Sweet Burn by Anne Marsh Read Free Book Online Page B

breastfeeding is a Milky Way and contractions are Whoppers.”
    “Bobbing for nipples is not going to be enough to convince Rio to sit through this.” The mental image was great, though. She and Rio had parted as friends, so she probably should throw him a line on this one. She ’ d thought that walking into a roomful of chattering women with pink and blue on the brain was bad, but candy games (and she so did not want to know what the diaper game was) were worse. Way, way worse.
    Faye shrugged. “He ’ ll stay if Gia asks him to.”
    The other women nodded and Mimi suspected it was true. She ’ d seen them together and Rio was head over heels for his wife. He ’ d probably even pose for pictures with the nipples if that was what Gia wanted.
    After games, the talk turned to food. Cake—of course—and finger foods. Apparently baby showers required some kind of potluck thing. Mimi found herself signed up for chicken wings and celery sticks. She could do that. In fact, if she was being honest with herself, being included in the group felt… good.
    “Now all we need is a location.” Faye looked up from her list and eyeballed the group. “Who ’ s volunteering? ”
    “What ’ s wrong with here?” Mimi looked around the gallery. Faye certainly had the space and she ’ d hosted events here before. Before she could finish getting the words out, however, Faye was already shaking her head.
    “It wouldn ’ t be a surprise then. Plus, those windows in the front would make it hard to hide the decorations. We need somewhere she wouldn ’ t expect.”
    Twelve heads swiveled and stared at Mimi like Faye ’ s idea was the best idea ever and the Second Coming rolled into one. Oh. Hell. No.
    “You want to hold it at the bar.”
    Faye smiled. “I ’ m so glad you dropped by.”
    “That wasn ’ t a yes .”
    Faye ’ s smile got bigger. “But I ’ m not hearing a no, either.”
    “ Having Gia ’ s shower at Ma ’ s would be perfect,” Lily said. “She ’ ll never suspect.”
    Mimi wasn ’ t sure what that said about her , but the other women in the room were nodding along in violent agreement. Baby showers were foreign territory for her. Hell, she ’ d slept with Rio Donovan and now she was throwing his wife a baby shower? She opened her mouth to say no —and remembered Mack ’ s face. He ’ d do it in a heartbeat, wouldn ’ t hesitate even a moment. Damn it. She didn ’ t want to host a baby shower for her former lover ’ s wife. She didn ’ t do pink or presents or bobbing for nipples. Ever . She told herself that, but Mack ’ s face stared her down inside her head. And… this was why she didn ’ t do relationships or even go back for seconds. She ’ d made a brief exception for Rio and now she was tempted to do the same for Mack, and it was changing her. Making her do things she didn ’ t want to do.
    To heck with it.
    She could do this.
    “Count me in.”
     
    ***
     
    The Donovans ’ hangar was a few miles outside of town. The place came with plenty of open space for parking trucks and planes, along with just enough runway to get the DC-3 airborne when a call came in and the jump team went up. This time of year, however, things were laid back. It was still too early for serious fires, although the lack of winter rain had everyone concerned. The mountains were drier than dry and if the rain didn ’ t come soon, all it would take was one spark, one match.
    Most of the team was still away, working winter jobs or recreating. Guys with families had gone home, but a few of jumpers stayed year-round, repairing gear and planning training runs, including Joey and Zay. Mack, at least, could have headed back to Louisiana and his place on the bayou, but he wasn ’ t sure those two actually had anywhere else to be. It didn ’ t matter. Here worked. Plus, the rest of the team would start to roll in in another month or so and then summer would come and they ’ d be balls out fighting fire.
    Jack had set