News of Ava's pregnancy scrambled Greer's brain. How could her sister have been so careless? Before Sawyer left, she'd asked more questions. How far along? How did they meet in secret? Had Emma seen them together? That was what concerned her most. Even six-year-olds picked up on things.

Thankfully, she'd never met Sawyer. He and Ava had the perfect situation. He pretended to be a client. Even paid for sessions to keep Evan from getting suspicious, and Ava conveniently went to his house. Only four weeks along, plenty of time for the divorce before a baby bump appeared.

Greer thought about it so much, she couldn't remember what she'd done most of the day, but somehow cooked and cleaned before her guests arrived.

By the time Blake, Nova and Sophie showed up, anxiety clung to Greer like a winter coat. Finding out about Ava's unhappiness made her feel responsible. If she'd only stayed in touch. Called more. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could have saved the marriage, but she could have been a sounding board. If the situation affected her this much, how did Ava handle the problem with no one to confide in?

Just after six o'clock, her friends arrived and Greer had supper waiting. Just as she thought, Emma loved Sophie and spent the whole evening keeping the toddler busy. Maybe she'd been wrong about Emma's acceptance of a younger sibling even if they didn't share the same dad. She couldn't help but be thankful the child wouldn't be tested.

After getting Blake and the kids to bed, Greer and Nova stayed up until two a.m. talking. The main subject, Ava and the mess she'd gotten herself into. Greer was still trying to understand how her sensible sister took so many risks. Not just with her own future, but with Emma's. She'd avoided the subject of Jackson deciding the less she talked about him, the better.

Nova yawned, stretched. "I've got to call it a night—or I should say morning. I want to hear about this preacher man, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm beat."

"I'm not seeing him anymore. Declared myself cured. Instead of talking it out, I've learned to cook it out. Discovered frying can be therapeutic."

Nova laughed. "Well, the meal you prepared tonight shocked me. The responsibility of parenthood has changed you." Nova rose and stared down at her friend. "And after the way you've gushed over the phone about Jackson, I'm not sure you're completely cured."

"I never gushed."

"Oh yes, you did." She leaned over and kissed the top of Greer's head. "Speaking of babies. Blake wants another one."

"What do you want?"

"I agree. Besides, my clock is ticking, and Sophie is over a year old now, so if we want more, we should get busy."

Greer held up her hand, pressed her thumb and index finger almost together, and punctuated the air. "You and Blake give me a teeny-tiny-itty-bitty ray of hope for lasting love even though the odds are about a trillion to one."

Nova slid the band from her hair and fluffed out the strands. The dark curls made her chocolate eyes intensify. "I'm the poster child for it happening when you least expect it. After lying about everything, and keeping the pregnancy from him, it's a miracle it worked out. I love him so much sometimes I ache all over."

"Yeah, well, I like the new look he has going."

Nova laughed. "Me, too. He's given up haircuts and shaving until his vacation ends. Who knew I liked scruffy men? Nighty-night. See you in the morning."

Just as Greer drifted to sleep, Emma snuggled next to her. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Is it almost time for the dance?"

"No. It's barely Saturday. Go back to sleep." One kitten burrowed into Greer's hair, while the other snaked beneath the covers and settled on her foot. She smiled. This was the definition of motherhood. Sharing a bed with two pets and a child. She wrapped Emma in her arms and hugged her tight.

*

On Friday, Jackson stared at his phone a dozen times thinking he'd call Lauren again. Even went as far as pulling her name up in his contacts, but backed out. His heart wasn't in it. Sure, he could have sex with her and be satisfied for a while, but she wasn't the one he wanted.

Maybe he and Halley were more alike than he admitted. She obsessed over him and he couldn't stop thinking about Greer. Well, he wasn't crazy enough to follow her. She'd pushed him away, and he'd stayed away. He'd never begged a woman to like him and he wouldn't start now. If it was female companionship he needed, there were plenty of options. Lord knew he'd gone through enough one night stands when Julie left. Besides, random, meaningless sex fixed everything.

At five-thirty, he strapped his legs into a wheelchair and joined his brother along with Kyle, Marc, and Sean on the basketball court behind Ian's house. Since the accident, Jackson and the rest of the guys had gotten proficient in what Ian called Gimp the Goal. If he played, then everyone had to use a chair. Isla's rules. In the beginning, it'd been one of the hardest challenges Jackson faced, but after months of playing, he'd gotten better.

He spun around and hooked a shot into the air. The ball bounced off the backboard and Sean rebounded. "Damn, man. You're off your game."

Ian chuckled. "He's got lady troubles."

Marc wheeled past, held his hands high for a pass. "Sean's been giving cooking lessons to a couple of available women. One newly divorced and eager."

Jackson stole the ball and took another shot, this time making it. "I'm not interested."

"You might be. Tell him about the other one, Sean."

"She's hot. A little weird, but I bet wild in the sack. Right now, she's got purple hair which is funny considering her names Evergreen."

"Ho-lee shit," Ian said. "She's the trouble."

Sean and Marc eyed Jackson, then Sean spoke. "Is he serious?"

"Oh, I'm serious all right. Tell them, bro. Tell them how she thinks you're a sanctified saint."

Jackson threw a hard pass to Ian, but instead of beginning play, he set the ball in his lap.

