Enchanted Ever After. Robin D. Owens

have some amusement, right?” Shannon said.

      “Right.”

      Shannon patted her stomach. “And little geek here is growing up in a wired household so she-he should get used to it.”

      Kiri laughed, but figured there’d be plenty of missed nights due to baby and parenting stuff.

      Shannon drew in a large breath. “Averill and I are going to get a new house. Our place is too small for us and a baby and I’ll need something closer to work.”

      “So you’re moving way south in the city.” That hurt. They were just within walking distance.

      “Yeah.”

      Kiri raised her brows. “Sounds like you’re going to be really busy.”

      “Yes. A good kind of busy.”

      “Of course.”

      Shannon put the mug down on the tiny scarred table by the chair that Kiri had also bought at the thrift store, leaned forward and grasped Kiri’s hands. “You’re still my closest friend.”

      Leaning forward herself, Kiri kissed Shannon on the cheek. “For now.” She swallowed her tears.

      Chapter 6

      “WE’VE HAD TO budget brunch in for twice a month instead of weekly,” Shannon said.

      “Fine. That’ll be good to keep up.” Kiri felt the friendship slippery in her grasp.

      Shannon’s slightly protuberant blue eyes gleamed with excitement. “Now tell me how it went with Jenni Weavers. Is she amazing?”

      “Very. And really smart.”

      Shannon squeezed Kiri’s hands. “And you got the job!”

      “Not exactly.”

      “An interview for the job?” Shannon pressed.

      Kiri wet her lips. “No. The story lines for Pegasus Valley weren’t what they wanted.”

      Shannon frowned, her eyes firing, and her hands clamped down on Kiri’s. “They don’t deserve you, then.”

      “But,” Kiri ladened the word with meaning.

      “But?” Shannon perked up, tilted her head.

      “They want me to work on a brand-new game.”

      “Yay, Kiri!” Shannon hopped to her feet and swung around and Kiri whirled with her. “Go, Kiri!”

      “Go, Shannon and baby!”

      When they were both out of breath, Shannon collapsed into the chair again and slurped her tea.

      “It’s not completely set,” Kiri said. “They have a pregame prologue that they want me to clear, see how I do in the game and, um, handle the world-building, I guess.”

      Shannon nodded. “You can do it.”

      Kiri’s lips thinned. “I can. I will.”

      Shannon studied Kiri for a minute, brows dipping. “Is this new job in Denver?”

      Kiri blinked in surprise. “I didn’t think to ask, but Jenni Weavers Emberdrake is here and so is the corporation that runs the game. S’pose so.”

      “Okay, you’ll let me know how it goes?”

      “Of course,” Kiri said, but figured Shannon soon would be more occupied with the reality of new life in her body than Kiri’s triumphs in game-land. Watching Shannon find new friends, turn down a new path away from Kiri was going to be hard.

      A scuffing kick came at the door. Averill with his hands full, no doubt. Kiri jumped up to let him in.

      He was a tall man, as skinny as his wife, with a gorgeous caramel complexion and a thatch of thick, straight black hair. His grin was as infectious as Shannon’s. “Hey, Kiri.”

      She stood tiptoe to kiss his lower jaw. “Hey yourself, Averill. Congratulations!” She took the tray that held three large drinks from him.

      “I got you and me a mocha steamer,” he informed Kiri, and sent a tender look at Shannon. “And you some herbal chai.”

      “Thanks,” Shannon said. She still smiled, but when Averill turned to close the door she rolled her eyes at Kiri. “Kiri met Jenni Weavers and is in line for a new job.”

      “Most excellent. For the development of Pegasus Valley in Fairies and Dragons?” Averill grabbed a folding chair propped against a wall, put the seat down and sat, jiggling ankle across knee.

      “Nope,” Kiri said. His obvious happiness, combined with Shannon’s, soothed Kiri. Life was change, after all, and she was pushing at her own changes as much as she could. “Brand-new game with a prologue that determines character attributes instead of choosing your own.”

      Averill snorted into his cup. “Huh, might cut down on those who prefer close-in fighting, melee, rushing in and striking with sword or fist.” He cocked an eyebrow at his wife, who only lifted her chin and gave a little sniff. Shannon’s preferred character had stinger fingertips at the end of deadly hands.

      Turning back toward Kiri, he asked, “Looks like you can get out of IT and on to a career track that suits you better? More creative?” Of the pair, he was the web designer.

      “Looks like,” Kiri said.

      He nodded. “Good for you.”

      Then Kiri turned the talk from Eight Corp to house hunting and babies and they spent the next half hour talking before Averill stood, then pulled Shannon to her feet. “Come on. Early to bed. Since we visited so much now, shall we cancel brunch tomorrow morning?”

      “Sure,” Kiri agreed.

      Averill wrapped her in a strong hug. “Later.”

      “Bye,” she said and hugged Shannon, and then all three of them rocked together. That was one of the best parts of Sunday brunch, the hugs.

      “Keep in touch,” Kiri said, kissing Shannon’s cheek.

      “I will,” she said.

      But when they walked out of the door, Kiri knew things would never be the same.

      She plunked down in the chair and the pillow released the slight fragrance of Shannon’s perfume, the scent she’d used since Kiri had bought her the first bottle as a birthday gift in college.

      Kiri swallowed, beat back tears and allowed herself a three-minute sulk. No children in sight for her. Crap, not even a man. Visuals of the Mystic Circle couples rotated in a slide show before her mind’s eye—Jenni and Aric, Rafe and Amber, Dan and Frank. All seemed very happy.

      Why was she brooding about this, for heaven’s sake? She’d decided to concentrate on her career, get to a place where she was happy there, before she started looking for a guy. Or before she expected to find the right guy looking for her.

      That’s what she wanted, a good, solid career, not to depend on a man to support her, like her mother. Kiri had had acceptable jobs, but now she wished to pursue her passion and get paid for it. Husband and family would come later. She thought of Lathyr, but if there was a less-likely man to have a family, she didn’t know one. He’d seemed solitary, and liking it that way.

      Her sulk time was over so she stood and stretched and cleaned up the cup, saucer and tea bag that Shannon had used, poured the untouched chai down the drain and tossed her own and Averill’s empty cups in the trash. So much for domestic chores.

      The sky held streaky clouds tinted with gold and pink sunset colors. A good walk would shake off the cobweb grims. Not too long before snow would fly and the nights would be too frigid for saunters around the Circle.

      Sticking her keys and key card in her pockets, she headed out and went directly to the koi