Three Makes a Family--A Clean Romance Cari Webb (short books for teens txt) 📖

and more. Nothing wrong in admitting that. As for her sigh, it was nothing more than a glitch.

“Okay, seriously, Drew. We were just trying to mess with you. Have a little fun.” Brooke stepped forward and tapped her fist against his shoulder. “And you just had to go ruin it with all your poetic words.”

Drew’s shoulders relaxed. “You guys are not nice.”

“You know what would be nice,” Nichole suggested. “If you step onto the basketball court out there and teach our significant others the importance of remembering the little things about us.”

“I agree.” Brooke opened the bottle of red wine. “Can you please talk to Dan?”

“Oh, and remind your brother that I love lavender-and-rose-scented bath bombs and chamomile tea.” Sophie popped the cork of her sparkling cider and toasted Drew with the open bottle. “Those two things will make my entire day. Heck, my entire week.”

Drew kept his back to the door and avoided direct eye contact with any of the women. “Anything else?”

“Since you asked...” Nichole’s laughter burst free.

Drew gaped and used his back to prop open the door. He escaped outside before Nichole could continue.

Brooke set several wine glasses on the kitchen counter. “How is that man single?

All three women turned to stare at Molly.

“Don’t look at me.” Molly picked up the wine bottle to start filling the empty glasses. “I haven’t seen him in years. I barely know the guy anymore.”

But what she’d seen of him the last few days had her wondering the same thing about Drew. Why was he single? Perhaps if she discovered Drew’s flaws, she would also discover a way to disconnect her growing interest in him too.

Nichole leaned against the kitchen counter. “But you’re seeing him now.”

“He’s a client.” Molly sipped her wine and checked on Hazel in her swing. “And an attorney.”

“Same as you.” Sophie carefully sat on the sofa and propped her feet on the coffee table.

“And the same as my ex.” Molly drank a large sip of wine.

“Workplace romance gone wrong.” Nichole slipped her arm around Molly’s waist and clinked her glass against hers, “I’ve been there. Definitely not a good place.”

Molly glanced at Nichole and saw only a strong woman who by all accounts had thrived as an entrepreneur and mom. And she saw a friend she could relate to. “I vowed not to have a work romance ever again.”

“Here’s to not repeating past mistakes.” Nichole lifted her glass in a toast.

Brooke joined them. “But we must still have the courage to take risks.”

The risk for Molly was getting to know these women better. Becoming friends with Drew’s friends. Once the case was over and Drew returned to his career, would she lose her new friends too?

Nichole settled on the floor in the family room and picked up one of her shopping bags. “You have to see what I found for Hazel’s nook.”

Molly watched Nichole reveal her finds, from a tie-dyed stuffed elephant, to a moon-and-star light, to a pair of fuzzy blankets. Several pillows and more toys emerged from other shopping bags. Molly picked up a framed picture of a cuddly teddy bear and a quote about the smallest things taking up the most room in a heart. “I thought we said nothing on the walls.”

No big changes. Nothing that couldn’t be easily dismantled. Easily removed to return the apartment to its former state.

“I’m the landlord and as such I get to overrule you.” Brooke revealed a series of wall decals ranging from a princess castle to fairy friends.

Everything was adorable and wonderful. More than Molly would’ve picked out. It all felt somehow more permanent. Hesitation tempered Molly’s words. “But the unit might be harder to rent later.”

“This is your home right now.” Brooke hugged a soft heart-shaped pillow Nichole had purchased.

“And it needs to feel like a home, even if it’s only temporary.” Sophie touched her stomach and eyed Molly. “Everyone needs a home to come back to at the end of the day.”

The four-poster queen-sized bed in her room was exactly what Molly would’ve chosen for her own home. And Hazel deserved more than a suitcase and a playpen. “What do you guys have in mind?”

The women jumped right in. Sophie cut tags off Nichole’s purchases and opened packages. Nichole and Brooke debated the exact location for every decal.

Maybe it was the wine. Or the easy banter of the women. But Molly confessed, “I’m worried about finding a nanny. Our day-care experience has been far from what I hoped for. Hazel cries at every pick-up. The director says Hazel just needs more time to adjust.” Molly hadn’t adjusted and disliked her daughter’s continued tears.

“Brad and Drew had a nanny.” Sophie assembled the moon-and-star light and chuckled. “Look how well they turned out.”

“It’s not the turning out. It’s more the bonding between me and Hazel. It’s my career versus being a mom.” Molly pinched her lips together. She’d never been one to overshare or complain. She always handled her own worries. Her own fears. Why was she airing things now?

“Why is it so hard to do it all?” Nichole moved to the end of the dresser Brooke had found in the attic. The guys had carried it in before they left for the drive to the dance. Nichole motioned for Molly to pick up the other end. Together they lifted the antique furniture piece into Hazel’s tiny corner.

“It fits great.” Brooke watched from the family room. “Better than I thought. As for your question, Nichole. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m doing it all perfectly.”

Nichole laughed and tossed a soft plush star at Brooke. “You lie so well.”

“As it happens, I have a rogue idea. One that isn’t popular among the be-everything-to-everyone moms.” Brooke sipped her wine and wisdom filled her gaze. “What really matters is the quality of time spent with our children over the quantity.”

“I think I like that.” Nichole lifted Hazel from her swing. “Someone needs a diaper change.”

Sophie spread a diaper-changing mat across the couch and reached for Hazel. “I’ve