Jackson eyed the team staring at him, then focused on Ian. "You need to keep your trap shut."

"Hey, too late for that." Kyle rolled closer with Marc and Sean following to form a semi-circle around the accused.

"So? What's the story?"

Ian joined the group. "There can only be one woman in Fairhope with a name like that. It has to be her. He was in the church parking lot and she mistook him for a preacher and he didn't correct her."

Every man but Jackson broke into laughter.

Sean pulled his brows together. "So you've already been hitting that? Damn. Way to go man."

"No. I have not. She and I are friends. I mean, we were, but we're not seeing each other anymore. Is she seeing anybody else?"

"Don't know. But she's got company coming this weekend. Could be a man."

An hour later, Jackson stood in the shower under a pulsating spray of hot water. The basketball game had worked to relieve some of his tension until Sean mentioned Greer and Ian spilled his guts. With a threat of bodily harm, he'd sworn the chef to secrecy. No need to tell the truth now that he wasn't seeing her anymore. The lie was something he'd always regret, but in time, it'd become a joke among friends. Already was. At his expense.

After a quick trip to see his parents, Jackson returned home and started on his first beer. He surfed the sports channels then flipped back and forth among channels but couldn't get interested in football, baseball, or hockey. After his sixth beer, he didn't give a shit about much of anything, so he stumbled down the hallway and fell into bed.

*

On Saturday morning, Greer woke early and put a breakfast casserole into the oven, then started another surprise recipe. If her house guests had been impressed by her menu last night, they'd really go crazy for this meal, a mixture of scrambled eggs, sausage, and mushroom soup topped with cheese. Along with homemade biscuits and blackberry jam she'd bought at a local farmer's market. For an added touch, she'd made honey butter. Emma loved the golden bee spread on everything.

Nova strolled into the kitchen. "Where's Blake?"

"He's outside looking for things to fix. I think he found a loose gutter."

"You know how handy he is, so if you have something that needs repair, ask. He loves doing stuff like that."

"I can't think of anything. But I want him to look at the tools in the garage. Evan didn't have much, but if there's anything Blake can use, he can have it."

The door opened and Mr. Fix-it stepped inside. "I thought I'd better wait until the kids get up before I hammer anything."

He walked over to Nova and kissed her. "You came to bed late."

"We got to talking and time got away from us."

Nova turned her attention back to Greer. "Now, before Emma wakes up, tell me about your minister man."

Greer rolled dough while she talked. "He's not mine. Not by a long shot. He has a girlfriend. You'll get to meet him later. He's taking Emma to the school dance." With a biscuit cutter, Greer punched circles, and placed them on a cookie sheet. "I should warn you. When he gets here, don't look in his eyes. They're like a river. No. An ocean. No...lagoons. Deep blue lagoons. You'll drown in them."

She stared into space for a moment then went back to the dough. "And his lips...avoid them, too. They're so kissable. Actually—"she lifted her finger in the air and circled her face, flour flying like a snow flurry. "This whole area is like the Bermuda Triangle." She put the last round on the pan, carried it to the oven. "Oh, and he was a baseball player, so you shouldn't look at his backside because he has a great ass."

Nova folded her arms. "I am not having this argument with you again. Football players have the best butts, hands down."

"No, baseball players."

Nova eyed her husband. "Help me out here, baby. Turn around."

Blake lowered his head. "I can't believe you're discussing this guy's ass, and no I will not turn around to show Greer mine." Then he flashed a wicked grin at his wife. "But if you'll follow me to the bedroom, I'll gladly give you a private viewing...of more than my ass." He wrapped her in his arms and planted a kiss with purpose.

She placed her hand on his chest and pushed. "Behave."

Greer set the timer. "Go ahead. You've got twenty minutes. Somebody in this house should be getting some."

Blake took Nova's hand and pulled her forward. "You heard her. C'mon. Time's a wasting."

*

Jackson's head pounded, and he scolded himself for using such poor judgment. He rolled to his back and focused on the ceiling. A small sliver of light crawled from the blinds and spotlighted a spider spinning a web in the corner. The longer he watched, the more in sync his head throbbed, as if the thing was playing drums in his brain.

He closed his eyes to break the rhythm and the beat slowed. Then he remembered what day it was. Saturday. Father-daughter dance. He had things to do. Pick up his suit at the cleaners, Emma's corsage, and swap vehicles with his mom. Her car would be better for his young date.

It took him a while to get going, but by noon, his head was clear and he'd completed his errands, so he drove to the office to work a few hours.

At five o'clock, after locking up, he stopped for a burger, ran his mom's car through the car wash, then drove home. By the time he showered and dressed, the sun was setting. The weather forecast was good. That would hold until Sunday when rain, high wind, and maybe some hail moved in.

He took the corsage from the fridge, walked to the mirror by the door and adjusted his tie one more time, then headed to the car. When he arrived at Greer's, he turned into the drive, and his stomach knotted.

Standing at the end of her porch, a guy the size of a linebacker with blond hair and no shirt, held a drink in one hand and a hammer in the other. A leather tool belt hung low on his hips.

Damn.

That explained everything.

------------------------------

So much missed communication.

There's no way they're gonna stay away from each other now that theyre seeing each other again.

And will Greer ever find out Jackson's dirty little secret?

Til next time,

x zuz