Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 33887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“Elsa, honey, there is no bad part for me of Corey showing my daughter how much he loved her and how happy he would be she found a good man and a forever love by giving her diamonds.” She flipped out a hand. “In the beginning, as all Corey had set up before he left us unfolded, it was bittersweet. Now, I think about how much work it was, how thorough it was, what all of it says about what we meant to him, and it’s just sweet.” She tipped her head to the side. “Overwhelming, as Corey could also be with his generosity, but sweet.”
“I hope Hale gets there,” I murmured.
“He will.” She reached out and touched her mother’s engagement ring that was on my finger. A ring Marilyn Swan gave Corey to give to Hale so he could give it to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. That woman turning out to be me. “I think he already is feeling more of the sweet.”
God, I hoped so.
The waiter came, and I ordered a sparkling water.
Genny had a glass of rosé in front of her.
“Do you have to go back to work after this?” she asked after my non-alcoholic beverage order once the server left.
“Yes, just for a bit,” I answered.
“Ah,” she said, picking up her glass.
“That, and I’m pregnant.”
Her body jolted, she choked on wine and had quick enough reflexes to do her spit-take into the napkin she raised to her mouth.
It would have been funny, but obviously, considering the circumstances, it was not.
“I’m sorry?” she asked after she’d wiped her mouth and put her wineglass back down.
“That’s the urgency. I’m pregnant. And you saw the interview I did with Hale.”
“Yes,” she said.
“So you saw him declare he didn’t want children.”
She seemed confused. “I don’t remember him saying that during the interview.”
“Considering he said he never intended to find a partner, it was implied. But he has said that to me privately.”
“Honey, as you just reminded me, I’ll remind you he also said he didn’t want to get married and what? Six months? Seven? Whatever it was, you had his ring on your finger.”
“Last night, Chloe threatened she’d never forgive us if we turned her bedroom into a nursery, and Hale told her that she never had to worry about that.”
Her expression changed completely, and troublingly, and she murmured, “Oh dear.”
Oh dear wasn’t the half of it.
“You can say that again, about a thousand times.”
“Was he joking?” she asked.
“No. At least I don’t think so.”
“I take it you haven’t told him about the baby.”
“No!”
Genny jumped because this unexpectedly came out as nearly a shout.
But I’d been in a slow burn freakout since the news was confirmed, and now that I was talking about it, that burn was flaring out of control.
But Genny’s eyes didn’t flick to the restaurant to see if people were turning to look at us.
She was focused on me as she reached out and grabbed my hand.
“Calm down, Elsa,” she said gently. “It’s going to be okay.”
It would.
I knew it would.
At least I hoped it would.
But how hairy was the journey going to be to get there?
And how hard was that journey going to be on Hale?
“It’s good. It’s fine. We’re going to weather this. I know it,” I babbled. “It’s just…what if I tell him and he’s upset about it, Genny? That’s quite a life change if he really doesn’t want kids.”
“Life changes in a variety of ways we don’t expect. Hale knows that.”
“This is a big one,” I pointed out the obvious. “Not like we crashed our car and we had to go out and buy a new one, which is also a big one. This is the kind of change to your life that lasts the rest of your life.”
Her expression became shrewd. “This is a big change for you too. Are you okay with it?”
“My genes are recessive, his genes are dominant. This means there’s a very good possibility I’ll have a tall, beautiful boy or girl with thick, luscious hair and the most beautiful green eyes on the planet. And my man’s rich as Croesus, so I can spoil them rotten, though, not in an obnoxious way, obviously. So, of course I’m good.”
Genny’s lips twitched.
“I don’t want him to be disappointed, Genny,” I whispered despondently.
Genny’s humor fled.
Oh yes.
She understood me.
The server put my sparkling water in front of me.
“Something came up, and we need to leave earlier than expected. I’m so sorry, but can you bring the bill?” Genny requested of him.
“Of course,” he replied before he glided away.
“What came up?” I asked Genny, who was now touching the screen on her phone.
She gave me the one-minute finger as she put her phone to her ear.
“Yes, hi, Mika. Are you busy?” Pause and then, “You’re at Nora’s?” Pause. “That’s actually perfect. Can Elsa and I crash your party? It’s important, or I wouldn’t ask.”