Connor, laughing, opened the door and climbed out, holding his hands up. “Since I know y’all aren’t that excited to see me, let me get Lyric out so y’all can attack her.”
Julie rolled her eyes. “Pouty, isn’t he?”
Faith hugged Connor as Lyric got out and then Angelina gave him an affectionate squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.
“It looks like you’ve taken very good care of her, Connor,” Serena said in a pleased voice. “You both look wonderful.”
“Amazing how love does that,” Faith said smugly.
The girls gathered around Lyric, all hugging her and smothering her as they laughed and babbled all at once.
Connor stood indulgently to the side until they quieted enough for him to get a word in edgewise. Lyric smiled up at him, so happy she could burst.
“Okay, time for you to shoo, Connor. The guys aren’t supposed to show up for two hours yet,” Julie said.
Connor raised an eyebrow. “What? We’re being allowed entrance into the goddess domain? I thought we were forbidden to be seen on girls’ night out.”
“We’re making an exception this time,” Lyric said with a grin. “We get a two-hour head start and then you guys can come join the fun. By then we’ll be too shit-faced to care.”
He chuckled and then climbed back into the car. “I’m going over to Gray’s. I’ll send the car back in case you all need it. No taking a cab,” he said sternly.
“Oh, we’re staying put,” Serena said airily. “We have our gorgeous bartender who spoils us rotten and I have it on good authority that Carl had some yummy food made for us.”
“I’m starving,” Lyric said mournfully. “Food on the plane sucked.”
“Well of course it did,” Faith said as she tucked her arm through Lyric’s. “Bye, Connor! We’ll see you in a few hours.”
Connor laughed. “I know when I’ve been dismissed.”
He leaned down and kissed Lyric before pulling away. “Have a good time, baby.”
Lyric waved as he got into the car and then allowed Faith to drag her into the restaurant.
As they headed into the quiet and empty place, Lyric grinned in sudden remembrance.
“What’s the shit-eating grin for?” Julie asked suspiciously.
“Do you guys know that this is where Connor and I first kissed? Well, I can’t really say he kissed me. I kissed him. Right there at the bar.”
The girls laughed and Lyric turned her attention to Angelina, who’d been mostly quiet to now.
“You look fantastic, Angelina. I’m so jealous. You lost all the baby weight.”
Angelina grimaced. “Not all. But I’m getting there.”
“How is Nia?”
At the mention of her daughter, Angelina positively lit up. “Oh she’s gorgeous. Such a wonderful baby. And Micah is so in love with her. It’s really disgusting how she has him so wrapped around her finger already.”
Julie rolled her eyes. “Like mother, like daughter.”
Serena and Faith laughed at Angelina’s startled expression.
“Well they do have you there,” Lyric pointed out. “That man is an idiot over you.”
Angelina’s soft smile glowed.
“Hey, ladies. I am here to serve. Just tell me what your pleasure is.”
Lyric turned to see a young—and hot—bartender grinning at them.
“That’s Drew,” Serena murmured. “Isn’t he yummy? He’s seen us drunk before so you don’t have to worry that he’s going to take photos and sell them to tabloids. Damon has already threatened him with bodily injury if he so much as breathes a word about us being here.”
Lyric laughed. “I do love your husband, Serena. He looks and acts so civilized, but underneath he’s a complete barbarian.”
Serena beamed. “I know. Isn’t it great?”
“Let’s quit talking and start drinking,” Julie said. “We have a lot of catching up to do!”
For the next two hours, the drinks flowed freely, as did the laughter and the conversation. Though Lyric had never enjoyed being alone and surrounded herself with people, she’d never surrounded herself with really great people. People she could trust. People who loved her and she loved in return.
Being with those people? She didn’t even have the words to describe the feeling.
Drew was the dream that the girls had reported him to be. He kept their glasses full, cleaned up their spills and never blinked an eye when their conversations detoured into the way-too-much-information department.
“Soooo, Lyric,” Faith began. “Tell us when you’re going to put Connor out of his misery and make an honest man out of him.”
Julie, Serena and Angelina all eagerly sat forward, their attention focused solidly on Lyric now. Lyric blushed, but she couldn’t help the wide smile that attacked her face.
“Soon,” she said serenely. “I want it to be perfect. Connor’s been . . . He’s been so patient and understanding. He’s been just perfect.”
“Of course he has. He’s in love,” Julie said. “Men are pretty stupid when they’re in love.”
Angelina snorted. “You love that Nathan is stupid over you.”
Julie grinned. “Yes. I have to admit. I do.”
“So how soon?” Serena asked Lyric.
“I have another month of touring and then I have a surprise for him. You guys can’t breathe a word!”
They all solemnly crossed their hearts and swore never to tell.
“I’ve bought a house here in Houston.”
The squeals were deafening. It took several minutes to get everyone quiet again and Lyric beamed at them all, thrilled with their excitement.
“I’m going to surprise him with the house and then I’m going to ask him to marry me.”
“Ohhh, I like it,” Serena said.
“You would,” Faith said with a laugh. “She popped the question to Damon after she finally decided to marry him,” she explained to Lyric.
“I’m so excited for you, Lyric,” Angelina said. “I’m so glad you’re happy and ready to make the commitment. Connor loves you so much. I want you both to be happy.”
“He makes me happy,” Lyric said with a catch in her throat.
“I have something I want to tell you guys,” Serena said when things got quiet again. “I wanted to wait until we were all together.”
Lyric and the others exchanged worried glances, but the look on Serena’s face was one of utter contentment. She all but glowed.
“Damon and I are going to start trying for a baby.”
“Oh my God!” Faith shrieked.
Julie and Lyric looked at each other with something akin to horror and Angelina promptly laughed when she caught the exchange.
“Are you sure, Serena?” Julie asked. “I mean have you worked things out to the point you feel comfortable bringing a baby into the picture?”
Serena smiled. “It means that some things will change for us, but not for a while. We’re comfortable with the change. We want . . . we want to start a family.”
“That’s awesome,” Lyric said softly. “I’m so happy for you. You look . . . delirious.”
“I am. This time last year I wouldn’t have been able to imagine having a baby. I wasn’t ready. But now? It’s time.”
“I’m still not ready,” Faith muttered. “That pregnancy scare I had awhile back was enough to convince me I won’t be ready for a bit yet.”
“Me either,” Julie seconded.
Lyric nodded her fervent agreement. “We’ll leave the procreating to the earth mothers over here,” she said, jabbing her thumb in Angelina and Serena’s direction.
Angelina snorted. “Earth mother. Yeah. That’s me all right. It’s a wonder I didn’t kill my poor child her first week home. I couldn’t even figure out how to change a diaper. Micah had to help me. Isn’t that pathetic? I swear he has more maternal instinct than I do.”