Free Baby by Design: Designing Love Book One (Crimson Romance) by Elley Arden Page B

night. “I need more proof.”
    “What?”
    “I need proof that Tony’s capable of the messes you’re always talking about. Honestly, I don’t see it.”
    “Holy shit.” Angie stood. “Did you sleep with him?”
    Trish’s cheeks ignited. “No.” But not for lack of wanting.
    “He’s going to hurt you.”
    “How so?”
    “What do you mean, how so? I know you! You want marriage. Kids. Tony thinks marriage is for losers who can’t get laid on a regular basis without the gold band, and he’s too much of a kid himself to raise one.”
    Funny, as much as Trish loved Angie, she was getting tired of the slams against Tony’s character. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think. Maybe I want a little fun now and then, too.”
    Crap
. Angie’s face twisted like Trish’s gut did. “I’m sorry, Ange. I didn’t mean you didn’t know me. You know me. You…”
    “Forget it. Whatever. Tony’s right. You’re a big girl. But I warned you. Remember that.” She turned and walked away.
    “Ange, wait.” Trish jumped up and ran after her. If she wanted to have a baby with Tony, she was going to have to get used to smoothing wrinkles between her and Angie. “I like Tony, and if that makes me an idiot, then I take full responsibility.”
    Angie stopped and turned. “Fine.”
    “So you’re okay with it…with me liking him?”
    “No, but what am I going to do about it? I love him. I love you. It’s not like I can give up on either one of you.”
    That made Trish smile, and some of the stress she’d been carrying around all morning evaporated. “I’m going to hug you now.”
    “Don’t.” Angie put out both arms. “I hurt my back carrying boards. You’ll make it worse.”
    “Liar.” Trish sidestepped the outstretched arms and wrapped Angie in a fierce hug. “I love you, too.”
    “Oh God. Too much. Too much,” Angie said, squirming.
    But when Trish released her, Angie was smiling. “I’m serious, Ange. You’ll never know how much your friendship means to me.”
    “That’s all I need to know. Don’t tell me more. It’ll just lead to hugging.” She pointed a finger at Trish’s face. “And another thing you better not be telling me…details about you and my brother doing whatever you end up doing. I do not want to know. Got me?”
    “Loud and clear,” Trish answered with a nod, because, frankly, she couldn’t agree more. If Angie knew details of what Trish and Tony were thinking about doing, there’d be hell to pay, hell in the form of ruthless lectures and character smearing meant to change Trish’s mind. More than likely, when faced with that kind of pressure from Angie, Trish would crumble. Under those circumstances, she wouldn’t choose a baby with Tony over her best friend. But if Trish happened to get pregnant while she was doing whatever she and Tony ended up doing—details Angie refused to hear—there’d be no choice to make. Trish would get to have her baby and keep her best friend, too.
    “Why are you looking at me so weird?” Angie narrowed her eyes.
    Trish released an anxious laugh. “No reason. Get out of here. I have sketches to finish.”
    Angie nodded as she walked out of the shop, glancing back at Trish every so often like she was suspicious. Trish waved through the glass, partly to keep up appearances and partly to release nervous energy. She wouldn’t be settled until she was pregnant, because then the damage would be done, and she’d be mere months away from her greatest dream coming true.
    When Angie turned the corner, Trish released a big breath. As tough as it was, she laid the groundwork by letting Angie know she was interested in Tony. Now all Trish needed was for Tony to be interested in her.
    • • •
    Tony parallel parked his bike between a dumpster and Ma’s Accord. He tossed a few stray cans into the dumpster and then ducked into the narrow space between houses to get to the side door. He knocked and at the same time saw Ma sitting at the