Page 114 of Unlikely to Stay
Chapter 25
Brant walked around Main Street, taking in the changes that had happened in the short time he’d been gone.Freckles wasn’t lying when she said her town went all out for the Fourth of July.It looked like Uncle Sam had thrown up on every possible surface.There were American flags hanging from every flagpole and red, white, and blue streamers, balloons and signs were posted on every available surface.Picnic tables and tables from churches and the school were placed in the middle of Main Street from end to end, red, white, and blue tablecloths covering the tops.There were refurbished vintage cars and trucks lined up in front of the courthouse, all in shades of red, white, and blue, of course.Brant couldn’t help but notice Wyatt’s among them.
Shaking his head, he walked into Sadie’s Café, the little bell jingling above his head.He had gone to the salon first but Freckles hadn’t been there.She hadn’t been at the gym, either.Since he saw her car parked underneath the stairs of her apartment but she hadn’t answered the door, he figured his next best place to check was Sadie’s.He grinned when he saw his favorite cherry redhead sitting on a stool at the counter next to the register.
“I swear, Sade, I seriouslysuckedat making it.Don’t make me grovel,” he heard her say.“I’ll do anything else.Just not those.”
Brant wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her ear, smiling when he felt her shiver.
“You’re back!”CC spun around on her stool and graced him with a wide smile.“I didn’t think you’d be back until later.”
“Mom kicked me out.Said I was annoying her.”
CC laughed.“Your mom is funny.”
Brant rolled his eyes.“You wouldn’t be saying that if you were the one that had been taking care of her.She’s a horrible patient.”
CC leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips.“I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, Freckles.Now, what do you suck at making?Could I help?”
CC and Sadie snorted.“I don’t think this is something you’ll have much interest in making,” Sadie said with an ornery grin.
“Why don’t you try me?”
CC patted the empty stool next to her and spun back around to the counter.“So Breckin and Griff’s baby shower is in a couple of weeks.Sadie is making the cake and doing the food, Annie was tasked with creating the decorations and invitations, andIwas supposed to be the one picking up the shower presents at Lakeviewandmaking the diaper cakes.”
She was speaking a foreign language.“Diaper cakes?I thought you said Sadie was making a cake.”
“She is.A cake people can eat.Diapercakes are these things made to look like cakes but are actually made out of diapers.The hostesses of the shower usually have a lot of them made so the parents have a bunch of diapers ready when the baby comes home from the hospital.”
Brant wrinkled his forehead.“Why can’t you just leave them in the packaging for Griff and Breckin?Then you don’t have to make a diaper cake at all.”
CC shot a pointed look at Sadie.“See?I told you they weren’t necessary.”
“Says a man I’m betting has never been to a baby shower in his life,” Sadie shot back.
Brant shrugged his shoulders when Freckles’ eyes met his.Sadie was right.He’d never darkened the door of a baby shower.
“Well, I don’t think wehaveto do them,” CC mumbled.
“They’re cute, they’re fun, and they’resupposedto be easy to make!”Sadie said in exasperation.
“Well, they’renot!And trust me, I tried really hard to make one.It just looked like a hot mess.Ask Annie.She can tell you I tried.”
“Oh, I heard all about it from Annie,” Sadie sighed.“Fine.I’ll make them.On one condition.”
“Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like this condition?”
“Since I’m doing youronlyjob—”
“Hey!I’m going to get the presents!”
Sadie cocked an eyebrow and Brant hid a smile behind his hand.Something told Brant he’d be in big trouble if Freckles caught him laughing at her expense.
“Fine.What is the condition?”Freckles sighed.
“Youhave to run interference on all the old ladies in town at the shower.”