That made her sit back and keep her hands firmly by her side. Cordy knew she could only rely on herself in the end. Kissing the town tomcat would be the worst idea.
“Great,” he said. “We never did discuss my salary.”
Cordy had put a fair wage on the flyer, but she sensed Chance wasn’t talking about that. Not with that heated glint in his eye.
The man couldn’t stop flirting. It was too deep in his blood. So deep he’d even do it with her when she was nine months’ pregnant with another man’s child.
The notion that it was only a reflex made her heart sag. “I put my price on the flyer,” she said. “You want me to write you a check?”
Chance wasn’t put off by her tone. “I was thinking we could negotiate some.”
For a moment, she considered what he might be asking for—the two of them in his bed, sweaty and grappling, losing themselves in each other.
That wasn’t what she needed from him, though. There was too much at stake here for her to get sidetracked by his flirting.
“I don’t negotiate.” Cordy kept her voice firm. “You can take it or leave it.”
“Look, let’s be real for a moment,” he said. “I’m the perfect person for this. You want someone here just for this class, someone who only wants to help. Which is me.”
“Why do you want to help me out? This, with babies and marriages and all of that, is very much not you. I would have thought you’d be allergic to it.”
“I am. I never want to do this again. But…” Chance ducked his head. “Everyone knows the Swing Inn is my favorite place.It’s where I go when… Well, when I need to get away. I meant it about you being my favorite bartender. When I see you behind the bar, I know I’m going to have a good night, no matter what.” He reached out to touch a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail. “You’re the last woman I’d mess up with my crap. I promise I’m only here to get you through this class.”
What exactly did he mean byhis crap?Was it what made him run to the Swing Inn to get away? But unless he offered his story, she wouldn’t pry.
“Thanks,” she said huskily. “I’m sorry that I told you no to begin with. It’s just…” Cordy stopped herself from explaining the whole tomcat thing.
He smiled, but it looked sad. “I know what my reputation is like. I don’t blame you. And I shouldn’t have said those things about Reed. You’re right; he’d be here if he could.” He lifted one shoulder. “But you’ll have to make do with me.”
“That won’t be any hardship.” As she said it, she realized it was true.
And no matter how often she chanted the wordtomcaton her way home, Cordy couldn’t get the image of Chance out of her mind.
seven
Cordy was not expectingnews about her birth class partner to spread as fast as it did.
The very next morning at the Swing Inn, Pierce approached her, wide-eyed. “You’re going out with Chance Kessal?”
Cordy set aside the inventory she’d been working on. Orders had to go out this afternoon. She wasn’t scheduled for tonight, so she was working this shift since she needed the money.
“I’m not going out with him.” Cordy tapped the bar for emphasis. “He’s helping me. We’re friends.”
This was better than Pierce thinking Cordy would deliver in the bar, but it still wasn’t good. And how had Pierce heard about Chance already?
“He’s a legend.” Pierce’s voice overflowed with hero worship.
“Right.” Cordy briefly considered telling Pierce that admiring Chance for the notches on his bedpost wasn’t great, but she wouldn’t get through to a seventeen-year-old brain high on testosterone. “He’s my partner for my labor and delivery class.”
Pierce reared back like she’d thrown dirty dishwater in his face. “What? What? That’s a thing? He’s doing that?”
Cordy wanted to rub her forehead in exasperation. So it was cool and good when Pierce thought Chance was sleeping withher, but absolutely horrifying that they would go together to a birth class?
“Weren’t you researching how to deliver babies yourself?” she asked Pierce. “How is this different?”
“Because that is an emergency.” Pierce frowned. “I didn’t even know you could take a regular class. I thought you had to be a doctor.”
“No, this is a class for the person having the baby,” Cordy explained. “So I know what to expect. You take it with a partner, whoever is helping you during the labor.”
