"Nope," I said with an impish grin. "That's Mom and Kalen wanting to know how our date went. I'm taking great pleasure in ignoring them."

Hailey rolled over and rested her head on my shoulder. The warmth of her naked body stretched out against mine made me sigh. That was about all I could manage. "Your family is very important to you, aren't they?"

"Yeah, we're all very close, especially us girls. Aside from wanting to know how my night went, they're probably already planning dinner. I hope this doesn't terrify you, but they're gonna want you to come because Mom is going home in a few days."

"Your mom is sweet." Hailey drew patterns on my stomach with her fingertips and watched the muscles quiver beneath them.

"How did she take it when she found out you were gay?"

I grabbed her hand as my body awoke to her touch and held

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*it in my own. "She was surprised and upset, though she tried to hide it. I told her just after Kalen got married, and I think she was looking forward to planning mine one day. Dad never said much, but he's always treated me and whoever I brought home with respect."

"And Kalen?" Hailey tried to pull her hand free, but I held it firmly. She gave up and started running her toes over mine.

I laughed as she ran them across the bottom of my foot until I released her hand. "Go on," she said as her fingers danced over my skin.

"Kalen didn't take it well at first, but eventually, she came around like she always does." Hailey started planting kisses along my collarbone until I asked about her family. She laid her head back on my shoulder and draped a hand over my waist.

"I told them about my s.e.xuality the same day I told them about the divorce." Hailey sighed and snuggled in tighter. "As you can imagine, the news wasn't well received. It was really rocky for a while, but now they don't ask me anything about my personal life, and I don't mention anything."

"I'm sorry." I kissed the top of her head.

"They'll come around someday, just like Kalen did." Hailey said the words, but they sounded empty and insincere. She rose up on one elbow and smiled down at me. "I don't wanna talk about them."

"What do you want to talk about? Lunch maybe? Or if we'll be sleeping at your place or mine?" I wiggled my eyebrows for emphasis.

"Your hipbone," Hailey said as she moved lower. "I'd like to nibble it."

I sat straight up and pushed her away. "Don't you do it, Hailey.

I'm ticklish there...actually everywhere."

Hailey came after me as I made a dash for the bathroom.

"Your b.u.t.t is especially ticklish. I noticed how you wiggled when I ran my nails over it."

I yelped and hopped around as I tried to escape her grasp.

Fuzzy stared barking and ran around us as Hailey tried to reach around me. My phone added to the noise as it played the tune

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*signaling Kalen's call. "You have to answer it," Hailey said with a grin as she backed away and pulled my phone from my jacket and handed it to me.

"Yes, Kalen," I gave Hailey a warning glance as she and Fuzzy circled me like two sharks. "Hailey and I were running." I rolled my eyes and grinned at the accusations. "We like to exercise."

Hailey made a grab for me as I ducked into the bathroom. "At six, okay. Need us to bring anything? Okay, gotta go, sis. Love you, bye." I snapped the phone shut and plastered my backside against the bathroom wall.

"We were running?" Hailey said, running her fingertips down my ribcage. "You are such a liar."

I clamped my arms at my sides giggling like a child. "We were running. You were chasing me. I'm going to find your weak spot and exploit it mercilessly if you don't stop."

"Okay, truce." Hailey held up her hands. "No tickles, I promise." She leaned against me and nibbled my earlobe. "I noticed you said 'us' when you were talking to Kalen."

"You've been invited to dinner, and if you don't stop, you're gonna have to go without me and explain to my family that you've loved me to death."

Hailey insisted on bringing something despite the fact that Kalen told us not to. She wanted something that Kalen could enjoy, too, so we skipped wine and decided on pastries.

"Cheesecake?" Hailey looked at the refrigerated section of the bakery. "Or lemon doberge?

"Anything chocolate will suffice, I promise. What about this French silk pie?"

"Hailey, I thought that was you."

Hailey and I turned, and I watched in shock and horror as the woman's gaze locked with mine. We both stood mute staring at each other. Hailey looked between us bewildered. "Is something wrong?" she asked as the woman stared daggers at me.

"Look, I was having a really bad day," I started to explain.

"You know each other?" Hailey asked.

The woman pointed at me angrily. "That's the woman who

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*humiliated me at the health club you talked me into visiting.

Thank G.o.d I hadn't already signed up for a membership when I ran into her." She tore her gaze away from me and looked at Hailey. "I'll see you Monday," she said before she stalked off.

We paid for the pie in silence, neither of us willing to discuss the encounter until we were in the confines of my car. Hailey's face was flushed as I let her in. I took my time as I walked around to my side of the car. Taking a deep breath, I climbed in and waited to hear what came next.

