Page 54 of The Exception

That voice was pretty adorable. And so was the baby.

But the woman holding her was staring daggers at him for some reason. “You must be Trav,” she said.

Sonya took the baby from her and the woman put her hands on her hips. Though she wasmaybefive-foot-one, Trav was more than a little intimidated.

“I am. You’re Cat?” he guessed by process of elimination and the growly bulldog analogy Sonya had used at the bar that night.

She answered with a suspicious glare, and a guy with light brown hair and glasses wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Be nice, Catia.” He turned to Trav. “I’m Josh. Nice to meet you.”

Trav shook Josh’s hand, and Cat took a few steps in Trav’s direction. He thought she might shake his hand too, but she cut a hard left and hugged Dylan and Dani instead.

Trav held off a smile. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to earn the icy reception, but he could respect a gatekeeper friend. He had to earn it.

“¿Pero cuál es tu problema, mija?” Cat said, taking the baby back from Sonya.

Trav perked up. “Es hermosa,” he said.

Cat’s head whipped around at his Spanish. “Que?”

“¿Puedo cargarla?”

Josh chuckled as Cat’s scowl flickered. “You can hold her,” she said. “But I warn you, she’s in a mood.”

Cat handed Trav the baby, and he melted at the sight of her big brown eyes and chubby cheeks. "¿Qué edad tiene?”

“Siete meses.”

“Y’all are being really rude,” Dani said, mixing herself a mimosa from the kitchen island bar. “You know we can’t understand you.”

“How do you know Spanish?” Cat asked.

“My step-mother Marielle is from Puerto Rico.” He bounced the baby, making a weird face and hoping for a baby giggle. “Being bilingual came in handy in the Army. Until they sent me to Afghanistan.” He shrugged. “I only know the two languages.”

“Army guy, huh?” Dani asked. “That must be why you won Sonya over so quickly. She’s very structured.”

“I don’t know,” Trav said. He shot Sonya a look, thinking of the night at the bar… and after. “She has her moments.”

Sonya met his eyes, and he would bet by the way her mouth fought off a smile that she was thinking of that same moment.

Dylan cleared his throat, and Sonya blinked away.

“I’ll show you your room,” she said.

Trav made a funny face at Lulu and handed her back to Cat. “If you need a babysitter this weekend, I have a fake nephew who can provide you with a reference.”

Cat’s mouth twisted into a reluctant smile. “Be careful what you wish for. I haven’t peed by myself in six months.”

He saluted her and followed Sonya up a set of stairs. Mission: win over Sonya’s friends, accomplished.

Twenty-three

Sonya looked up from the fruit she was slicing to see Adam coming in through the screen door from the deck. He glanced around the room, then cornered Sonya with a mischievous stare.

“What?”

“You and I need to talk, Nurse Sonya.”

Sonya felt her heart speed up. She’d known Adam for exactly six weeks less time than she’d known Emma, which was to say forever. They’d been through a lot together, and though he was probably the most easy going guy you’d ever meet, maybe next to Josh, there were certain things he didn’t let go. She had a feeling bringing a male friend on this trip would be one of them.

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