Blue Lines
Page 40
Erik smiled and looked as though he was about to say something when someone screeched, “Piper!”
Piper knew it was Audrey even before she turned to see her best friend looking gorgeous and hugely pregnant. Audrey wore her curly hair up tonight along with a bright pink headband. Her makeup was colorful with bright pinks and blues. Her dress was the eye-catcher, though; it was a strapless, bright sparkly pink tutu style with blue swirls all over it. Looking nine months pregnant instead of just six, Audrey balanced herself on a pair of bright pink studded high heels. She matched her store, all bright and glittery.
Piper smiled brightly as she was wrapped into a tight hug from her friend. When their bellies pressed together, they both parted, laughing.
“Oh my God! It’s really there!” Audrey gushed, pressing her hands against Piper’s belly. Piper did the same to her, and they grinned up at each other.
“I know right?! Gosh, Audrey! Are you having twins?”
Audrey laughed as she shook her head.
“Nah, but I’m pretty sure I am competing for the biggest baby ever. I mean sheesh, look at my fiancé, he is a giant.”
Piper laughed as Tate smiled at her from behind Audrey, and she reached around to hug him tightly. She had always cared for Tate. He was a handsome guy with blond hair and bright blue eyes, and just shy of seven feet in height. Like Piper, he sported a gap between his front teeth as well, and that alone made her love him.
“You look stunning, Piper,” he said in a thick Swedish accent.
His English wasn’t perfect but it had improved since the first time Piper had met him. “Thank you, Tate. I think you’re having a mini giant,” Piper giggled, pointing to Audrey’s belly.
Audrey smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her softly.
“Yeah, we are really lucky.”
Piper had to fight back the tears because it was true. They almost lost their baby when Audrey was attacked by her ex. It was a blessing to see them so happy. Pushing away a tinge of jealousy, she was very happy that things worked out for them. She couldn’t help but envy Audrey, who would have the support of her husband, while Piper would rely solely on herself and maybe her family for help.
“Well, I think you are gorgeous, Audrey,” Erik said from behind Piper, before he leaned over to kiss Audrey’s cheek.
Audrey blushed as Tate’s arm tightened around her waist.
“Thank you, Erik.”
Audrey’s smile brightened as Erik did the same, wrapping Piper up in his arm. Piper glanced up at him and smiled softly before looking back at her best friend.
“I just can’t believe it!” Audrey gushed, looking between Piper and Erik.
“Believe what?”
“That y’all are married, having a baby, and happy. I mean it’s crazy! How long have you been dating?” Audrey asked quickly. “I mean I know I’ve been out of commission, but how did I miss this? I know you’ve loved him for, like, ever but I thought he didn’t feel the same. And maybe I shouldn’t have said that … pregnancy-brain, sorry!”
Piper bit her lip, hating that Audrey had let it slip that she had been in love with Erik for a long time. Erik did not need to know that, so rather than acknowledge that statement Piper said, “No, we haven’t been dating at all. I told him I was pregnant; he freaked, left, came back, and asked me to marry him. I said yes.”
“Wow, just like that?” Audrey asked, a little shocked.
Piper shrugged her shoulders. “When you know, you know.”
Audrey smiled sweetly up at Tate. “You’re right. I’m so happy for you! What are you having? You never told me.”
“We don’t know yet,” Piper said with a grin. “I made the appointment the other day. We’ll know in a couple of weeks.”
“Why haven’t you found out yet?” she asked. “I found out as soon as I could.”
Piper smiled sweetly. “I wanted to wait for Erik.”
She felt his fingers tighten on the spot below her armpit and she glanced up at him to see him looking at her with a weird look on his face. Was she not supposed to say that?
“Aw! That’s so freaking sweet! Hopefully it’s a girl so that she and Penelope can be best friends! Like we are!”
Piper giggled nervously, because having a girl would be a lot of work and there would probably be daddy issues, with not having a father around.
Sigh. “Yeah, that would be awesome.”
Out the corner of her eye, she noticed that Audrey’s sister, Fallon, and her husband, Lucas Brooks, were walking toward them. Fallon looked spectacular, pregnant and very happy. She was surprised when she found out Fallon was pregnant. The last time she saw her was when Audrey was in the hospital and she had apparently kept it a secret at the time. Fallon and Lucas had gone through a lot in their relationship, too. Time had healed old wounds and allowed each to mature, but seeing them together now there was no doubt theirs was a marriage meant to last.
And what a man to start and end with. If there was one man other than Erik who could make Piper trip over her own two feet, it was Lucas. He was beyond sexy, with tattoos covering every inch of him, dark hair, and those gray eyes that could make any girl swoon. He was sex on legs, but he had eyes only for Fallon, and even though it was a losing battle, Piper had eyes only for Erik.
Fallon stopped beside Audrey and gave her a big kiss on her cheek.
“The place is amazing; you did good, sis.”
Audrey’s smile grew as her cheeks reddened. “Thanks! It was a lot of work, but everyone has been great.”
