Page 16 of Tattoo My Heart
While she’s trying to recover from the shock, I shoot a text to James.
Me: can you do me a solid and tell your woman to come home?
James: what?
Me: I just ran into Evie, she’s with Carrie and the baby. I want Evie to myself
James: on it
I put my phone back in the pocket of my jeans and wait. Both girls are staring at me, with Carrie looking beyond amused, and Evie looking like she’d like nothing more than to throttle me.
“It’s good to see you, Cal,” Carrie finally breaks the silence. “James told me your shops are doing really well.”
“Thank you,” I wink at her, grinning when she blushes.
It is just then that Evie turns her head to look at her best friend and catches her doing it. Carrie gives her a guilty smile and shrugs. This is just too much fun for me.
“I thought your shop was up in the city,” Evie eyes me suspiciously. “Why are you looking at this building here?”
“Maybe I want to expand,” I smile at her. “Bring my talents to the small town.”
I actually am looking to buy the building only because it’s up for sale, and I think it’s a good investment. I own four other little shops on the Main Street. By the present look on Evie’s face, she’d have a conniption fit if she became aware of it.
Carrie’s cell phone ringing brings all out attention to her. That includes the small baby in the stroller. He starts screaming his lungs out.
“Sheesh,” Carrie murmurs quietly, wondering if she needs to answer James’ call or tend to the baby. Since I want her to go and give me some alone time with Evie, I jump into action.
“Hey, bud,” I look down under the weird covering of the stroller to stare at the little human. “What’s up with all the noise?”
With tears still running down his round face, he stops the screaming and kicks his little foot around while stretching his arms up.
“Ah, you want out of here, right?”
I pick him up carefully, mindful of his wobbly head. Once I have him out, I’m not sure what to do with him, so I place him against my chest as I continue talking to him. I guess the low tone of my voice is helping when he places his head down and lets out a small sigh.
I smile and continue patting him on the back while my other hand is firmly under his butt. When I look at the girls, I find them staring at me with a weird look on their faces.
“Am I doing it wrong?” I finally ask when they’re not saying anything.
“Uhh… I don’t know,” Evie finally says.
“You’re amazing with the baby, Cal,” Carrie assures me. “Thank you so much for doing this. It’ll make the ride home a lot more pleasant now.”
Evie’s head swivels when she turns to look at her best friend.
“What? You just got here. You can’t go.”
“I have to, Evie,” Carrie gives her an apologetic smile. “James called and he wants me to go home.”
“And you do everything that James tells you to?” Evie sputters in distress, making me laugh. The baby on my chest gets startled, his small arms lifting than dropping back down.
“He works a lot, Evie,” Carrie explains calmly, standing up to take the baby from me. “He wanted to surprise me with lunch, and I’m not there. I’ll call you later, okay?”
She turns around and gives a disgruntled Evie a peck on her cheek, then starts pushing the stroller toward where she parked, without bothering to put the baby back in. I guess she’d have to get him back out anyway.
We both wave at her when she pulls out of the parking lot at the fire station. There’s a small library right behind it, with a park of sorts right next to it. All locals know to park here when they’re in town.
“I have to go, too,” Evie informs me in a brisk tone. She stands up from the bench, cell phone still clutched to her chest, almost like she doesn’t want to let go of it.
