To her amazement and mortification, Jenny’s eyes flooded with tears. “How could I be disappointed in anything when this is my life now?” She used her hand to include the women who’d come to help her celebrate tonight.

“Awww,” Sydney said, gathering Jenny into a hug. “We love you.”

“Love you, too,” Jenny whispered.

Hope wiped subtly at her own eyes, moved by the love in the room and a yearning to be part of this group of women, rather than a peripheral member of their clan.

They ate, they drank, they laughed—a lot—they showered Jenny with an array of inappropriate gifts, most of which had been procured from Tiffany’s store. The more Jenny burned with embarrassment, the harder they laughed.

Shortly after nine, the front door burst open, and Mac McCarthy was the first man through the door.

A roar of laughter went through the group of women.

“Pay up, Maddie!” Stephanie said.

“Get out of here, Mac.” Maddie got up to push her husband back toward the door. “This is a private party! No men allowed.”

“Where’re the strippers?” Evan asked as he came in next, followed by the others in a big mass of angry testosterone.

“Look in the kitchen,” Luke said.

“And the back deck,” Joe added.

Blaine gave Tiffany a dark glare as he went past her to search the house. She covered her mouth with her hand, but her eyes danced with silent laughter.

Alex and Paul came in last, and Hope watched as Paul immediately sought her out in the group. Her insides quivered at the proprietary look on his face before he caught himself and seemed to remember he wasn’t allowed to look at her that way anymore.

Hope felt the loss acutely, every part of her aching for him as he directed his gaze elsewhere.

Alex went directly to Jenny, who lit up at the sight of him.

Blaine came back into the living room and stood before Tiffany, hands on hips, his mouth tight with displeasure. “What gives, Tiffany?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Chief Taylor. My friends and I are having an innocent bachelorette party that’s been invaded by men who weren’t invited.”

Adam held up a huge dildo for the others to see. “Innocent, huh?”

When the dildo began buzzing, Adam jerked with surprise, sending the dildo flying. The women lost it laughing. They screamed with hysterics that only made the men madder.

“Where the hell are the strippers?” Mac roared.

“Did you hire strippers?” Maddie asked Sydney, the two of them the picture of innocence.

“I didn’t.” To Erin, Sydney said, “Did you?”

“Nope. I wouldn’t know where to find strippers.”

“Don’t look at me,” Kara said as Dan glowered at her.

Blaine continued to glare at Tiffany while she continued to cry with silent laughter.

“Gentlemen,” Joe said, his gaze fixed on Janey, “I believe we’ve been had.”