Chapter 6

“How’s Louise?” one man inquired of John.

“The scan was fine. It’s a girl.”

“Another one? Thought sure it’d be a boy.”

John’s shoulders rose and fell. “A baby’s a baby.”

“Yeah, but don’t you, like, want a son?” Terence insisted on poking the subject. “If the third one’s another bloody girl, you’re liable to end up with a tribe of Amazons. You’ll be a minority, mate.”

Dean gritted his teeth. Some of his employees should hesitate before they opened their traps. Terence, though the oldest, could be a right prat. He and John were the only two with wives, and John’s wife struggled to carry children to term. John’s jaw tightened, his next words striking a sharp tone. “Long as it’s healthy, neither of us cares.”

“Here, here.” Dean tipped his bottle in a toast, a gesture most of the others duplicated. As the rich malted flavour burst over his tongue, Dean spotted Jay looking his way. Might be his imagination but Jay appeared to give him a barely-there nod. Approval?