Page 40 of Moms of Mayhem
“Act like a dipshit and it can be.”
Dr. Carter chuckled, then shook his head before handing me a slip of paper. “See you in a week.”
13
Once Jace left with Beckett for the day, I poured my coffee into a to-go tumbler and got in my car, headed to pick up the playpen in Glenwood Springs.
Luckily, rush hour wasn’t exactly the same in mountain towns—the highway was mostly clear, more people headed toward the ski towns east of Linwood than the larger city nestled in the mountains.
Michael taught the morning classes on Tuesdays, so I didn’t have to be at the studio until after noon, but I couldn’t stop glancing at the clock, wondering how this afternoon would go.
The playpen was ready for pickup at the front desk of the store, but I grabbed a cart and headed toward the baby aisle, my mind snagging on how I could make life easier on Stevie.
It had been over a decade since I had a baby, but some things never changed. If I were going to make my studio more accommodating to Stevie, and maybe other moms who needed it too, then I needed a changing table in the bathroom.
I slid the large box off the shelf and onto my cart, then grabbed a basket I could fill with diapers and wipes. A mixture of excitement and nostalgia got to me, and before I knew it, I had a cart full of baby necessities and toys. Everything was so cute and small, it was hard to say no.
I had a tiny pink coat that looked like a teddy bear in my cart and was already mentally planning joint family vacations to the beach. Jace could make sure her kids didn’t die inside while we read romance novels on the porch with steaming cups of coffee we didn’t have to reheat, and her husband… shit, I didn’t even know her husband’s name.
With a sigh, I put the coat back, reminding myself that I had known Stevie for approximately six minutes. This wasn’t a friendship yet; it was barely a handshake, and she hadn’t even agreed to come tonight.
No matter how excited I was at the prospect of a new friend in town, I had to reel it in. This was the equivalent of a first date—something I hadn’t done in a long,longtime.
My phone dinged in my pocket, and I opened it to a selfie of Beckett and Jace in front of the school, both of them giving the camera thumbs up with a broad smile. I grinned back at the screen, zooming in on Jace’s face. His eyes were focused more on Beckett than the camera, but his whole face was alight with happiness. Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I looked at his big smile, something he hadn’t done nearly enough lately.
With a sniff, I wiped at my eyes, then saved the photo before I could overthink it.
Emmy
Thank you
Beckett
Practice after school at the rink tonight
Emmy
I have to miss tonight, but I’ll ask Ty if he can take him for me
Beckett
Hot date? Make sure you wear my hoodie.
I stood in the middle of the aisle, smiling like an idiot at my phone.
Emmy
That seems like a faux pas, right? Wearing another man’s clothes?
Beckett
Nah. Just sends the signal that you’re not as available as he thought.
Emmy
Am I not available, Beckett?
Beckett
