The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [210]
She was frowning when Honey asked, “How’s the sunburn?”
“Oh.” Elizabeth drew herself together and shrugged. “Much better today. Your husband’s cream worked wonders. Would you thank him again for me?”
Honey waved away her gratitude. “No problem. Sawyer is glad to do it, I’m sure.”
Misty looked at her closely. “You don’t look nearly as pink today. I guess it’s fading fast.”
Forcing a laugh, Elizabeth admitted, “I can even wear my bra today without cringing.”
“Ouch.” Misty looked appalled by that idea. “Are you sure you should? This blasted heat is oppressive.”
It was only then that Elizabeth realized she was trussed up far more than Misty and Honey were. While they both wore comfortably loose T-shirts and cotton shorts with flip-flop sandals, Elizabeth had put a blouse under her long pullover dress and ankle socks with her shoes.
Deciding to be daring, she asked, “Does everyone dress so casually here? I mean, do you think anyone would notice if I wore something like that?” She indicated their clothes with a nod.
Honey laughed out loud. “Heck, yes. Gabe would notice! But then I get the feeling he’d notice you no matter what you wore. Watching him blunder around yesterday like a fish out of water was about the best entertainment we’ve had for awhile.”
Misty bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle a laugh. “Gabe teased both Sawyer and Morgan something terrible when they got involved with us. Now he’s just getting his due.”
“But we’re not involved.” Even as she said it, Elizabeth felt her face heating. She hoped the sisters would attribute it to her sunburn and not embarrassment.
“Maybe not yet, but Gabe’s working on it. I’ve gotten to know him pretty good since Sawyer and I married. He dates all the time, but he never mentions any particular woman. You he’s mentioned several times.”
Elizabeth didn’t dare ask what he’d said. She could just imagine. “I think I’ll buy myself some shorts today.”
“Good idea. This is a vacation lake. Very few people bother to put on anything except casual clothes.”
Ceily sidled up with Elizabeth’s drink and everyone’s food. Misty was having a huge hamburger with fries, but Honey and Elizabeth had settled on salads.
Misty made a face at them. “It’s the breast-feeding, I swear. I never ate like a hog before, but now I stay hungry all the time. Sawyer says I’m burning off calories.”
Honey pursed her lips, as if trying to keep something unsaid, then she appeared to burst. “I wonder if it’ll affect me that way.”
Misty froze with her mouth clamped around the fat burger. Like a sleepwalker she lowered the food and swallowed hard. “Are you…?”
Honey, practically shivering with excitement, nodded. Elizabeth almost jumped out of her seat when the two women squealed loudly and jumped up to hug across the table.
“When?” Misty demanded.
“In about six months. Late February.” Honey leaned forward. “But keep it down. I don’t want anyone else to know until I tell Sawyer.”
“You haven’t told him yet?”
“I just found out for sure this morning.” She turned to Elizabeth. “We hadn’t exactly been trying not to get pregnant, if you know what I mean, so it won’t be a shock. But I still think he’s going to make a big deal of it.”
Wide-eyed, Elizabeth had no idea what to say to that. She was…stunned that the sisters had included her in such a personal, familial announcement. She’d never in her life had close female friends. She’d always been too odd, too alone, to mix in any of the small groups in school.
But as it turned out, Elizabeth didn’t need to reply. Honey and Misty went back to chattering while they ate, and Elizabeth was loath to interrupt.
Finally, they wore down and simply settled back in their seats, smiling. The silence wasn’t an uncomfortable one, and Elizabeth found herself wondering about several things.
Trying to shake off her shyness, she asked, “Do you hope it’s a boy or a girl?”
Honey touched her stomach with a mother’s love. “It doesn’t really matter to me. Amber is so precious—a girl would be nice. But then, Casey is