Now that Ben knows where we’re headed, the second I’ve finished in the pharmacy, Ben grabs my hand and yanks me to the door. “We have togo.”
I should have waited until we were at the diner to mention Harry’s birthday party.
“Thanks, Michelle!” I call out as I let Ben pull me along.
“You have a good day now,” she calls back with a smile and a wave.
The second I pull open the door, Ben bolts out onto the street. I yank him back before he can run into the road, dropping my purse in my desperation. “Ben!Stop!”
A familiar figure comes out of nowhere to scoop him up.
Ben squeals with laughter as Joel lifts him onto his shoulders. “Joel!”
“Hey, buddy.” Joel’s eyes flick from me to my open bag on the street, his gaze lingering on the pregnancy test. His brow rises.
Cheeks burning, I bend to pick it up, shoving it deeper into my purse, relieved Ben didn’t see it. “I thought I should make sure instead of relying on instinct.”
“Wise.” He bounces Ben on his shoulders. “Where were you headed with this speed demon?”
“The diner to speak to Lina about Harry’s birthday party. I should’ve known mentioning it would send Ben crazy.”
He nods. “I’ll walk with you.”
I glance at him, surprised. “You don’t need to be at work?”
He’s dressed for it, in the navy t-shirt with a Rios Fire logo, navy pants, and black combat boots that he left the house in this morning.
“Trying to get rid of me?” he teases.
The tops of my ears burn. “No. Just curious. Don’t you have your car?”
“It was too nice a day not to walk down from the firehouse to pick up a treat for everyone,” he explains. “The guys can’t always make it in to grab a slice of Maisie’s pies, so a couple of days a week she’ll make extras that Nico keeps aside for us.”
“That’s really nice of her,” I say, appreciating her thoughtfulness.
“She’s a real sweetheart,” Joel agrees as we walk toward the diner.
Since it’s only a few feet away, I leave my car parked outside the pharmacy instead of bothering to move it.
“I’m sure she is,” I say, keeping my tone light. It makes no sense at all for me to have a problem with someone I’ve never met.
Joel slows, gives me a probing look, and a dimple appears on his right cheek. “But she is pregnant and happily mated to four alphas who love her to death, and she loves them right back. I have my sights set elsewhere. See, there’s this girl I keep thinking about a thousand times a day. It’s a growing obsession.”
“Oh.” There’s no need to ask where he’s set his sights. I’m falling deeper into the heat in his gaze, and I don’t want anyone to save me from the crash landing. I just want to keep falling forever.
“Mommy, you’re not gonna throw up again, are you?” Ben asks, worried.
I tear my gaze from Joel to frown up at him. “No. Why would you think that?”
“You’ve gone a funny color.”
Joel laughs.
I press my hands to my red cheeks, and they are definitely red. My skin is burning. “Um, no. This is a different feeling, Ben. I won’t throw up over Joel.”
“Good,” Ben says happily. “I haven’t been on a fire truck yet.”
“Priorities, right?” Joel says, laughing as he opens the diner door for me, and I get hit in the face with sweet and savory deliciousness.
