Page 40 of Baked

CHAPTER TWELVE

Agirl’s night wasway overdue. It didn’t even matter that they couldn’t hit the Tipsy Cow, all Rachel wanted was her friend fix. And that’s what she was getting. That and way too much information about Cat’s sex life.

Cat, Rachel, and Libby had been sitting in Libby’s yard for hours, laughing, gossiping, and catching up. When Rachel had parked her butt in the white plastic chair, the sun was still up. But that was no longer the case. The only light on the patio right now was the glare from the kitchen bulb. That was okay though. It added ambiance.

“Okay, okay, enough about me and Cody.” Cat laughed. “What’s going on with you and Hunter? Is it true what they say ... big hands, big feet?”

The remnants of Rachel’s mouthful of wine sprayed over the table as her friends giggled.

“Uh, subtle, Cat,” Rachel mocked. “And never you mind. A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.” She knew a smug smile had formed. If only they knew just how big his feet were.

“True. Lucky there’s no ladies here, huh?”

“Speak for yourself!” Libby pushed at Cat’s arm.

“Oh please, don’t pretend you and Zach don’t get down and dirty at the fire station every other week,” Cat squealed.

“No!” Rachel gasped, her eyes on Libby’s now very pink cheeks. “You do?”

Libby hummed for a moment before replying, “Zach and Imighthave gotten carried away a couple of times at the fire station.”

“A couple?” Cat smirked at her and then turned back to Rachel. “She’s got a thing for fire station storage closets.”

“You make it sound like a weird fetish!” Libby protested.

“Isn’t it?”

“Uh, no. My fiancé just so happens to be hot as hell.”

“Okay, fine. Lib, you just have a thing for sliding up and down your fireman’s pole.” Rachel was laughing now. But Cat wasn’t done. “See, Rach, no ladies here. Now spill. You been helping Hunter prime his pump?”

“Oh my God!” Rachel feigned offense through her chuckles. “You’re just one big walking innuendo, aren’t you?”

Cat simply winked and snatched up her wine glass.

“Anyway,” Libby piped up, “all jokes aside, are things with you and Hunter going well? You both seemed pretty loved up at Matt’s birthday party.”

Things were going amazing. Hunter was amazing. He’d taken three weeks off work just so he could look out for her, and he was spending all day, every day with her. She couldn’t decide what she liked most: him helping out at the bakery, the drool-worthy dinners he cooked her, or the brain cell-frazzling he managed to do every night.

Who are you kidding? It’s totally the brain frazzle.

“Honestly, yeah, things are going well. Scarily well. So much so, I feel like sometimes it’s just a bit too good to be true.”

“Yes, because being hunted down by your dad’s loan sharks is peak goodness, Rach.” Cat had a point. Even if it was dripping in sarcasm. “I don’t think it’s too good to be true, I think it’s about damn time you got some happy. You deserve it, honey.”

Who even knew what happy was? She’d spent all of her life going through the motions. Surviving. But maybe Cat was right. Maybe she was due something else. Something more.

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