“Dress, you might be a little short,” she muttered, and she turned to see the back.

The dress was one of her favorites and also part of her skinny closet. She hadn’t had the nerve to break down and buy maternity clothes yet. She figured if she wore loose things, she’d be fine. However, she was finding not only that her stomach was growing, but that her ass was expanding, too.

The dress was a masterpiece, but when she turned, she wasn’t sure if her butt was hanging out or not. The teal chiffon material was flowy against her thighs but she was feeling one hell of a breeze on her backside. She loved this dress; it was a razorback top that was covered in pearls, and in the middle was a large white bow that hung down to the hem. Twisting her feet about she admired the white heels Elli had gotten her for Christmas. Piper was pleased with the look. She had curled her hair, which always made her look sexy, and did something a little bit different with her makeup that really seemed to work.

Oh well, she’d wait until Erik got there, and ask him if her ass was hanging out.

Indecision plaguing her, she left her room when she heard Stanley barking his head off. Erik was walking down the hall while Stanley was hopping around him. Erik bent down to calm the dog down and when he looked up, his mouth dropped as his eyes went wide.

Shit, the dress was too short.

“Hey,” she said with an awkward wave.

“Is this dress too short—is that food?” she asked, pointing to the bag that he held, completely forgetting about the dress.

She could tell that it was from Elli because of the “Adler” bag, and that meant there was something yummy in it.

“Yeah, Elli sent it for you.”

“Ooh,” she moaned as she went up to him and took the bag.

Going to the kitchen, she unloaded a hoagie that was smothered in gravy. Reaching into the fridge, she got out her cream cheese and mayo and then slathered them on the hoagie, too. With a pleased smile, she bit into the hoagie and swore she came. She had been so hungry lately, and this was hitting the spot. After completely devouring the hoagie, she went to the fridge for a tall glass of apple juice. Gulping her drink, she looked back into the bag to find a container of fried pickles. Grabbing those, she quickly inhaled them. Then, looking up, she saw Erik staring at her with wide eyes.

“I think the last person I saw eat like that was Shea, and that was before a game, trying to pump up on carbs.”

She smiled sheepishly and wiped the side of her mouth. “I was hungry. Thank you for bringing it to me.”

Erik chuckled. “No problem. But Elli deserves the thanks.”

She looked down at the ground and then back up as she asked, “So you went to Elli’s?”

“Yeah, for lunch.”

She nodded. “That’s nice.”

He nodded back, a smile on his face.

“Yeah, Shelli and Posey used me as a play gym and then Owen spit up on me.”

Piper giggled. “Owen eats too much; his belly can’t handle it.”

Erik smiled. “Yeah, that’s what Elli said.”

Silence filled the room as relief filled her. She had thought he was out f**king anything with tits, but knowing he went to Elli’s and hung out with the kids made her feel better. Maybe he was changing and maybe he wanted her and the baby? It was a long shot, but she believed a person could change if they wanted. All Erik had to do was realize that he was worth the love of a child and a woman.

Looking up at him, she found that he was looking down at his phone.

Clearing her throat, she asked, “Is my dress too short in the back?”

Erik’s head popped up and shook his head. “Not from what I saw.”

She came out from the back of the bar and turned, moving her hands down her butt to flatten the flowy material. “Are you sure? You can’t see my bows, right?”

Looking over her shoulders, she found him shaking his head slowly.

“No,” he said, and then she swore she heard him mutter, “unfortunately.”

With a smile, she started for the kitchen and another drink. She liked that he liked her body still. It made her feel good, even if it made her yearn for him more.

“I’m going to jump in the shower and get ready; we’ll leave in twenty!” he called over his shoulder.

Piper watched as he made his way down the hall and when he disappeared into the bathroom she said, “Okay.”

Man, how she wished she could join him in there. Forget that she had spent an hour getting ready; she just wanted to get naked with him. The feeling didn’t subside, either, when he came into the living room twenty minutes later. He wore a pair of khakis that hugged every muscle in his legs and his ass. He wore a light blue shirt under a brown sport coat. His hair was brushed out of his face and he must have trimmed his beard because it looked thinner and sexier. He looked yummy and when he glanced back at her, he smiled.

“We match.”

“Do we?” she asked, looking back at him to find they did.

“Yeah, it’s a good match, too.”

She nodded and wished that he would see that not only their clothes but they were a perfect match for each other. When he wasn’t being a complete ass, he could be really sweet. Time would tell, and right now she was glad that she was his date for the night.

That she was his wife.

Chapter 9

“So we need to be convincing tonight.”

Piper looked over at Erik and shrugged her shoulders.

“I thought that was the plan every night?”