Piper knew it was Audrey even before she turned to see her best friend looking gorgeous and hugely pregnant. Audrey wore her curly hair up tonight along with a bright pink headband. Her makeup was colorful with bright pinks and blues. Her dress was the eye-catcher, though; it was a strapless, bright sparkly pink tutu style with blue swirls all over it. Looking nine months pregnant instead of just six, Audrey balanced herself on a pair of bright pink studded high heels. She matched her store, all bright and glittery.
Piper smiled brightly as she was wrapped into a tight hug from her friend. When their bellies pressed together, they both parted, laughing.
“Oh my God! It’s really there!” Audrey gushed, pressing her hands against Piper’s belly. Piper did the same to her, and they grinned up at each other.
“I know right?! Gosh, Audrey! Are you having twins?”
Audrey laughed as she shook her head.
“Nah, but I’m pretty sure I am competing for the biggest baby ever. I mean sheesh, look at my fiancé, he is a giant.”
Piper laughed as Tate smiled at her from behind Audrey, and she reached around to hug him tightly. She had always cared for Tate. He was a handsome guy with blond hair and bright blue eyes, and just shy of seven feet in height. Like Piper, he sported a gap between his front teeth as well, and that alone made her love him.
“You look stunning, Piper,” he said in a thick Swedish accent.
His English wasn’t perfect but it had improved since the first time Piper had met him. “Thank you, Tate. I think you’re having a mini giant,” Piper giggled, pointing to Audrey’s belly.
Audrey smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her softly.
“Yeah, we are really lucky.”
Piper had to fight back the tears because it was true. They almost lost their baby when Audrey was attacked by her ex. It was a blessing to see them so happy. Pushing away a tinge of jealousy, she was very happy that things worked out for them. She couldn’t help but envy Audrey, who would have the support of her husband, while Piper would rely solely on herself and maybe her family for help.
“Well, I think you are gorgeous, Audrey,” Erik said from behind Piper, before he leaned over to kiss Audrey’s cheek.
Audrey blushed as Tate’s arm tightened around her waist.
“Thank you, Erik.”
Audrey’s smile brightened as Erik did the same, wrapping Piper up in his arm. Piper glanced up at him and smiled softly before looking back at her best friend.
“I just can’t believe it!” Audrey gushed, looking between Piper and Erik.
“Believe what?”
“That y’all are married, having a baby, and happy. I mean it’s crazy! How long have you been dating?” Audrey asked quickly. “I mean I know I’ve been out of commission, but how did I miss this? I know you’ve loved him for, like, ever but I thought he didn’t feel the same. And maybe I shouldn’t have said that … pregnancy-brain, sorry!”
Piper bit her lip, hating that Audrey had let it slip that she had been in love with Erik for a long time. Erik did not need to know that, so rather than acknowledge that statement Piper said, “No, we haven’t been dating at all. I told him I was pregnant; he freaked, left, came back, and asked me to marry him. I said yes.”
“Wow, just like that?” Audrey asked, a little shocked.
Piper shrugged her shoulders. “When you know, you know.”
Audrey smiled sweetly up at Tate. “You’re right. I’m so happy for you! What are you having? You never told me.”
“We don’t know yet,” Piper said with a grin. “I made the appointment the other day. We’ll know in a couple of weeks.”
“Why haven’t you found out yet?” she asked. “I found out as soon as I could.”
Piper smiled sweetly. “I wanted to wait for Erik.”
She felt his fingers tighten on the spot below her armpit and she glanced up at him to see him looking at her with a weird look on his face. Was she not supposed to say that?
“Aw! That’s so freaking sweet! Hopefully it’s a girl so that she and Penelope can be best friends! Like we are!”
Piper giggled nervously, because having a girl would be a lot of work and there would probably be daddy issues, with not having a father around.
Sigh. “Yeah, that would be awesome.”
Out the corner of her eye, she noticed that Audrey’s sister, Fallon, and her husband, Lucas Brooks, were walking toward them. Fallon looked spectacular, pregnant and very happy. She was surprised when she found out Fallon was pregnant. The last time she saw her was when Audrey was in the hospital and she had apparently kept it a secret at the time. Fallon and Lucas had gone through a lot in their relationship, too. Time had healed old wounds and allowed each to mature, but seeing them together now there was no doubt theirs was a marriage meant to last.
And what a man to start and end with. If there was one man other than Erik who could make Piper trip over her own two feet, it was Lucas. He was beyond sexy, with tattoos covering every inch of him, dark hair, and those gray eyes that could make any girl swoon. He was sex on legs, but he had eyes only for Fallon, and even though it was a losing battle, Piper had eyes only for Erik.
Fallon stopped beside Audrey and gave her a big kiss on her cheek.
“The place is amazing; you did good, sis.”
Audrey’s smile grew as her cheeks reddened. “Thanks! It was a lot of work, but everyone has been great.”
