leaned in close, which must look very intimate to everyone at the table, and whispered in her ear, “Where’s the baby?”
“Peter is at the motel with a good babysitter,” she whispered back, feeling instantly defensive. Cal wasn’t interested in her, despite his hand on her shoulder and his whispers in her ear. He just wanted to know about his son.
She straightened, smiled and looked at Raven and Troy. “So, when are you actually leaving?”
“Um, tomorrow around noon, probably. We still have to load the SUV,” Troy answered.
“Yes, we’re taking it to New Hampshire,” Raven said with a sigh. “My green Volvo, Pickles, isn’t quite up to the trip, so she’s staying in Texas.”
“It’s a wonder you made it down here,” Troy said with a shake of his head.
“She’s very loyal. She wouldn’t break down on the road.”
Cal snorted. Rudely, in Christie’s opinion. He probably didn’t think much of women who named their cars. Christie found it delightful to be living in a town with such interesting people…and one sexy, perplexing and stubborn baby-daddy.
“Take a seat,” Cal said, which probably seemed like a request for him but sounded like an order to her ears.
Christie saw that the only chair at the table was right next to him. With a smile plastered in place for everyone else at the gathering, she sat down. She did not want to take the focus off the going-away party atmosphere for Troy and Raven.
“Here are the drinks,” the waitress said as she arrived with a tray. She must have just noticed Christie, because she said, “Oh, hi again. Where’s your adorable baby?”
“Yes, where is my nephew?” Troy asked with a big grin.
Christie turned to glare at Cal. So, he’d broken the news. Couldn’t he have given her some time to adjust? Couldn’t they have told everyone together, quite calmly and in private?
He shrugged. “I told you I wasn’t keeping it a secret.”
“I know that, but…I didn’t think you’d blurt it out for everyone like this.”
“Why? I’m not ashamed. Besides, Troy’s my only brother.” He turned to his family and friends. “Just so we’re clear, I want everyone to know that I’ve already asked Christie, the mother of my son, to marry me.”
“Good move!” Twila said.
“Congratulations,” James Brody said to Cal.
“You most certainly did not!” Christie said, feeling outraged and flushed at his pompous tactics.
Cal narrowed his eyes, just as he’d done this afternoon. “I did, too. Right in Toni’s office.”
“No, you did not ask. And I most certainly didn’t agree to any such foolishness!”
“It’s not foolish to do the right thing.”
“We are not having this argument again.”
Rodney Bell chuckled. “You two sure do argue like a married couple already.”
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