“How? There was like half a bottle last night.”
“Well, see, that’s a long story.”
Kai glanced at his watch. “We’ve got a long time.”
I guess I wasn’t getting out of this one. Shit. “After I was done throwing up this morning—”
“You stopped this morning? I’m impressed. You were really going for it at one point.”
I elbowed him. “You brought coffee over from your apartment! What did you expect? Me to start singing and dancing in delight? Gross!”
“I’m going to remember you said that when there’s a crying newborn and you want a coffee to keep you awake.”
“Whatever. Anyway, when I stopped, I took a nap, and when I woke up, I was hungry. Since I need to go grocery shopping—”
“I did notice.”
“—Shut up,” I added. “I went to the bakery and got some pre-made pancakes.”
“How many?”
“I don’t really want to answer that question.” I sniffed.
“Ivy.”
“Fine. Four. I got four large ones and I ate them all!”
Kai chuckled. “Go on.”
“I had strawberries and bananas so I ate four large pancakes with fruit and chocolate sauce and whipped cream and I don’t regret a thing.”
“In what world is that a remedy for nausea?”
I shrugged. “I really don’t know, but they tasted good. I was going to save you one, but then I remembered you woke me up at six-fifteen this morning so you didn’t deserve a giant pancake.”
“What if I promise not to wake you up tomorrow morning? Can I have pancakes then?”
“Yes. It’s your day off so you can get them.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“I don’t really care what you meant,” I said honestly. “Next time don’t offer to get pancakes on your day off if you don’t want to get them.”
“I didn’t offer.”
“You absolutely did offer.”
“She’s right,” Tori said from behind us. “I heard it. You offered.”
“Where the hell did you come from?” Kai asked, grabbing the door to Bronco’s and opening it.
Tori flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. “Oh, I often follow Ivy around town for fun. Make sure no strange men are trying to attack her, you know?”
“And what would you do? Beat them with a book?”
“Yes.” Tori slipped inside before I could.
I shrugged and looked at Kai. “I told you. Books are underrated weapons.”
He shook his head and followed me inside. It was quiet for a Saturday night, but that wasn’t too surprising considering there was a local band playing in one of the bed and breakfasts on the other side of town.
Yes, my parents had the monopoly on bars in White Peak, but not hotels.
“How did she know we’d be here?” he asked me as we approached the bar.
“She didn’t,” I said brightly. “But she’s always here at this time on a Saturday night because I’m usually working and she likes my margaritas.”
“Why aren’t you working?” Tori asked when we joined her.
“Bingo.”
“Ah, shit. Did they fight again?”
Kai nodded. “Do you mean Rosie and Agatha?”
Tori grinned. “Did she call her Hagatha again?”
I snorted. “Agatha went crazy. It was hilarious. They were trying to fight but their canes kept getting in the way. I honestly don’t know why they let them play together. They have more than one session and they really need to get it sorted out.”
“Preach that,” she muttered. “Are you going to make me a margarita or what?”
I sighed and got behind the bar, sharing a knowing look with Sophie. “Is this how you felt when I just told you that you had to get the pancakes on your day off tomorrow?” I asked Kai.
He grinned. “I’ll have a beer, please, sweetie.”
“I’ll sweetie you,” I muttered under my breath. I handed Kai his beer before I set to fixing Tori’s cocktail.
“I see the marriage is going well.”
“I see you need to be quiet,” I said, shaking her margarita. “How’s your dating life?”
“Non-existent, just the way I like it,” she replied. “My sex life, however…”
“Is something I don’t need to know about,” Kai finished for her. “Trust me. Save that for your texts, would you?”
Grinning, I poured the cocktail into a glass and passed it over the bar. I rang the orders up on a tab under Sophie’s card and, after grabbing a bottle of water for myself, rejoined Tori and Kai on the other side.
“I’ll have a beer, Sophie, thanks.”
I craned my neck at Colton’s voice. “Alone?”
He looked past me and caught Kai’s gaze. “Disagreement with Amber.”
Kai’s lips thinned.
“What?” I asked. “You can’t have a silent conversation over me. I’ll cry.”
“Are you really using your hormones to get your own way?” Tori raised her eyebrows.
“I threw up for an hour this morning. You bet your ass I’m using my hormones to get what I want.”
Kai shrugged.
“Same old,” Colton said, taking his beer from Sophie. He downed a good third of the bottle before setting it on the bar. “She wants me to move in and doesn’t see the issue in us downsizing if she wants to have a baby. I think you guys gave her super baby fever.”
Tori shuddered.
I rolled my eyes. “Why does she want you to move in with her? It doesn’t make sense when your place is bigger.”
“That’s the point,” he said, grabbing a stool that had just been vacated before someone else could snag it. “She doesn’t want to move out, but neither do I. We’ve reached a stalemate of sorts.”
“Sorry, man,” Kai said. “I know it’s been an issue for a while.”
Colton shrugged. “I’ve been saving, too, for a house. Josh’s wasn’t too badly priced and there’s one for sale down the street, so I was thinking about making an offer. But if she won’t move, I don’t think there’s a point.”
“Why isn’t there a point?” Tori asked. “If she’s not going to move but she’s going to demand you do all this shit, tell her where to go.”
Yup. Tactful as always.
“Tori,” I muttered.
Kai looked between us. “I have to agree with her.”
Well, shit. I was in trouble.
“What?” he asked me. “She’s not wrong. Amber wants him to propose and have a baby on her terms, and all he wants is to be stable before he does that. Is that a bad thing?”
“I’ve told you about these rational arguments,” I huffed. “I can’t argue them.”
“That’s the point.”
Colton finished his beer and got up, throwing a five-dollar bill onto the bar. “I’m going for a walk.”
“You want company?” Kai asked.
“Nah, stay here.” Colton waved him off at the same time he waved goodbye to me and Tori and headed for the door.