“So how long are you in town for, Jill?” Connie asked when there was a general lull in the boisterous conversation.
Jill looked like a deer in headlights for a moment as the silence weighed heavily on the table.
Connie’s big blue eyes darted around nervously. “Sorry, was I not supposed to ask that?” she asked in the genuine and straightforward way that was pure Connie.
“No, it’s fine,” Jill rushed to assure her. “I’m just not sure.”
“I heard there’s an opening at the hospital,” Scarlet put in. Scar had been in nursing school since I’d known her, but with a toddler and baby on the way, her progress had stalled some.
“Oh?” Jill asked. “Well, I have a lot to sort out.” She shifted nervously in her seat and I waded in to her rescue.
“Jill’s a hot commodity.” I winked. “Where’s Ry?” I asked, deliberately changing the subject.
I saw Jill literally deflate with relief when the focus wasn’t on her anymore.
“Wrapped up in something,” Wes snickered.
“Man whore,” Ettie shook her head with a giggle.
“On Thanksgiving? Really?” I demanded. As much as Ry could be annoying at times, I missed him. I was mildly affronted that he’d picked a random bimbo over his family.
“Pumpkin pie’s good but not nearly as good as pussy,” Wes chortled as Connie smacked him; I turned to smother a laugh in Axel’s shoulder.
It was after pie and to the point where I was stuffed to the gills when I finally had Jill alone for a minute. Rather than try to wrap her up in a conversation when we only had a spare moment, I tried to coax her up to our place for the night.
“I don’t know, Soph,” she fretted. “I don’t want to put you out and I don’t have any of Mason’s overnight stuff.”
“Okay, how about tomorrow then? Or I could come to you?” I offered. I missed my friend and wanted to spend time together like we used to. We had a lot of catching up to do.
Axel came to stand alongside me, and Maddox immediately reached out of my arms for his daddy. “What’s up?” Axel asked, picking our boy up and delivering a quick nuzzle into his neck.
“Jill and I were trying to sort out a sleepover,” I informed him. “I was thinking I could stay with her tomorrow night.”.
Axel turned to Jill. “I’ll pick you up, bring you to our place.”
“Babe,” I sighed, exasperated.
“Got no problem with girls’ night,” he shook his head. “But I want you under our roof.”
“That’s fine,” Jill assured him, shooting me a look to relax.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “How are you getting home?”
“Uh, Cal has Mason’s car seat in his truck. I guess he’s taking me home,” she replied nervously.
“Okay, well, you’re in good hands then,” I answered her softly, reaching out to squeeze her hand.
“Yeah,” she bit her lip, not meeting my eye.
Weird. I didn’t know this side of Jill. The woman I knew was bold and unafraid to speak her mind.
“Let’s go,” Axel said a short while later. His demeanor had been surly after dinner and I couldn’t understand why. We’d had a great night.
“Sure,” I agreed, eyeing him warily.
We said our goodbyes and headed out into the chilly evening. “Will we get snow soon you think, up at the house?” I wondered aloud as he fired up the engine and pointed us toward home.
“Possibly,” he shrugged.
