“That was just mean,” Piper said. “Taunting us with pot roast and not offering to share.”
“It does bring home the salient point that I require food. I don’t think I’ve had anything since those cupcakes you brought back from lunch,” Miranda said.
The thought of cake made Piper vaguely sick. So. Many. Flavors. So. Much. Sugar. But she and Myles had agreed completely on the red velvet. Because chocolate. Duh. Her hubby-to-be had quite the sweet tooth, as it turned out.
“I’m thinking Chinese,” Miranda continued. “If I order enough I won’t have to cook for a couple of days.”
“I’ll see your Chinese and raise you beer and chili fries from The Mudcat,” Piper said.
“Ooo, chili fries. If you twist my arm, I could probably be persuaded.”
“Good because Norah, Tyler, and Tucker are already meeting us there.”
Miranda slid off her white coat and hung it up. “Did I forget somebody’s birthday?”
“No. I have news and it’s easier to share when everybody’s together.” And as much as she wanted to go home and fall face first into bed, it needed to be shared tonight before they heard it from other sources.
“Okay, okay, you’ve twisted my arm. Meet you there.”
Piper thought about making a detour home to change out of her scrubs, but there was too great a temptation to find a soft horizontal surface, so she pointed her car toward downtown. Her phone rang as she was pulling out of the lot, Myles’ name flashing on the caller ID.
“If you’re calling to tell me your grandmother has somewhere else for us to be, I’m not coming.”
“No word from The Kraken. But I am going to be late. The tux fitting ran long and I’ve got a snarl to work out at the paper before I’m free.”
“Do you want me to wait for you?”’
“Don’t know how long I’ll be, so go ahead and tell them. The longer you’re sitting in public, the more likely someone will have heard and come up to congratulate you before you get a chance to make the announcement.”
“Given the volume of people who rotated through the clinic today, it’s a minor miracle it hasn’t happened already.”
“Didn’t slow down any after cake?”
Piper groaned. “Do not mention cake to me. I am not touching cake again until you feed it to me at the reception.”
He chuckled softly. “I told you you should’ve stopped for a sandwich or something.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll be rectifying the or something in short order. You want me to go ahead and order you anything?”
“Nah. I’ll order when I get there. I can always mooch off your plate until my food arrives.”
Piper gasped in mock surprise. “You’re a moocher? Well, now, I don’t know if I can marry a moocher.”
“I’m a moocher who shares.”
“Oh, I suppose that’s all right then. See you soon.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Piper thought about slipping on the ring before going inside, but pulling it out and putting it on when she told them made such a nice dramatic statement. She had no idea how they’d react. Tyler and Tucker in particular knew she’d made her vow to swear off Myles for three months after the end of the show. Announcing she was engaged to him barely a week after that expired was bound to raise a few eyebrows and concerns. She didn’t like lying to them. But it seemed more sensible to stick to the story they’d told their families. That they’d been together since the show started.
The Mudcat Tavern was hopping. Patrons huddled around tables, standing two-deep at the bar or in lines around the dart boards. The latest game in March Madness played on several TV screens, though none of the commentary could be heard over the din of people. Tucker waved from a booth in the back. As he ran his own law practice, he’d had the flexibility to get out before the rest of them and stake claim on a table.
Piper made her way through the crowd, deliberately not meeting anyone’s gaze or inviting the usual chitchat and conversation. She slid into the booth opposite him and immediately snagged his beer for a swig.
Tucker’s brows arched up. “That kind of day, huh?”
“Oh yes. Don’t worry. I’ve practically showered in disinfectant.”