“I’m sure Quincy has told you that he’s going to be Jed’s best man in our wedding. You should come to my pre-wedding girls’ day,” Josie said, and the other girls all spoke at once, urging her to join them.

“I would love to, but what is that, exactly?”

“It’s not a pre-wedding girls’ day. It’s a bachelorette shower,” Dixie said. “Josie won’t let us throw her a bachelorette party or a bridal shower because she doesn’t want to celebrate her last days of singlehood and she feels funny receiving gifts. But it wouldn’t be right not to have them, so we’re combining her bachelorette party and bridal shower and having a bachelorette shower.”

“Girls’ day,” Josie chimed in.

“You can call it whatever you want, as long as we get to celebrate you and Jed getting married.” Penny looked at Roni and said, “It’s the Sunday before Christmas.”

“We’re having it at Josie’s shop, Ginger All the Days. It’s next door to the bar. Jed and Josie converted their garage into the shop,” Gemma chimed in.

“That’s yours?” Roni asked. “My friend Angela and I love your gingerbread cookies. Her boyfriend buys them by the dozen. You must be swamped this time of year.”

Josie nodded. “I am, and I love it, but I’m closed for the afternoon of the party.”

“Wouldn’t want the customers seeing the gingerbread penises we’re making,” Crystal exclaimed.

Roni’s eyes flew open wider. “Seriously?”

“No. We’re not making those,” Josie said. “Well, Izzy and Crystal probably are, but I’m not, and you don’t have to. We’re making gingerbread houses. It’ll be fun, and it’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

“I’d like that. Thank you,” Roni said.

Josie pulled out her phone. “Give me your number and I’ll text you the details. I’d like to have it anyway, since your guy and my guy are best buds. I’m sure we’ll see more of each other.”

As they were exchanging numbers, Quincy, Jed, and Scott sauntered over, each holding two plates of food. Quincy’s eyes locked on Roni’s, and her pulse quickened.

“Hey, beautiful,” Quincy said. “Do you have room for a few Neanderthals?”

Scott looked at Penny, and she quickly averted her eyes, but there was no hiding the flash of attraction.

“Where’s Hail?” Josie asked Jed.

“He wanted to eat with Bradley, so he’s sitting with Bones,” he answered, sitting beside her.

“How’s it going, Scotty?” Dixie asked with a smirk.

Scott set a plate in front of Penny. “Great. You?”

“It’ll be better as soon as I find my man.” Dixie pushed to her feet, eyes on Penny as Scott sat beside her. “My lips are lonely.”

Crystal rose from her seat beside Roni. “Here, Quincy, take my chair. I need to find Bear so I can nurse Axel before my boobs explode.”

“And I should see if Tru needs help with the kids.” Gemma pushed to her feet.

“Kennedy had a cookie in each hand last time I saw her,” Quincy said.