Page 41 of Mitch

“It is, which shocks me.”

Aubrey inclined her head. “Why?”

“I never thought I’d have this again. I was all set to live my life alone, just me and Maggie, and now I have a man who treats me like a goddess and friends who accept me for who I am.” Autumn took a sip of her wine, the sharp, sweet tang hitting her taste buds. “I guess it’s all just hard to get my head around.”

Aubrey laid a hand over hers as she sat beside her on the couch. “You’ve been through a lot. It’s easy to understand how you might feel that way but let me tell you from someone who has known him a little while now, Mitch is a good guy, one of the best, and he adores you and Maggie.”

Bebe nodded. “Yep, a few hearts broke when you bagged that man.”

Autumn laughed a light-hearted feeling in her chest.

The door opened and Mitch walked in with Maggie in his arms, Will behind him. “This little angel is ready for her bed and she needs a feed.”

He moved across the living room and handed Maggie into her outstretched arms. He’d changed her into a yellow onesie with blue rabbits on it, and Maggie was already looking sleepy.

“Thanks for getting her changed.”

Mitch leaned down, bracing his hands either side of her on the sofa. “My pleasure.” He kissed her quickly before pulling back to look at her, totally ignoring the heat on her cheeks or the sighs from the women beside her. “Simone, Sam’s wife, can fit you in tomorrow at noon if you still want to get your hair done.”

Autumn bit her lip and looked at Aubrey and Bebe. “Any chance you want to come with me while I get my hair done? I need a babysitter for Maggie and me.” She shrugged. “Maggie got Mitch.”

“Yes, of course. I need to get my nails done anyway,” Bebe readily agreed.

“I’m working until two, but Will can go with you both.”

Aubrey shot her man a grin, and he gave her a frown before groaning. “Fine, but I’m bringing my laptop.”

Aubrey grinned at Autumn. “He loves it really.”

Mitch and Will left then, but not before Will claimed a kiss from Aubrey and Mitch laid another kiss on her and Maggie.

“Make yourselves at home while I just give her a quick feed and put her down. I won’t be long.”

Autumn escaped the stares from the two women who were becoming her friends. Having been on her own for so long it was hard to let people into such a private part of her life, but she wanted to be the old her again.

Taking the time to feed Maggie and set her down quietly gave her the peace she needed to go and face her new friends.

Going back into the living room, she smiled at the two women as she twisted her hair around her finger in a show of nerves. It was one thing people knowing about her and Mitch but showing them was different.

“We scared you off,” Bebe announced as Autumn walked towards the kitchen and began pulling food from the fridge.

“No, not at all.” She popped the tray of mango chicken lollipops and plantain puff puffs in the oven to cook before looking at Bebe. “I was always affectionate with my family but Terrell, my husband, hated PDA, thought it was embarrassing, so I think I got out of practice. Does that make sense? I got into a habit of hiding my feelings in public, and it’s a hard mindset to break.”

“It does, but I have a feeling Mitch is into public displays of affection.” Aubrey scowled at Bebe who laughed. “Not in a freaky let’s get it on in public kind of way, although…” She smiled as Aubrey threw a cushion at her.

“Shut up. You’re going to scare her off, dumbass.” Aubrey frowned but her eyes were smiling.

“Let’s see what outfits you’ve brought over,” Autumn said, changing the subject.

Aubrey gave her a wink and Bebe came around the sofa and started lifting hangers.

“This would look fabulous on you.”

She handed Autumn a purple dress with a high neck and long sleeves which would fit like a second skin and fall to her knee. Autumn wrinkled her nose as she imagined the fabric around her neck. “I don’t like anything around my neck.”

“What about this one?” Aubrey asked, handing her a cerise pink dress, with a black lace bodice. It was short, probably only falling to her mid-thigh, but it was beautiful.

“Oh yes, go try it on,” Bebe ordered.

With a happy feeling, Autumn went into the bathroom and slid the dress on. It was skintight on her but hugged the curves of her ass, accentuating her small waist thanks to baby Pilates. Turning, she realised a bra wouldn’t work as it was too revealing. It was beautiful, and she felt sexy in it, her boobs shouldn’t leak either because she’d started weaning Maggie now.

“Get your ass out here,” Bebe called from the closed door.

Autumn opened the door, and Bebe whistled.

“Wow, you’re gonna knock Mitch on his ass in that dress.”

“Show me,” Aubrey said from the kitchen where she was checking the chicken in the oven. Her expression went wide. “You look spectacular. You have amazing legs.”

Autumn laughed, courage warming through her at the words. These two women and the ones she’d met on Monday were already imbuing her with confidence, and it was a feeling she hadn’t realised she’d lost until she felt the first twinges as it came back.