Lucy chuckled. “You don’t have to. I could never afford the canned food so I mashed up or blended food I cooked for my kids.”
“You can do that?”
“Of course. Mashed banana is nice. Mashed potatoes. I even blended up a Sunday roast. It is all good and it can be your own cooking.”
“Thank you,” Teri said. “I can cook for the little guy. Can it be frozen and you know, heated?”
“Yes. A baby is a little human, not an alien.”
Teri chuckled. “Of course.”
“Anyone would think you’re a new mom,” Lucy said.
Teri forced the smile to her lips at the same time her heart shattered. “No, of course not. No time for kids right now.” No one to have them with either. She didn’t add in the last part. Lucy didn’t need to feel sorry for her or anything. “How are things with you and Lewis?”
“Perfect,” Lucy said. “How are things with Dane?”
She froze. Of course. It all came back to that. “Er, you’d have to talk to the guys at the clubhouse. I haven’t seen Dane.” She grabbed the handle of her cart. “It was nice to see you.”
Teri went to walk off, but Lucy stopped her.
“Crap, I don’t mean like that. It was more … you’re near the clubhouse because of the diner. Dane has Ryan and, I was, you know, you’re an observer that is all.”
Teri pressed her lips together. “I get that I hurt you, but—”
“No,” Lucy said. “I get that you’re still upset and feel guilty about what happened, and I get it. It’s time to move on. It is time to stop thinking about what happened. I have. I’ve moved on, Teri. We’re not the same people back then. I certainly don’t love Dane anymore. You’ve got to stop this.”
That was easier said than done.
“I still don’t know what’s going on at the clubhouse. I haven’t been by in a little while.” She shrugged. “You’re going to have to go yourself.”
“Why?” Lucy asked.
“Huh?”
“Why haven’t you been by? They’re your friends. Your family.”
“It’s complicated.” Her thoughts went to Cora, then to Grace, Suzie, and Skylar. They were the women with husbands. Her sister knew she wouldn’t cheat on hers, but since Dane, Teri’s name and reputation had been tarnished, at times seemingly beyond repair. It was easier to steer clear of all the drama than immerse herself back within the pain.
Lucy frowned. “It doesn’t sound complicated to me. You moved to Greater Falls because of them.”
But she had a job interview next week at a restaurant within the city. “I better get going,” Teri said. “Thank you.”
Lucy didn’t stop her this time. She finished her shopping and after she was done, she went back out to her car and loaded everything up after she paid.
Once she was back at the apartment, Anna was nowhere to be seen.
Teri unloaded everything, and seeing as she hadn’t opened the diner that very morning, she got to work, making up some food for Cole. She was halfway through blending up the soup when Anna returned with Cole.
“Hey,” Anna said.
“Hey, yourself.” She told Anna everything that Lucy had said with regards to the baby food.
“But it’s extra work for you. I don’t want to impose on your time.”
“You’re not imposing.” She pointed at the soup. “I like to cook and you should have seen the list of ingredients. It was way too long. I know I can do a better job.” She poured the soup into a bowl, took a spoon, and offered Anna some. “Come on. Try it. Tell me you’d rather go and get the stuff out of little pots.”
Anna took a mouthful and closed her eyes. “You really are a genius.”
She smiled. “See?”
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Anna asked.
“I don’t mind. Did you have a good time out?” Teri asked.
“Yeah, we went to see David.”
Teri’s brows rose. “The baby daddy?”
Anna nodded with a frown. “Yeah. We had coffee and he … he saw the baby.”
“I just want to be clear on something. You said he didn’t want to have anything to do with the baby, right?”
“Yep,” Anna said, running her fingers through her hair. “When we, had sex…” She wrinkled her nose. “He was going through his divorce. His son was acting out, and one thing led to another.” Anna blew out a breath. “He admitted that he didn’t know I was actually a virgin that night. He freaked out a whole lot.”
“He did?”
Anna nodded. “You know in books where men kind of take it in their stride? David, not so much. I’ll never forget the way he acted, making out he had known from the start, when the truth was, he didn’t have a clue. Then he panicked, threw it in my face. Anyway, it was one mistake, and well, Cole was next.”
Teri winced. “Pregnant on the first go?”