headed down the Chiltons’ driveway. She studied his profile as they walked. He was hot. He was nice. He wasn’t Jake. And maybe that’s exactly what she needed.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” she blurted.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Why? Looking for a good time?”
If she was doing this, she owed him honesty. “Actually, no.”
“That’s… not what women usually say to me.”
They’d reached his Murdoch Construction pickup truck, and he leaned against it with a puzzled expression.
“No offense,” she said. “I’m sure you’re a very good time, but I’m actually thinking about hitting the Brick Babe auditions.” The very thought of it threatened to smother her in despair, but at the same time, she felt compelled to witness the shitshow. See how obnoxious Brandon got with it. Test the limits of what she’d be able to survive during this awful time.
“And you think the hit-it-and-quit-it guy’s going to make that better somehow?”
“That’s a far worse nickname than Adonis.” But the skepticism in his voice surprised her, and she asked, “Who wouldn’t want to just hang out with you?”
One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Again, that’s not what most women are looking for from me.”
“I thought that was your perpetual mission. ‘Get in, getin, get gone.’” Had she been reading Aiden wrong all this time?
He shifted from foot to foot, considering his answer. “Yeah, it’s… it’s getting old.” He ruffled a hand through his hair, the glow from the streetlight falling across the flat line of his mouth.
“Whoa. Aiden Murdoch’s ready to settle down?”
He grimaced. “No. God no. I have no idea how to do the adult dating thing. But fewer man-whore jokes would be nice.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s a big thing to live up to.”
His confession surprised her, but she could fold it into her plan. It was the act of a mildly desperate woman, but it could work. Jake had made his wishes clear, but she might need some help honoring them.
She straightened her shoulders and made the ask. “I need a babysitter. For me.”
He tilted his head like an adorably confused puppy, and she sighed.
“I recently ended a sort of relationship and need some help not drifting back into it. For my own sake, and for the guy’s.”
Aiden crossed his arms over his chest. “So I come along to your thing tomorrow to keep you occupied and to stop you from sending any tipsy texts.”
“Exactly. Totally platonic, and everybody keeps it in their pants.”