'"Start stepping, sister,' that's what p.i.s.sed her off the most.

She ranted for two days about it." Hailey ran a hand through her hair. "Well now, you've already met my boss. Guess I don't have to make that introduction at the banquet next year."

I sank low in my seat and covered my face with my hands. "It was just such a bad day," I said, my voice coming out m.u.f.fled.

The car went silent. At first, I thought Hailey was crying. I looked over at her with shame and regret to find her head thrown back in laughter. She was clutching her chest and gasping for air.

"Oh, my G.o.d, we laughed behind closed doors for weeks,"

Hailey said between fits and snorts. "She's such a b.i.t.c.h, and it was so great to hear that someone cut her off at the knees." Hailey wiped at her eyes. "It was worth the a.s.s chewing she gave me for talking her into visiting the club."

I half laughed as I relived that embarra.s.sment.

Hailey clutched my shoulder and kissed me on the cheek.

"You're a hero around the office. I can't wait to tell everyone that it was my girlfriend who humiliated Sue Kellerman."

I felt so relieved that Hailey didn't want to choke me and even more elated when she referred to me as her girlfriend.

Kalen's house smelled of pasta sauce when we let ourselves in. My stomach growled in antic.i.p.ation for her spaghetti. When we walked into the kitchen, Mom was at the stove and Kalen was at the table with her feet propped up.

"You are pathetic," I teased. "Making our dear mother slave over the stove while you lounge around."

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*"Bite me and put the bread in." Kalen pointed to the garlic bread awaiting toasting.

I set the pie in front of her. "A gift from Hailey."

"Oh, Hailey, you're my hero for the next hour at least," Kalen said as she eyed the pie.

Mom smiled and kissed my cheek, then moved quickly to Hailey and did the same. "Sit down, sweetie," she said to Hailey as she pulled out a chair. "Let me get you a gla.s.s of wine."

"Can I help with anything?" Hailey asked.

"No, no, you sit," Mom said as she coaxed Hailey into a seat.

I smiled over at Hailey as my mom fawned all over her.

I hugged Kalen, who held on to me a bit longer than normal.

"You feeling okay?" I looked down at her swollen feet.

"She's been drinking Gatorade." Mom stabbed a spoon in Kalen's direction. "Can you believe it? I like to have had a stroke when I caught her chugging from a bottle."

"What's wrong with Gatorade?" I looked at Kalen, who sank down in her seat the same way I did a while ago.

Mom looked at me like I was insane. "It's loaded with sodium.

That's why she's been so puffy lately. She's full of fluid."

"I've been throwing up." Kalen waved her hands in the air. "I thought I was supposed to replace my electrolytes."

"She's on a strict no-salt diet, so if you see her with anything but water, slap her." Mom turned back to the pasta and stirred.

"Pour the wine, please, Shannon."

"It's nice to see you again, Hailey," Kalen said as she leaned on the table. "I'd give you a hug, but I'm grounded and I have to sit in this chair."

"I'm sorry to hear about your incarceration," Hailey said with a smile. "Can I get you anything to make your stay more comfortable?"

"Get me a spoon and drag my chair into the den. I'l hold the pie.""Don't be nice to her," I said. "She's punished. Don't let her get close to the pie either."

"Hailey, let me give you a word of advice," Kalen said drolly.

"Don't ever get pregnant. Everyone tells you what to do. Mom 200.

*and Todd tell me what I can and can't eat. The doctor tells me the same, and the baby says eat everything in sight."

Hailey simply smiled in response.

"Did you girls have a nice time last night?" Mom asked as she drained the pasta.

Hailey shot me a grin before she answered. "We did. Dinner was lovely."

"Yeah," Kalen drawled the word out. "They must've eaten a lot because they went running this morning. Of course, my sister never runs unless I invite her to go antique shopping, then it's the other way."

I b.u.mped Kalen's chair when Hailey's face began to flush.

"Where's Toad?" I asked with a wink at Hailey.

"He's having a boy's night out," Kalen said. "He and his buddies are holed up in some sports bar eating hot wings and swilling beer." Kalen rubbed at her stomach. "I hate beer, but I have the strangest craving for it now."

"Do you know the s.e.x of the baby?" Hailey asked.

"No, we want to be surprised. Makes decorating the nursery kind of difficult, though. I'd love to show it to you if Mom will allow me to leave my chair."

Mom looked at me and rolled her eyes. "Five minutes and dinner will be on the table. That's all you get."

Kalen stood and rubbed her b.u.t.t. "Shannon, you come, too.