Second Chance by Angela Verdenius Page A

upwards.  Moz obligingly leaned down so she could whisper in his ear. 
Whatever she said obviously agreed with him.  His eyes went a little hot and he
straightened.  “The deal’s back on.”
    “What’d you tell him?” Molly
queried.
    “Secret weapon,” Del replied.
    “Care to share?”
    “Never you mind, kitten.”  Kirk
gave her ponytail a gentle tug.  “You have your own secret weapons.”
    “It might be a secret weapon
you’ll like.”
    “Kitten, I like all your secret
weapons.”
    “Oh, honey.”  She melted into him,
eyes sparkling with a mixture of love and laughter.
    Kirk kissed her forehead and
leaned back, one arm around her shoulders as she rested against him.
    Highly entertained by the antics,
Tam wasn’t aware of Grant approaching until a muscled arm appeared over her
shoulder, the warmth of his body at her back, the faint scent of his aftershave
tickling her nose.
    “Here you go.”  A glass of Diet
Coke was placed on the table in front of her.
    “Thanks.”  She watched as he
walked around the table, swinging his jean-clad legs over the bench to sit
opposite her.
    He managed to do it without
spilling a drop of the Coke he held in his hand.  Impressive.  If she’d attempted
it everyone within range would have been wearing it.
    Settling on the bench, he looked
across at her.  “Doing all right?”
    “Sure.  Why?”
    “Not many people can handle being
exposed to this mob in one go. It took me several goes.”
    “What a load of crap,” Simon
said.  “You couldn’t wait to be with the ‘in’ crowd.”
    Grant pulled a wry expression.  “Been
introduced to everyone, Tam?”
    “Yep, and they seem a nice bunch.”
    Grant glanced around.  “There’s a
couple missing, but you’ll meet them at some stage.”
    “It’s a big group.”
    “It’s because we’re expanding in
more ways than one,” Elissa explained.  “Scott and Ash have eight month old
Kurt, while Molly and Kirk have Lily.”
    “Terrible Twos coming up.”  Molly
shuddered.  “Actually, she’s in the temper tantrum stage now.  She does not take after her father.”
    Kirk just grinned and rubbed her
back.
    Leaning lazily back on the bench,
arms stretched out each side on the backrest, legs outstretched, Simon drawled,
“Lis and I are expecting the pitter-patter of little feet in six months, Moz’s
putting the condom market out of business single-handedly because he’s determined
to have a wedding band on Del’s finger before a sprock sprouts, and Ryder’s
shooting blanks.”
    “What?”  Ryder’s head shot up. 
“I’m not shooting bloody blanks!”
    “You haven’t gotten Dee up the duff yet.”
    “That’s because we’re not ready!”
    Dee rolled her eyes.  “Please.  I
already have six kids.”
    “Stepchildren?”  Tam was aghast. 
The buxom, generously curvaceous blonde looked a little young to have that
many.
    “Five cats and Ryder.  What do I
need with more?”
    “Babe,” Ryder said, pained.
    “Or maybe you just can’t do the
job properly.” Simon indolently waved one hand in the air.  “Don’t be
embarrassed about it.  I hear it happens to some men.  Not me, of course. 
Obviously not Kirk or Scott, either.”  He smiled sympathetically.  “I hear
there’re implants for that kind of thing.”
    “Jesus, here we go.”  Dee sighed.
    Entertainment had nothing on this
group of friends.  Grinning, Tam took a sip of Diet Coke.
    “There’s nothing wrong with me,”
Ryder retorted indignantly, turning to Dee.  “You’re getting pregnant tonight.”
    “And you’ve got rocks in your
head.”
    “I mean it.”
    “Just so you can prove a point? 
No.”
    Ryder growled.
    She sighed.  “Oh for - listen up,
everyone.  I make him double condom before he gets near me, his sperm is so
strong.”
    There was dead silence for a
second then everyone roared with laughter.
    “I don’t think that helped, babe,”
Ryder said.
    “Hey, I tried.”
    Laughing, Tam looked