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“Let“I’irls won’t be horow up too damned fast, babe”

IDarren had knocked Carrie up our senior year of high school, which wasn’t nor It seeh The tere a handful, but they were good kids

Couldn’t believe they’d be eighteen in another year

My little Tricia would still be a toddler I grabbed ht I’d cried enough for a lifetime already

“Sounds good Let’s go fire up the grill”

• • •

Half an hour later I was in ain, by sheer force of will Force of will and wine, that wasNow I stood over the grill, basting chicken breasts and sipping my drink

Back when I was a freshman, me and Dad built a covered porch off the kitchen so we could barbecue out there year-round Mo pans I’d ht a grill would make the deck look tacky Just another reason to celebrate ditching his ass

Back in the kitchen, I had Carrie putting finishing touches on the salad, and the rice was bubbling away—it wasn’t fancy, but it’d be good Things should be ready right about the time Darren arrived We’d even set the picnic table in the courtyard gazebo with a pretty blue-checkered cloth

“Sood”

I looked up to find Cooper on the steps, leaning against the railing He looked so pretty I s and nearly told hiue (Literally bit it, which hurt like hell and ht I was crazy Fair enough)

“Great job on the yard,” I told hi pain “It’s a relief to have you helping out How’s the apartment?”

“Hell of a lot better than the hotel,” he said “Although I’m not much of a cook”

He glanced at the grill, taking in the chicken A sood cook The words were halfway to le, tiny little chunk of ed to tackle theround before I made an ass of myself

“I worked as a private chef for several years,” I told him Suck it, brain I can workobvious “Then I startedthe chocolates, and the business took off Pretty soon I couldn’t keep up with both, so I cut my clients loose”

“Impressive,” Cooper said

“You want to join us?” I asked

“Yes”

I burst out laughing, because he said the word so fast and so fervently that there could be no question—Cooper wanted some of that chicken Was this a bad idea? No reason you can’t be friendly with the guy, Miss Sober Brain inforot plenty of chaperones

Nice

“Okay We’ll be serving up in about half an hour Carrie’s hubby will be off work around six, then he’s heading over”

“Carrie the one you were talkin’ with on the porch?”

“Yup,” I said, popping the “p” on the end Then I took another deep swig of my wine “She’s been my best friend since ere kids My dad is here, too, so it’ll be five of us”

“Sure you have enough to spare?” he asked “I don’t want to impose”