Sweet Spot

Chapter 26 | Red Carpet: Part Two

"I'm Sierra Lancaster."

"Lancaster?" The gorgeous redhead with her head on Asher's shoulder narrows her eyes. "We've heard that somewhere."

"Gerald Lancaster?" Asher eyes me for a moment. "The doctor that treated my bullet wound and saved my life?"

I feel a surge of pride at the mention of my father spoken so highly by an obviously respected man. "Yeah, he's my father."

That gets the group buzzing all over again. They all turn in their seats, attention solely on me. I casually pretend like I'm not a second away from peeing my pants.

"Are you a doctor too?" A gorgeous woman asks. She has clear blue eyes and dark hair, and her sleeveless dress shows off her tats. She's sitting beside a behemoth of a man who makes normal humans look fun-sized. He's covered in tattoos as well and has yet to say a word, quietly observing instead. "Because I'm wondering if it's normal to be this hungry in my second trimester."

My eyes drop and I notice her slightly plump belly behind the table. The man beside her—husband, judging by the ring on his left finger—puts a protective hand over her stomach.

"I'm not a doctor but I did go to med school," I clarify. "And yeah, totally normal. Just make sure you're incorporating healthy nutrients alongside feeding your cravings."

"See?" The large man finally speaks. His voice is rough and hoarse. "What'd I tell you, baby girl?"

"Don't gloat." She rolls her eyes. "Healthy food sucks."

"It can be yummy too. I'm a baker so I know my way around a kitchen. I'd be happy to offer you some recipes."

"Do you have a recipe for red velvet cupcakes?" Another woman cuts in. She's all kinds of beautiful and curvy and just reeks sex appeal. "They're my favourite."

"I should know," Cameron adds. "I buy them twice a week for you."

She laughs and kisses his cheek. "And I love you for it, Hermoso."

"Seriously, how's your dad doing?" Asher cuts in again. He's a little more on the serious side than his friends. "I don't think I've seen him since he operated on me."

"He's doing really well. He still talks about you."

"And your mom? She was the scrub nurse with him, right?"

"They're both going strong, thank you. Actually...do you mind if I get a picture for them? They'd love to see you again."

"Yeah, of course." He stands up from his seat and comes over to sit beside me. I nervously fumble for my phone and Holden takes over with a snort when it's obvious I'm not about to get a grip. He takes the picture for us, and I grin wide while Asher offers a ghost of a smile.

"Small world, baby!" His wife grins. Then she looks at me. "We actually had twins a year ago and we're so grateful to your father for saving Asher's life. Could we pass along a picture of our boys?"

My heart warms because that's just about the most adorable thing I've ever heard. "He'd love that."

"Did you used to play professionally?" Jaxon's wife—Emily I think—asks Holden. "I could have sworn I saw you in one of my dad's sports magazines years ago."