Page 30 of Lone Star Longing
“Come out Sunday. It’ll be good. It’ll be fun,” he said, and walked out of the kitchen.
*****
“WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO?” her dad asked when Lacey picked up her purse near the door.
She adjusted the waistband of her shorts beneath the hem of her shirt, which was long enough, thankfully, that she could leave the shorts unbuttoned over her growing belly. “Poppy and some of the others are going to be at The Wheel House playing washers. I said I’d go.”
Her father’s expression softened. “That’s good. It’s been a long time since you’ve gone out and had fun with your friends.”
“Yeah, it has been.” Between her long-distance relationship, her dad’s surgery and her job, well, she couldn't name the last time she went out. Her shoulders relaxed a little. She hadn’t realized she felt tense about telling her father her plans. He wasn't Jesse.
The thought of Jesse tensed her shoulders up again. Her luck, he would call when she was out, when she never went out.
“Have fun. Be careful. Don't worry about me, I’ll get something to eat. You have fun. Enjoy yourself.”
“I will, thanks, Dad.” She waved her keys at him, adjusted her shorts and headed out.
The Wheel House was busy, so she had to park down one of the side roads and walk. She was a little dewy as she walked into the yard, looking around the crowd for her friends. She was surprised that Beck was the one who noticed her, waved her over to where two round tables had been pulled together near the washer games.
She made her way around the washer boxes and the lines of people playing the game to her friends, who all greeted her enthusiastically, almost in unison. Con rose to give her a side hug, and Javi did the same. Poppy and Ginny scooched together to make room for her on the bench.
“Hey, I’m glad you came out,” Sofia said from across the table. “You haven’t been here in so long.”
“Yeah, why is it so crowded?” Lacey shifted her weight, trying to get comfortable on the wooden seat. “I don't remember it being so crowded.”
“Apparently they’re having a washer tournament,” Poppy said.
“Are they.” Lacey stretched to see the washer boxes. “I didn't know that was a thing.”
“Apparently Hailey has been promoting it for a while, trying to get business, which is great for her. But it’s a little busier than I thought it would be.”
Someone placed a glass of ice water on the table in front of her and she looked up into Beck’s face. He gave her a crooked smile.
“I wasn't sure if iced tea or soda was okay. Maybe lemonade?”
She laughed. “I don't think they have lemonade here.”
“Sure they do. There are kids here.”
“I’m not a kid.”
“Well, I know, but there are things you shouldn’t drink, right?”
All the blood drained from her head, and she gripped the edge of the table. Of course he knew. The whole town probably knew. But he hadn’t said anything to her about it, and honestly, for some reason she hadn’t wanted him to know yet. She’d thought he’d be well on his way out of town before she had to admit to everyone she was pregnant.
“I can have an iced tea, just one.” She moved to get up but he put his hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll get it.”
When he walked away, Poppy nudged her with her arm. When Lacey looked at her friend, Poppy lifted her eyebrows—Poppy had always wanted to raise just one eyebrow but could never master it. Lacey waved off the silent question, but Poppy gave a pointed look in the direction Beck was walking.
“He’s just being nice.”
“Uh-huh.”
“He’s always been nice. And there’s the whole ‘look out for a pregnant lady’ thing.” Had that been why he’d been so nice to her the past few days? Because she was pregnant?
“He knows?”
