I grunted. “I’m not so little anymore.” I bypassed the table and went straight to the couch, propping my feet up on her coffee table with a big sigh. “My clothes are getting too tight, and my feet are starting to swell. I’m only fifteen weeks, but with Big Foot as their father, I’m terrified to go full term.”
Zoe brought me a plate of cheese, crackers, pepperoni, fruit, celery, and blue cheese. She knew the chicken wings would give me heartburn, so she’d wisely skipped those. She handed me sparkling water in a fancy glass, and then joined me on the sofa. “Speaking of our favorite Irishman, how is it going with him helping you? I haven’t received any 911 calls from you, so I’m assuming well?”
“Helping?” I choked on my water. “That’s an understatement.” I set my plate of snacks down and wiped my mouth before adding, “The man bought us a house.”
“Wait, what?” Harm gaped at me, grabbing her beer and chicken wings as she made her way into her living room to sit in the recliner beside the couch. “You can’t drop a bomb like that and not give us the full detes, so spill it, babe.”
“Well, he didn’t buy the house exactly.” I took a bite of fruit as I rephrased what I wanted to say. “He rented it.”
“Oh, I thought you meant you two were moving in together.” Morticia laughed as she joined us with a diet cola and pizza and sat in another recliner on the other side of the couch. “Yeah, like that might happen over your dead body.”
Everyone laughed except me.
“Then I must be dying because it’s happening.” I sighed, but the only thing that died was their laughter. “I’m just not very good at articulating things lately.” I took a bite of cheese and crackers.
“But I thought you said you would only allow Matt to help you if there was no romance involved?” Zoe sipped her chardonnay, staring off in thought. “Moving in together sounds kind of romantic.”
“I know, that’s what I’m afraid of,” I admitted. “But he did have some good points. We’re going to have to start hosting our girls’ night in our shops because I can’t handle these stairs much longer. All of our homes, including Matt’s, are in upstairs apartments. The only ones who don’t live upstairs are Zoe and Chaz. So, Matt got the idea that if he rented a four-bedroom ranch, then we could each take one bedroom, leaving two to spare. That’s plenty of room, and it’s only for one year. Through the pregnancy and the first few months because there’s no way I can handle two babies by myself.”
“That actually makes sense.” Zoe nodded.
“Good for you for allowing Matt to help you.” Morti agreed. “You’re so independent, I know it’s hard for you to let someone in.”
“Not just someone…her baby daddy.” Harm wagged her eyebrows.
“And possible Children of the Clover member,” I added.
Harm’s eyes widened. “You’re still on that crazy train?”
“Children of the what?” Zoe asked.
“Yeah, I’m confused.” Morti scratched her head.
“You didn’t tell them?” I looked at Harm.
“Um, no, because the whole idea is crazy.” She held up her hands, always one to speak her mind and keep things real.
I knew she had her doubts, but I didn’t. “I found a book on this ancient cult in Harmony’s shop. I was drawn to the book because of the clover on the cover.
“Clover?” Zoe blinked. “That sounds a little too coincidental.”
“Right?” I set my feet down and scooted forward. “Basically, a long time ago, a group of men thought they were so fabulous, perfect specimens of the male gender. So much so that they tattooed their penises with a four-leaf clover and then spread their seed to special women. They especially felt that a woman who turned forty was superior in knowledge and still fertile. Then the babies became Children of the Clover, raised to carry on the legacy. Male babies were coveted the most for obvious reasons.”
Morti eyed the other two before looking back at me. “I have to say I’m with Harm. The cult sounds a little too crazy to be true. I’m sure it’s just some old legend. Probably where the legend of the tattooed clover penis sprouted from.”
“Oh, it sprouted all right. I saw it with my own eyes. Well, I saw something, anyway, but Matt won’t let me take another look.”
“Gee, I can’t imagine why.” Zoe laughed on a wince. “You don’t really believe this is true, do you?”
“I don’t know.” I threw my hands up in the air and flopped back on the cushions. “You guys make me feel like I’ve gone crazy. Who knows, maybe I have. All I know for certain is that I need to know for sure.”
“Well, living with Matt is a step in the right direction.” Harm snorted.
“My thoughts exactly.” I nodded with determination. “Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen without seeming like a sex-crazed maniac.”
“Good luck with that one,” Zoe said knowingly.
“What does that mean?” I eyed her curiously.
“It’s a pregnancy thing.” Zoe giggled. “Now that your morning sickness is gone, you’ll enter the horny phase, so a sex-crazed maniac isn’t too far off.”
My jaw unhinged.
Matt was already hard enough to resist. How the hell was I going to handle being horny while living with a gorgeous Thor lookalike? “Well, that’s just great. I already signed on the dotted line.”
“Something tells me good ole’ McShamrock doesn’t have a clue what he signed up for.” Harmony laughed.
“And this is why online dating is my preferred choice,” Morticia stated. “Cyber-sex is so much less stressful.”
“But far less enjoyable, babe,” Harmony countered.
“And it can’t give you a baby,” Zoe added gently.
“Or two.” I groaned.
Maybe Matt’s brilliant idea wasn’t so brilliant after all.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you sure you want to rent the apartment upstairs?” I asked Trixy a week later as she sat behind the reception desk of my salon.
Matt’s cousin, Finn, was taking over his apartment and letting Aidan stay with him. They’d been crashing at his uncle’s house, who was more than happy to have them, but family was family. They knew Matt needed help, so they jumped in, no questions asked.
I didn’t have that luxury.
Trixy nodded, and her bleach blonde pigtails bounced. “My parents are sick of having me live with them. Failure to launch, and all that.” She laughed. “And since it’s only for one year, it’s a great trial run for me to see what it’s like totally adulting on my own. I’m not gonna lie…I’m kinda nervous.”
Trixy was in her late twenties, definitely not a kid anymore. She was a whiz at computers but pretty much clueless about everything else. Her parents had always helped her manage—more like taken over—everything else, but now they were ready for her to leave the nest and start her own life. I couldn’t blame them, but I could also sympathize with her. I lived with my Grammy until I was in my mid-twenties, then went out on my own. I didn’t regret anything except getting married.
But I never made the same mistake twice.
“You’ll do great.” I patted her hand. “Speaking of adulting, I have to finish packing. I’m not gonna lie…I’m not gonna miss climbing those stairs.” I winked.
Trixy laughed. “I think it’s great that you and Mr. McGinnis are moving in together. He’s so hot.”
“It’s not like that between us.” I sighed.
Here we go. It was only a matter of time before the rumor mill started, and Trixy wasn’t the first. Tongues had been wagging since the moment we signed on the dotted line to rent the ranch.
