Page 56 of Hard To Leave

I smiled, thinking about the perfect afternoon we spent and our carriage ride through the park. Our driver told us funny stories and even did a sleight-of-hand trick where he pulled a quarter out of Tanner’s ear.

“It was great. Tanner loved the Yankees game, and he really enjoyed the carriage ride through Central Park.”

Nick smirked. “Carriage ride, huh? Aren’t you just Lance Romance?”

Jack picked up his drink and brought it to his lips. “Don’t knock it till you try it, asshole. Seemed to go over pretty well with my fan club.”

Our server came back and asked if we were ready to order.

Cassie rubbed her belly as she debated over her menu options. “I’m going to have the bacon double cheeseburger, french fries, a chocolate milkshake, and please bring a side of broccoli. Oh, and can you make sure there are sweet pickles on the burger and bring a bowl of gravy for the fries if you have it.”

“Like you’re really going to eat that side of broccoli,” Nick teased with a chuckle.

She swatted his shoulder. “Hey, be nice. It’s a well-balanced meal.” She started to tick all the major food groups off with her fingers. “It has dairy, protein, carbs, and vegetables.” She smiled proudly and stuck out her tongue at him.

“Yeah, well you might want to start looking into a Pediatric Cardiologist. Something tells me you might want to get the kids’ cholesterol checked after you pop those little suckers out.”

Everyone at the table busted out laughing.

“Shush your mouth.” She signaled for the waiter and held up the breadbasket. “Can you bring more rolls with extra butter, please?”

The server took the breadbasket from her hands while we all continued laughing. He took down the rest of our orders. I decided on grilled lemon chicken and rice pilaf while Jack chose the lobster ravioli.

“Okay,” Cassie impatiently said, once our server was gone. “Tell us, Chloe, what do you think of New York so far?” She blinked those big blue eyes at me. She was absolutely beautiful, even at seven months pregnant. “Can you picture yourself living here one day?”

Her gaze landed on Jack. The love for her friend was evident on her face. He just shook his head and tightened his hold on my shoulder.

“That’s a good question.” Talk about being put on the spot.

“Let’s talk about something else, shall we,” Jack said while reaching across the table to grab his drink. It was an awkward question, and I wasn’t sure how to answer it. Not that I haven’t thought about it, because I had. More times than I could count.

“It’s okay.” I patted his hand. “It’s definitely a fun city, but I guess it would depend on the circumstances. The truth is, I’m a mom first so I wouldn’t make a move unless it was in my son’s best interest.”

Jack sat up straighter in his chair and gave his friend a stern look. “And that’s the way it should be.”

At first, I feared she was judging me, but then she smiled as if she was giving us her blessing. I knew how important Jack’s friends were to him, and I really wanted them to like me.

“You two make such cute couple.” She grinned from across the table as our server placed our appetizers down in front of us. Everyone watched with interest as the plates started to pile up at Cassie’s end of the table.

“So,” Nick cut in, “can I ask what the hell a gorgeous girl like you is doing dating this ugly Jack-ass?” He shot me a wink. “Surely you could do so much better.”

Jack’s arm wrapped protectively along the back of my chair. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just jealous, but he’s right. You are too good for me.”

Cassie grinned. “Look at you all smitten. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Jack’s fingers gently stroked my shoulder. “Look at her. Can you blame me?”

If I was unsure about this guy before, there was no doubt that I was head over heels in love with him.

Gone! Done! Finished!

Cassie brought a piece of calamari up to her mouth. “I’m happy for you, Jack. Just make sure you don’t run off and get married until after these babies are born. Unless you don’t want to live long enough to have kids of your own one day.”

Her hormone driven death threat caused me to choke on my water. Jack instinctively reached over and patted my back. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, wiping off my mouth with my napkin.

“Besides,” she continued, without missing a beat. “I need an excuse to trade these maternity clothes in for cute little cocktail dresses.”

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