Page 33 of No Place for Single Cowboys

That caught him off guard. He flinched away from her. “No one does.”

“Yeah, but you pretend everything is fine and nothing bothers you. But having someone not think you’re the best guy ever… that reallydoesbother you.”

Chance’s expression closed off. Wasn’t cold, wasn’t mean, it was just… blank. He’d pulled far away from her. “I guess,” he said stonily. “Doesn’t seem that remarkable.”

After that, he let her write her notes in peace. Although it didn’t feel like peace. She was achingly aware of the bad mood radiating off him. Same as hers probably was.

She’d clearly touched a nerve, and Cordy found she didn’t like it. Not that Chance was angry at her exactly, but she missed his easygoing charm. Tight-lipped Chance wasn’t much fun.

As they filed back into the classroom, Jaycee waved at Cordy from their shared table. Cordy smiled back despite her mood—Jaycee’s happiness was hard to resist.

“Did you finish the invitations?” Cordy asked as she took her seat. Jaycee was trying to get her baby shower invitations done during the breaks.

“Yes.” Jaycee triumphantly brandished a heavy envelope at Cordy. “This is for you. And Chance. I know you’re nottogether-together, but you’re invited together.”

Cordy slowly took the envelope. The paper was so nice it felt like fine linen. “You’re asking me to your baby shower?”

“Yeah,” Jaycee said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Cordy wondered if this was the first baby shower Chance had ever been invited to. It was certainlyherfirst.

“That would be great, thank you. I’ll be there,” Cordy said.

“I know you’ve probably already had yours since you’re at thirty-six weeks,” Jaycee said. “We’re leaving ours kind of late. What was the best thing you got?”

“Um…” Cordy had never felt so tongue-tied in her life. She was a bartender, for heaven’s sake; she’d dealt with more awkward moments than this one. “Um, I didn’t have one. A shower.”

The expression on Jaycee’s face was a mix of shock, horror, and pity. It made Cordy’s stomach drop. Cordyknewshe didn’t need a baby shower, but still… she thought about it sometimes in between worrying about everything else. It would be nice to have a celebration for her baby.

But the Saxons weren’t going to plan it, and Cordy’s mom didn’t even know she was pregnant. A baby shower wasn’t happening.

Chance was like a statue next to her. Cordy didn’t know what he was thinking. She kind of didn’t want to, especially if it was about how sad it was that she hadn’t had a party.

“It’s okay,” Cordy assured Jaycee. “What are you hoping to get at yours?”

Jaycee tried to wipe the pitying look off her face but didn’t quite get there. “I guess you don’t have anyone here to throw you a shower.” Her tone was stricken. “I didn’t think of that.”

“It’s okay,” Cordy said again.

Gareth put his arm around Jaycee’s shoulders and stared down Cordy like she’d intentionally upset his wife. “Hon, it’s fine, you don’thaveto have a shower. They’ll still let you take the baby home from the hospital.”

“Of course,” Jaycee said with forced brightness. “Sorry, I put my foot in my mouth sometimes.”

That made Cordy feel awful. “Honestly, it’s fine.” She tried to think of how to defuse this, but luckily, Ms. Reston called them to order.

The rest of the class passed quickly. Cordy’s hand ached by the end from all the note-taking. She gave a brief goodbye to Jaycee and Gareth, both looking as wiped as she felt, and made a beeline for her car.

Chance followed close behind, never saying a word. That was fine with her.

Her car was so close. Maybe Chance wouldn’t say anything, and she could get out of here without addressing the Pansy situation or her lack of a baby shower.

“When were you going to tell me you’re getting evicted?”

Cordy whipped her head around. “How did you know? Did Glenn tell you?”

Fear slithered through her. If everyone knew, then the Saxons did too. Not that she was ashamed, because this wasn’t her fault, but it would be one more thing they could hold against her.

She’d been hoping to find a new place quickly without everyone in town knowing. But how was she supposed to do that in a town like Star Crossed Springs? Everyone knew everyone else’s business the moment it happened. If she put a flyer up on the Donut Palace bulletin board, it would be news the instant she pushed the thumbtack into the cork.

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