Riley laughed. “Thanks. I thought…”
“I know what you thought. We use tea as a code word for let’s get together for a drink. It’s been a damn rough week, but we have tons to celebrate. Delaney got a clean bill of health from the doctor and has only three months to go until we see little Delaney Jr since she won’t tell us the sex.”
“I told you, as long as the baby’s healthy, I don’t care,” Delaney insisted. “Besides, when did you become a fan of babies? Last time I checked, you have a freakish fear of them.”
“Other babies don’t belong to my best friend,” Rachel argued. “As long as you don’t ask me to change a diaper or watch it, I’m excited for you.”
Delaney held her stomach as she laughed. “Like I’d ever ask you to take care of my kid. The dog has better motherly instincts than you.”
“She’s fixed. We’re both enjoying our unmotherly bitches time.”
Riley snorted. “Excuse me.”
“For what? Not every woman wants kids. Who wants to deal with getting fat, cankles, and giving birth to have something that eats, cries, and poops every hour of the day?” Rachel said, refilling her wine glass. “Sorry, Delaney. It makes me mad when people act like something’s wrong with you if you don’t want kids.”
“I raised Tara. I’m not against having kids, but I prefer towait until I’ve traveled and buy a ranch of my own,” Riley interjected. “You don’t want any kids, Rachel?”
The woman shrugged. “I’m not sure. When Delaney has her baby, I’ll practice on it and then decide.
“I never expected Megan,” Rebecca said, entering the room and holding up her glass for Rachel to pour her some wine. “She’ll always be our first daughter. I can’t imagine my life without her.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. She’s a little darling,” Rachel said, waving her hand. “I don’t think I have a motherly instinct. My mother certainly didn’t have it. Watch Delaney rub her stomach for the hundredth time. Rebecca has a natural flair for motherhood. Tell us about you, Riley. We called this get-together because you’ve stayed holed up in the cabin. Rebecca’s experienced a rough day, and it’s the perfect opportunity to get to know you.”
“There’s not much to know. I’ve raised Tara since our mom died and our father turned into an alcoholic. I worked the ranch until we left, and I’ve taken odd jobs to survive. What do you do?” she asked the three women, now curious since Julio avoided her question.
“Delaney’s the head cook for the ranch, I market our beef products and help when needed, and Rebecca saves the world,” Rachel said, sipping her wine.
“What do you do to save the world?” Riley asked curiously.
“I work for the government. They send me on jobs,” she explained, avoiding Riley’s gaze. “Rachel likes to tease me.”
“Never mind her. We have a burning question for you. What’s it like to stay at the cabin with that big bear of a man, Garrett?”
Riley felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “He’s…nice.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Rachel laughed and pointed to Delaney. “Pay up. She slept with him.”
“I didn’t say…,” Riley exclaimed. “How can you tell?”
“Girl, he’s one hell of a specimen. Why do you feel embarrassed?” Delaney asked. “Rachel says he’s very protective of you and Tara. Before you allowed Tara to stay with Kara, he made Julio and Rebecca promise not to let your sister out of their sight.”
“I’m not embarrassed…it’s still all new and stuff,” she said lamely.
“It must be hard with your sister there,” Rachel said, drinking her wine. “It’s a good thing you’re not a virgin.”
Riley wanted to melt into the floor. Her cheeks felt on fire, and she desperately wanted to flee. This didn’t feel like friendship. It felt like harassment.
“Wait a minute. You were a virgin, weren’t you?” Rachel asked, cringing. “I’m sorry. Sometimes my inner bitch comes out, and I can’t stop my mouth. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You asked me here to waylay me into telling you about sleeping with a man. It’s none of your business. I thought you wanted to be friends. You’re nothing more than a bunch of cowboys in a bunkhouse debating who they plan to tap next,” she said, enraged. Leaning forward, she put her wineglass on the table. Riley pushed herself off the couch, intending to leave.
“Wait a minute, Riley,” Rebecca pleaded. “It’s my fault. We’re working on talking about sex. My therapist recommended it. It’s supposed to help me to open up with my friends. Obviously, Rachel enjoys talking about her sex life, Delaney doesn’t have one, and this left you.”
“Why do you need to talk about it at all?” Riley asked. “It’s clumsy, awkward, and sometimes embarrassing. Youneed a new therapist if she thinks talking about it will help you.”
“Oh, Riley,” Rachel said. “Did you have a bad experience? Garrett doesn’t seem like the type of guy to leave you hanging.”
“No. Yes. The first time hurt like a bitch. But then Garrett put me in the bathtub, and then we enjoyed it. Why do guys not want you to taste them?” she asked.
