Well, he was probably right, as her savings account would be necessary to stock up on baby stuff. Like diapers. Clothes. Teething rings? Bibs? Cribs and playpens and holy hell, she closed her eyes and shivered away that un-fun train of thought.
“Good morning,” Ryder said with a crack in his voice.
Zoe jumped and gripped the towel tight, turned, and grimaced a guilty smile. Not that she had anything to be guilty about, but… she glanced down at herself. Wet. Naked—mostly. Oops.
Comfortably sipping his coffee in the middle of the sofa, Ryder tilted a flirty look and cradled his coffee close, the steam wafting around like he was the dragon exhaling it. “Sorry.”
New towels. Tomorrow. Zoe glanced down to check that she was at least mostly covered, and shrugged carefully.
Evan peered around the corner from the kitchen, but quickly cringed and shielded himself from the terrifying sight when he saw her standing so painfully exposed. “You didn’t think to bring clothes with you? Or wear the bathrobe I got you for your birthday?”
“I thought you were still in bed. And, the bathrobe is in the laundry—I think—and, I didn’t know what I wanted to wear yet.” Not usually an issue, as they worked different schedules, and when they didn’t, she made a quick dash to the bedroom instead of stopping to chat.
“I’ll pick up new towels today,” he said, laughing again and disappearing back into the kitchen. “And another bathrobe,” he hollered.
Zoe rolled her eyes and headed into her bedroom to get dressed.
Through the paper-thin walls and inch of air under the door, she heard Ryder and Evan visiting.
“This is good coffee. Is it local?” Ryder asked.
“From North Bend, but the grocery store carries it,” Evan answered, his voice growing louder as he settled in the living room.
Zoe hollered through the door, “Jackasses.” The no coffee thing was going to kill her.
“Sorry,” Evan called back.
“Why are we jackasses?” Ryder asked Evan.
“No coffee in pregnancy.”
“Oh shit. I didn’t know that. Why didn’t I know that?” Ryder said quickly.
“Why would you?” Zoe called back. “I didn’t know until I downloaded the stupid baby app.”
She flicked through her closet, and hated everything in it all of a sudden. It was always worse on days like this, where it might rain, the wind was just enough to bring a chill, and by afternoon, it could be shorts weather in the sun and cold as winter in the shade. She tugged on a pair of leggings and a basic white t-shirt, and slipped on some sneakers.
Not even showing yet, and the leggings were snug over her bloated belly.
Ugh. Haley promised to send over all her maternity clothes as soon as Zoe was ready. The woman had style—too much style, however. Haley looked adorable in a maternity sundress, but Zoe suspected she’d look like a potato in a sack.
By the time she came out, her brother and her… her… huh.
Not her boyfriend. Not her partner.
Baby daddy.
Ick. That sounded crass.
The guy who knocked her up.
Not much of an improvement.
She tilted a calculating look and swallowed the giggle as she walked out of the bedroom.
“What?” he asked, slowly lifting his attention to see what had her chuckling. Damn that was a cute smile. The dimple always came last, like he had to work up to the full smile before it appeared.
Whitener. He definitely had his teeth regularly whitened. Who could blame him though, as that smile was all teeth. But in a good way, somehow. In full smile, nothing held back, he invited others to do the same.
