Page 10 of I Found You (Wilder #1)

I didn’t bother to respond to either of them. Getting up, I rapped my knuckles on the tabletop twice before I walked away, making my way over to Maeve and baby Jane.

“Hey, doll, you got our food? Sorry that took so long. Those guys are chattier than high school girls.” My hand went to the back of her head.

I stroked her hair, tangling my fingers through it along the way.

Leaning in to kiss baby Jane’s forehead, I gave her a quick wink.

To her credit, it only took about two seconds for her to catch on, the look on her face morphing from confusion to gratitude.

“Oh, perfect, it’s just coming out now,” I said as I took the takeout bag from the server.

Taking my eyes away from Maeve for the first time, I pretended to take in my surroundings, finally glancing at the mean girl crew.

“Ladies.” I nodded at them.

“Wyatt? Wow. It’s been a while.” Andrea looked me up and down shamelessly.

The one woman who was laughing was looking at me appreciatively but was more subtle than Andrea.

It was only the third woman who seemed to be taking stock of the whole situation, mouth open, eyes darting between Andrea, Maeve, and myself.

I turned to her and put on my best smile. “I didn’t realize you were friends of Maeve’s. ”

“Yeah. Good friends. Oh no,” she said with a fake frown on her face. “Don’t tell me you two are together. You know the girl code, Maeve. You can’t date someone that one of your friends has already slept with.” The smug tilt to her lips was not doing her any favors.

She wanted to try to stake a claim? I’d take that claim and raise it.

Feigning confusion, I responded, “Us? Oh shit. I completely forgot about that.” I probably shouldn’t feel proud of that comment, but she wanted to try to fuck with Maeve.

In my opinion, it was fair game to get fucked with right back.

“Well, it was nice running into you. Let’s get this food home, doll. ”

I put my hand on Maeve’s lower back, gently guiding her to the exit. Opening the door, I let her go through first and then followed her out. “Where did you park?” I asked, leaning in close so I could whisper it, even though we were already outside and no one would be able to overhear us.

Most businesses didn’t have parking lots in downtown Calla Bay. The parking spaces lined both sides of the street at a diagonal angle. In the summertime, like now, it could be torture to find a spot. But in the winter, after the tourists had left, it would be wide open.

“Left. Just a couple of spots down. That’s my car there.” I didn’t take my hand from her back as we walked down the street toward her car. “I owe you an apology. I’m sorry about you having to step in back there.”

“You’re right, you do owe me an apology, but not for that. You didn’t do anything wrong. Those women clearly peaked in high school and can’t get past it.”

She visibly swallowed but didn’t say anything else for the moment, leading the way between her passenger door and the car next to it, with me behind her.

I opened the door, put the takeout bag on the floor of the back seat, and turned back to her.

“Shoot. Um, I just need to get around you to put Jane in her car seat,” she said.

“I can do that. Hand her to me, and just get in the car. You need to get that AC on. It is sweating balls in here.”

She gave me a funny look. I wasn’t sure if it was because of my offer to help or because of my word choice.

Motioning with my hand up, I waved two fingers to indicate the “bring her here” signal.

While I put Jane in the car, Maeve rounded to the driver’s side, removed the carrier, and got in.

Once I had Jane buckled in, I closed her door and jumped into the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?”

“Well, I can’t very well go back inside right now, can I?” My brow rose, and a grin spread across my face. “Looks like I’m having takeout with you two.”

She rubbed her hands on her thighs, drawing my attention to creamy skin where her dress had ridden up, making my cock twitch. Maeve cleared her throat, and I pulled my gaze away from her thighs only to realize I had been caught staring.

“Better get going before Jane starts to make a fuss.”

She pulled out of the parking space, and within a few seconds, her car started to make the dinging sound of someone missing their seat belt.

She fumbled with the strap as she tried to drag it across her body.

Reaching over, I tugged the seat belt from her hand and pulled it tight against her, my hand grazing along her hip as I clipped it into the buckle.

“Safety first, doll,” I said and added a wink for good measure. I didn’t know where the fuck “doll” came from, but I liked it. It fit her .

She glanced at me briefly and then directed her attention back to the road, still having yet to say anything since I got into her car.

I was starting to think I had made a mistake.

I wasn’t used to forcing my presence on women, and I was getting the impression that Maeve would have preferred I stayed behind.