Page 35 of Entice Me (Austin Singles 2)

“I hope you have a lot of pennies.”

She chuckled. “Jim said you’re going out on a date tomorrow night. A girl on your softball team.”

I nodded. “Yeah, figured it was time to move on.”

The heat of her stare made me glance her way. She had indeed been staring at me. “What? Just come out and say it, Terri. You never were good at holding things back.”

With a small shrug, she replied, “I don’t know. I kind of thought you might have gone out with Kaelynn. You two seemed to have an attraction there.”

“Yeah, I thought so too, but I guess not. I also told her I wasn’t interested in anything but friendship, but then thought I had corrected that statement to let her know I was maybe interested in pursuing a relationship, but somehow pissed her off.”

“Ugh. Men. Why do y’all do that shit?”

I chuckled. “It comes natural? Hell, I don’t know. I did ask her out to dinner, though, but she turned me down. I think she doesn’t have the highest opinion of me after a few comments I made about Lily.”

Terri rolled her eyes. “Well, if she knew anything about Lily, she would understand.”

“It was more of a comment about her money. She took it as me saying women shouldn’t make more money than men. Or some shit like that.”

“Did you explain yourself to her? Because if she knew you, she’d know that was not how you think.”

“I tried, but she was pissed off and pretty much just walked away. It is what it is. There’s something about Kaelynn, though. She’s hiding something from me, and honestly, I can’t deal with that right now. So it’s probably for the best she blew me off.”

Terri nodded. “I get that.”

“Guys?”

Tucker’s voice had us spinning around, and Jim and Blake quickly stood. Tucker stood there with the happiest grin I’d ever seen on my best friend’s face.

“Well?” Terri cried out. “Tell us, Tucker!”

“It’s a girl. Hannah Faith.”

Terri rushed to Tucker and hugged him. Before I had a chance to make my way over, I saw her out of the corner of my eye.

Lily.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I couldn’t get away from work and then had to find a sitter! Oh my gosh! Tucker . . . did she have the baby yet?”

Terri took a step back and glared at Lily. “You would put work before your own niece.”

Lily didn’t even bother looking at Terri. “She had a girl?”

; Tucker smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Hannah Faith.”

Lily threw herself at her brother, who wrapped her in a hug.

“I’m so sorry I was late. Honestly, I tried to get away.”

Tucker pulled back and smiled. “It’s okay.” Glancing around to each of us, Blake, Jim, and I all walked up and shook Tucker’s hand, congratulating him and Charlie.

“When can we meet her?” Terri asked.

“Maybe give us a bit of time and then y’all can come meet her?”

“I’ll have to come back later, if that’s okay?” Blake said, shaking Tucker’s hand once more.