Free Here With You by Kate Perry Page B

passed him over.
     "He may spit on you, too."
    Parker lunged at Nicole with a happy gurgle when she reached for him.
    "Yikes." She caught him quickly, settling him on her hip.
    "He moves a lot, but you won't drop him," Olivia said.
    She hoped not. She bounced him a little, loving the delighted coo and the way his
     fingers caught her shirt and held on. She stroked his thatch of dark, downy hair and
     breathed in his baby scent, enchanted by the way he smiled at her. "I'm in love. He's
     adorable."
    "I know. I tell Michael he's just like me." Olivia winked at her and then pointed
     to the books. "You're rocking the business. I think I should just take maternity leave
     forever and let you run the store."
    She tried to imagine working there forever, but it didn't feel right. Sure, she'd
     been there the longest of any job, but forever was a long time. But to her boss, she
     just said, "I love working here."
    "Let me put these in water for you and then we can go over the state of the union.
     I ordered a shipment of Chantelle that doesn't seem to have arrived yet." Olivia picked
     up the flowers and headed to the back. "And then you can tell me about your admirer."
    "I don't have an admirer," she said quietly, not wanting to yell in Parker's ear.
    She didn't think Olivia heard. Her boss came out of the back and set the vase of tulips
     next to a display of black satin Aubade and then immediately began quizzing her about
     what'd been going on since she'd been in a couple weeks ago. Nicole knew Olivia felt
     a little bit out of the loop, like she was abandoning her old baby for her new one,
     but Olivia managed to run things just as efficiently from home.
    Nicole didn't mind. As far as she was concerned, she was happy to leave the business
     details to Olivia so she could do what she liked: sell romance.
    "So." Olivia leaned her hip against the counter and crossed her arms. "Tell me about
     him."
    She stilled, causing Parker to fuss. Patting his back, she rocked him back and forth.
     "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "You're going to play dumb about all the flowers in here?"
    "Yes."
    "Then it's serious." Olivia pursed her lips. "You'll give notice if you decide to
     leave me, right?"
    "I'm not leaving you." She rolled her eyes at Olivia's disbelieving gaze. "Seriously.
     I'm not going anywhere. It's not like that. He's just my old best friend from childhood
     who's visiting."
    "Michael was my best friend from childhood, and he came back to stay."
    "Yes, but Grif won't."
    Olivia just stared at her.
    "I mean it." She rubbed the baby's back, trying not to notice how nice he felt. "He
     needs a little help, and then he'll be on his way again. He doesn't stay in one place
     for long."
    "Michael didn't either, until he came back and asked me to marry him."
    Nicole stilled, caught by the vision of Grif on his knee, asking her to love him forever.
     Pathetic vision, because it wasn't ever going to happen. He was married to his guitar,
     whether he remembered it or not.
    As if he sensed her unease, Parker began to fidget. She tried rocking him harder,
     but he began to mewl.
    "He's hungry." Olivia held her arms out.
    She reluctantly surrendered him to his mom, feeling the loss as soon as he was lifted
     from her. She'd never thought she'd want children, but maybe she did.
    Olivia smiled down at her baby, serene love in her eyes. She rocked him back and forth
     as she pulled out a bottle from her diaper bag. He latched onto it eagerly, his long
     fingers curling around hers.
    Nicole watched them, feeling their bond and being jealous.
    "When Michael came back, I didn't want anything to do with him," Olivia said so softly
     that, for a moment, Nicole thought she was talking to her son. "I didn't think I could
     forgive him for leaving me. I didn't think he could make the commitment to settle
     down. But in the end, I had to try, and I'm glad I did, because otherwise I'd be missing
     the best days of my life."
    Nicole swallowed