In Over Her Head: An Anchor Island Novel by Terri Osburn (reading eggs books .TXT) 📗

will. But right now, what do you say we go for two?”

Panic tightened her gut. “Kids?” Lauren squeaked.

Nick’s bark of laughter filled the room. “I meant sex,” he mumbled, nuzzling into her shoulder. “You’re something else, Riley.”

She would have offered a witty comeback, but his lips were quickly sliding down below the sheet. “I’m… I… Ooh…”

Seconds later, kids were the furthest thing from her mind.

14

Lauren fought off exhaustion as she parked her car in front of a small building with a bright-pink awning over the door and the words Sweet Opal’s Bakery & Confections emblazoned across the front window. This was apparently the site of some Tuesday ritual where Roxie and the other ladies, whom Lauren had started referring to as the gang, gathered to gab, gossip, and unwind with their favorite treats.

At least that’s how Roxie had described the evening while insisting that Lauren should join them. Pilar’s opened in less than a week and she’d have preferred to be in the kitchen, perfecting every dish down to the garnish, but Jackson had assured her that they could carry on for one evening without her. The others had tried to hide their relief when she’d slipped off her chef’s jacket to go, but Lauren didn’t hold it against them. No one had voiced a single complaint since the adventure park trip, and she’d been pushing them hard over the last few days.

She hadn’t seen Nick since he’d left her place Monday morning. She’d expected him to leave some time during the night, but he’d stayed until she’d risen to go to work. Lauren wasn’t sure how she felt about that. At least he hadn’t brought up the kids thing again.

“We’re over here,” called Roxie from a table at the end of the patio. Will and Beth were already there, along with two little girls Lauren hadn’t seen before. “Have a seat.” Roxie tapped the white metal chair beside her.

A huge umbrella blocked the sun and shifted every time the little girl with the curly hair pushed at the table. She looked to be testing how much the thing could withstand.

“That’s enough, Mary Ann,” Beth said. “You promised me you’d behave.”

“But I’m bored. I want my cupcake.”

“You have to wait until the others arrive.” To Will, she said, “I shouldn’t have left the house so early.”

“I’ll take her in to see if Opal has any specials today.” Will stood and offered her hand to the little girl, who took it and then skipped across the patio without a care in the world.

To Lauren’s surprise, the other little girl, the smaller of the two, shuffled around Roxie’s chair and said, “Up.” Two chubby arms hovered in the air, waiting for the order to be followed.

Lauren looked at the other two women. “Does she want me to pick her up?”

“You don’t have to,” Beth said. “Daphne, honey, come sit with Mommy.”

The cherub didn’t budge. “Up,” she said again.

Roxie lifted the little one onto her lap, but she slid right off and made her demand one more time to Lauren. Admiring the child’s grit, she gave in. Once on the target lap, she stuck a thumb in her mouth and leaned back against Lauren’s chest as if this was an everyday thing.

“I’m sorry,” Beth said. “She never meets a stranger, as you can tell.”

“I don’t mind.” And oddly, she didn’t. Daphne’s wavy brown hair smelled like strawberries, while her chubby cheeks puffed in and out as she sucked on the tiny digit. Lauren pictured having a little girl of her own. Would she have blond hair, like hers, or maybe dark like Nick’s?

Stunned by the unwelcome conjecture, she silently scoured the thought from her brain.

“Did you hear that, Lauren?”

She looked up to find the women looking her way. “I’m sorry. What?”

“I asked how the restaurant is coming along?” Beth repeated.

“Oh. Good. We’ve locked in the menu but now we’re tweaking the dishes to make them as flavorful as possible. The waitstaff is also learning the menu so they’ll be ready when the doors open.”

As soon as the last word was out, Lauren found herself staring at the face of another munchkin. This one a little boy with dark hair and a very handsome face. “I’m Conner,” he said. “Why you holding Daphne?”

“Because she told me to,” she answered. “Nice to meet you, Conner.”

“He’s mine,” Callie said, taking the chair beside Will’s empty one. “That’s Lauren, baby. She’s new to the island.”

“Where you from?” the inquisitive one asked.

“I grew up in Boston. Where are you from?”

The boy blushed. “Right here, silly.” Turning, he spotted another little girl coming their way. “Oh, no,” Lauren heard him say. “Not Pilar.”

So this was the unofficial namesake of her restaurant.

“Who are you?” the new arrival demanded as she stopped beside the boy. “Why you holding my cousin?”

Lauren was starting the think the universe was messing with her. Why else would she suddenly find herself the center of every child’s attention?

“Manners,” Sid said to her daughter. “What have I told you about how to talk to adults?”

“You said to be nice. I am being nice,” the girl defended. “She’s got Daphne.”

“She isn’t stealing her.” Sid took a seat next to Lauren. “I don’t know where she gets this bossy attitude.”

Beth burst out laughing. “It’s a total mystery.”

“Nobody yanked your chain, curly.”

Lauren doubted she would ever get used to the dynamics in this group.

“Is everyone here?” Will said upon returning with Mary Ann.

“Henri is missing,” Callie replied. “She said she had to make a stop on the way.”

“Here she comes,” Roxie said, nodding toward the parking lot.

The woman in question exited a blue Volkswagen Beetle and Mia climbed from the passenger seat. Lauren heard Roxie say, “About time,” under her breath.

Before she could ask what that meant, the women joined the group and Will disappeared back inside only to return seconds later with a plump older woman draped in a ruffled pink apron. Her bright-blue eyes went right to Lauren.

“We have a newcomer, I see.”

“This is Lauren Riley,” Sid