“Everyone knows the Swing Inn is my favorite place,” Chance said. “And Cordy is my favorite bartender.”
Jaycee’s eyes narrowed. She looked between Cordy and Chance. “Are you two…?” She shook her head like she couldn’t even believe she was asking.
“I’m here doing a favor for a friend,” Chance said. “That’s all.”
Gareth laughed. There was a sharp edge to it. “I’m surprised you haven’t had to take this class before,” he said to Chance. “Or maybe you did.”
Chance smiled, but Cordy didn’t find it very funny.
How did Chance know Jaycee and Gareth?Everyone knows everyone herewas what Chance had said. The couple seemed too young to have been in school with Chance, but maybe he knew their siblings or cousins, or they’d done some after-school thing together. Cordy couldn’t even imagine because she’d never in her life run into someone from her childhood.
“They won’t let you take the class without a partner,” Cordy explained. “And, well…” She spread her hands.
“I’m so sorry about Reed.” Jaycee sounded like she meant it. “It was so awful. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing good.” Cordy put her hands on her belly, needing the reassurance of her bump. “How are you? You’re, what, six weeks away from your due date?”
Jaycee nodded excitedly. “It’s hard to believe it’s so close! We had the baby shower last weekend.”
Cordy’s breath caught. She wasn’t having a baby shower, not that her mom would have been interested in throwing one even if she was in the country. A shower hadn’t crossed her mind—too many other things were clamoring for her attention.
“How fun,” Cordy said. “Did you play any games? Like the baby food one?”
“I won that one,” Gareth bragged.
“The baby food game?” Chance looked more than a little horrified. “You ate that stuff?”
“Yeah.” Jaycee laughed. “You feed it to babies, so why can’t adults eat it?”
“Because it looks like…” Chance swallowed the rest of what he’d been about to say, which had probably been aboutbaby food’s resemblance to animal poop. Seemed Ms. Reston’s warning had worked. “I wouldn’t.”
“I guess you guys aren’t having that at your shower.” Jaycee’s mouth dropped open when she realized what she’d said. “Oh. I mean, I guess… You aren’t having a shower together. Obviously.”
“No,” Chance said blandly. “We’re not showering together.”
Cordy resisted the urge to kick him under the table.
“How did the baby food taste?” she asked Gareth.
“Awful.” He pulled a face. “I can’t believe babies eat that.”
They all laughed, and the awkward moment was over, thank God.
“Have you finished decorating the nursery?” Jaycee asked.
“Um.” Cordy thought of the crib still in the box and the painted panel screen separating her bed from the rest of her studio apartment. There was no nursery for her to decorate.
Her stomach swooped. Did she need a nursery? Wasn’t a crib enough? Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she really did need an entirely separate room. Cordy was sure she’d never had a nursery as a baby, but it wasn’t like she could ask her mom. How the hell was she going to put a nursery in her apartment, anyway?
“Not yet,” Chance said easily. “Can’t quite decide on a color.” He flashed a grin. “I had to hear all about it on the way over.”
Cordy realized her face was cold, and her pulse was racing. She was halfway to a panic attack here. But Chance had stepped in. He’d lied—again—to save them.
“Right,” she said. “It feels like such an important choice, you know?”
“Oh, I do.” Jaycee leaned in. “We want something she’ll like once she grows up, but how can you pick a color for someone you haven’t even met yet? Do you know what you’re having?”
“I wanted to be surprised.” Cordy lifted a shoulder. “The old-fashioned way.”
