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“Lucy,” Melina said, “No one knows they’ll be a good mother until it happens. It all starts with common sense and love and lots of support. I know for a fact you have a great heart, a logical, intelligent mind, and so much to give. I think you’ll make a great mom.”
“I second that,” Grace said. “You’ll also be a ‘cool’ mom. One who knows all about empowering a woman to stand tall and go after what she wants.”
“I don’t know. I mean, that’s what Jamie said, too, but…” Immediately, Lucy wanted to kick herself.
“Whoa,” Grace drawled. “You and me are gonna have to mend fences. You talked to Jamie about this? Before you talked to us? How? When? You said you just found out today.”
Melina sucked in a breath. “Wait a minute. After the show, you both disappeared and… Did you sleep together?”
The high-pitched tone Melina used to say the word “sleep” made Lucy wince. Then she squeezed her eyes shut tight and nodded.
“Oh my God!” Melina said.
Grace—sweet, genteel southern magnolia Grace—actually squealed and clapped her hands. She stood and jumped up and down. “It’s because of the way Max proposed. It was so romantic, it finally made you both admit how you feel about each other.”
Lucy shook her head. “No, no,” she said. “No.”
Both her friends immediately stilled and grew quiet.
“No?” Grace asked.
“No,” Lucy repeated. “Nothing’s changed. We—we were just horny and Jamie offered to give me what he hadn’t been willing to give me before and I accepted. It was…great. But now it’s over. We’re friends. Just friends. And I really need you both to accept that. Please. I need your support with Milly.”
Melina and Grace looked at each other. Then they each walked up to her and gave her a hug. “You have it.”
“I know. I love you two. I don’t say that enough. I am so damned lucky to have you both.” She wrapped an arm around each of them and they had a group hug, just before the babies announced over the monitor that they were awake.
“Speaking of lucky…” Melina said with a smile. “Once you get custody of Milly, our kids can play together.”
If she got custody of Milly, Lucy thought, but since there was no point in speculating on what was going to happen, she simply smiled and went along with her. “That would be awesome. I can call you at three in the morning when she won’t stop crying and ask you what I should do.”
“That’s fine. Rhys usually answers the phone in the middle of the night anyway,” Melina said with a laugh.
She got up and Lucy said, “Can I get them?”
“Sure, but they’ll need to be changed. Are you sure you don’t want me to help?”
“You just gave that speech about what a fabulous mother I’m going to be, Melina. Let’s see if you still trust me after I diaper your children.”
Lucy went to the nursery and found the babies each in their own cribs, staring at each other through the bars.
“Hi there, guys. How was your nap? Aunt Lucy’s going to change you, okay? Then I’ll take you out to see Mama.”
She started with Tabby, laying her on the changing table where Melina had stored everything she would need. The baby looked at her curiously and Lucy said, “I’m funny looking, I know. You, on the other hand, are gorgeous. You look just like your mama.” Tabby squealed. “I know, that’s a good thing. Your mama is so pretty.”
Behind her, Charlie babbled and Lucy turned to look at him. “Be patient, little man. You’re next. You’re gorgeous, too, by the way. You look just like your handsome daddy.”
She played with them and tickled them and got them all clean and changed. Then she took them out to Melina.
“Special delivery,” she said. “They said they’d rather go back to northern California with Aunt Lucy but I told them you’d miss them too much.”
“Thanks, Lucy.” They chatted for about thirty more minutes. Then, after Lucy called a cab to take her back to her hotel, she looked at her watch and said, “It’s time. The cab will be here any minute.”
“I’m going to miss you,” Melina said, grabbing her in a hug.
“I want some of that,” Grace said, hugging her next. “You take care of yourself, okay? If you need any help with this ridiculous custody battle, you call me. Max knows a lot of attorneys and we’d be thrilled to be character references for you.”
“Us, too,” Melina said.
