Page 61 of Tinsel in Telluride

My only hope is she was ready to hear my plea.

“Think about it,” I whisper and press my lips to her bare shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Little Thief.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

LEIGH: I’m pretty sure I agreed to go out with Luca.

INDIE: Fuck yes.

WILLOW: Like on a date?

LEIGH: It’s not a date.

LEIGH: But he did say he wants to fuck me.

INDIE: Wait what?! WHY DIDN’T YOU LEAD WITH THAT?!

LEIGH: Because I’m still freaking out.

LEIGH: I thought I’d wake up, and I don’t know, not be still freaking out. Now I have to go spend the whole day with him doing cute Christmas shit and pretend I’m not spiraling about this damn dinner.

INDIE: THIS HAPPENED LAST NIGHT AND YOU’RE JUST TELLING US NOW?!

LEIGH: Focus Indie. What do I do?

INDIE: If the answer isn’t obvious, I think we have a bigger problem.

LEIGH: INDIE.

WILLOW: Do you not want to sleep with him?

LEIGH: Me, a woman who hasn’t been laid in over two years? Yes. Me, Zach’s mom? Not so much. It seems too messy if he’s the father.

WILLOW: Still no word on the paternity test?

LEIGH: He only sent it off yesterday. He’s rich but not that rich.

INDIE: Do you want him to be Zach’s dad?

LEIGH: No.

LEIGH: Yes.

LEIGH: I don’t know. He’s really good with Zach, and he’s done his best to mostly respect my boundaries. He’s committed to co-parenting. And his friends are amazing. Basically, on paper he’s perfect.

WILLOW: But…

LEIGH: He’s still a Donati.

WILLOW: Did he tell you the whole story?

LEIGH: No. But why do I get the feeling he told you?

WILLOW: I might have demanded he explain himself when he asked how to prepare for Zach.

LEIGH: AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME.

INDIE: She wouldn’t tell me either.

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