Page 33 of His Hot Mess

“I only just signed the lease on Monday!” I laughed. Then a thought occurred to me as I looked Casey over. “Hey, how would you like to help me out?”

“Of course… anything!”

One of the things Cat and Jake had just talked to me about was promo. How to get stock images together for social media posts, ads, and posters. But what if I had an amazing local model to promote the store?

I floated the idea by Casey and at first she shook her head vehemently. “I amnotthe modeling type, Sadie.”

“Oh come on, you’re gorgeous!”

“Aren’t models like, sixteen? I’m a granny compared to them.”

“What are you, thirty-three?Soooelderly.”

Casey laughed. “Most models don’t have kids.” Casey was a single mom to a seven-year-old son, Sam, the most adorable little boy in Jewel Lakes County, hands down.

“Well anyway, I’m not there yet, but when I get around to start making ads, I’m calling you first.”

Casey rolled her eyes but at least it wasn’t a flat-out no. “Can we talk about something else, please?”

“Fine,” I said. “How’s the farm going?”

“Two words,” Casey said. “Pregnant alpacas.”

I laughed, long and hard this time. “Two words I never thought I’d hear at a barbecue, to be honest,” I said.

“What are you two laughing about?” Lucy asked, coming up with a fresh plate of burgers.

“Pregnant alpacas,” I said with mock seriousness.

Lucy’s face fell slightly.

My stomach dropped. Lucy was normally reliably entertained by my goofy jokes. “Lucy, what is it?”

Lucy glanced from me to Casey. “It’s nothing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “You’re with your sister and your soon to be sister-in-law.”

Lucy hesitated. Then she leaned in and whispered, “Gray and I are trying to have a baby.”

I shrieked and threw my arms around her. “Oh my god Lucy, why didn’t you say anything?” A baby! Lucy was going to be a mom! I would be an aunt!

But when she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes. It was then I realized this wasn’t the delightful news my reaction was suited for.

“We’re not officially trying. We’re just notnottrying.”

“You pulled the goalie,” Casey said, sagely.

“Yeah,” Lucy smiled. “Only, all those sex ed classes in high school were full of lies! I thought I’d get pregnant instantly. But it’s been four months, and each time I get my period, it’s like a gut punch. I just got it again this morning. And now, everywhere I look, there are pregnant alpacas.”

I couldn’t help myself, I choked on a laugh.

Casey was twisting her own lips too, but she reached over and grabbed Lucy’s hand. “Lucy, four months isn’t exactly anything to worry about. They say you only need to see someone if it’s taking more than a year.”

“A year!” Lucy sighed. “I don’t want to wait that long.”

“I know. I remember when me and… my ex were trying with Sam. It’s one of the actual happy memories I have with him. Stressful, too, though. Turns out he didn’t really want to be a dad.”

Lucy’s lip wobbled.

---