Playing to Win

hormonal.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Don’t encourage her. She’ll cry more.” Liz shifted her gaze to Tara and winked.
    Tara stuck her tongue out at Liz. “It’s going to be like this for at least four and a half more months. Suck it up and deal.”
    “If I must. The things an aunt-to-be must tolerate.”
    Savannah’s stomach tightened. She’d pay all the money she had to be a part of a large family like this, to be able to celebrate triumphs, get together and talk babies and husbands and just about anything.
    To have sisters, even by marriage.
    To have a family. Her foster families had all been temporary. Nice at the time, but not permanent. When she’d left, there had been no ties, no one to come back to. Just like always, she’d been alone.
    She took a deep breath and shrugged it off. This wasn’t her family and wasn’t going to be. She smiled when Jenna came over and fell into a chair.
    “Oh. My. God. This place is a nightmare tonight.”
    “Why are you even working?” Liz asked. “Shouldn’t you be turning the reins over to your new manager and getting your sweet ass over to the new place?”
    She shrugged. “It’s Mick’s first game and I wanted to be here. The new place is coming along fine, and Dave needed help so I just stepped in to assist behind the bar, then I got sucked into chatting with the regulars. Old habits die hard, ya know.”
    “What new place?” Savannah asked.
    Jenna turned to her. “Hi, Savannah. I’m so used to just launching myself into the middle of a family conversation I forget you might not be used to it.”
    “It’s no problem,” Savannah said with a laugh.
    “Good. You kind of have to get used to that with this family. Anyway, I’m so glad you could make it tonight. Cole told me he’d be bringing you.”
    “He did?”
    “He did,” Jenna said with a waggle of her brows. “In answer to your question, I’m opening a new club. A music club. Well, kind of a music club. More of an open-mike kind of place, where people can come in and show their stuff.”
    Savannah caught the excitement in Jenna’s eyes, the way she wriggled in her chair when she talked about the club. “How thrilling for you. It sounds like a unique place, and a lot of fun. I can’t wait to check it out when it opens.”
    Jenna grinned. “Thank you. I’m pretty stoked about it. Of course at the same time I’m also planning my wedding. Nothing like a little massive juggling.”
    “Hey, that’s why you have family. So we can help you,” Tara said.
    “Please. You’re busy being pregnant.”
    Tara rolled her eyes. “And that makes me, what? Incapacitated? Brain-dead? Incapable of doing what I do best? For your information, I can be pregnant and plan your wedding at the same time. The baby is due in January and your wedding isn’t until late next year. By the time this little one arrives, I’ll be up on my feet again and ready to take care of the final details.”
    Liz looked over at Savannah. “She thinks she’s some kind of superhero. We all think she’s insane.”
    “I don’t know,” Savannah said. “She looks pretty capable to me. I’ll bet she can handle it.”
    Tara nodded. “See? Savannah believes in me.”
    “Oh, I believe in you, honey,” Jenna said, patting Tara’s hand. “I just don’t want you to overdo it. Isn’t it enough to have a new baby to take care of?”
    “Mom and Liz and you will help. I’ll have plenty of people to help with the baby, and God knows Mick will be all over that baby when he or she arrives. So, see? I’ll have plenty of time to deal with the wedding.”
    By the time Cole came back to drag her out of the chair, she was immersed in wedding and baby talk and reluctant to leave.
    “Hey,” Jenna said. “Where are you going with Savannah?”
    “It’s halftime, Miss None-of-your-business. I’m taking her outside for a walk.”
    “Sure you are,” Liz said. “Will we see her again tonight?”
    Cole laughed. “Yes. I promise to bring her back.”
    He directed her toward the back of the room, his lips near her ear. “The women will suck you into their vortex of female talk and soon I’ll lose you forever. Next thing you know, Jenna will hook you into to helping her with the music club.”
    “I am very good at PR and image building, you know. I could offer her some assistance.”
    “Don’t tell her that. She’ll sink her claws into you and never let you go.”
    She laughed as he led her out the back door and into the garden.