Page 44 of Smoke and Fire
Bottled sunshine filled my dreams.
13
DAHLIA
Bethany sat at a table in the shop the next day and frowned at an array of paperwork.
She’d been working there for almost an hour without a word until she muttered, “I think the Frolicking Moose needs some help.”
A calendar, a highlighter, a binder, and several bright pink pens cluttered the table. She leaned her head into her hands, threaded her fingers through dark locks, and groaned. I settled across from her and set a cupcake near her elbow.
“Here. JJ sent them. Said they were deformed and we could give them away. Personally, I don’t think you can deform buttercream, but whatevs.”
She took one look at it, blanched, and ran for the bathroom in the back hallway. I blinked, startled, as the sounds of retching followed.
“Oooh,” I whispered.
Bethany returned ten minutes later, pale but composed. She’d pulled her hair away from her face in a loose bun that already fell apart on her shoulders. When she sat down, hazy-sick eyes regarded me. I’d already moved the cupcake and swapped it for a tepid ginger tea. Without a word, I nudged it to her.
She had a tentative sniff, melted, and sipped. “This is just what I needed.”
“I know. It’s a gift. How far along are you?” I asked.
She closed her eyes and nursed the tea again. “A few weeks.”
When she opened her eyes back up, a modicum of humanity returned. She leaned back, setting the tea back down. Against her pale face, her eyes remained a startling glacier blue. Chilly, if not for the warmth of her constant smile. Nothing like Bastian’s liquid sapphire.
“It wasn’t this bad with my son,” she murmured. “I’m not that far into it and just . . . can’t do smells.”
“How are you not vomiting from the essence d’coffee of this place?”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me. The most random things do. Egg? Gone. Mayo? Gone. Sweets have never been my thing, but now I have a morbid hatred for sugar.”
“Sounds like the best diet strategy ever, if you ask me. It’s probably a girl this time.” My nose wrinkled. “I hear they’re drama queens from the moment of conception. Or maybe that was just me.”
Bethany smiled weakly, then laughed. “A girl. Can you imagine Maverick with a girl?”
The idea struck both of us as unaccountably funny, and we giggled for several moments before the hilarity passed. Bethany sipped her ginger tea a couple of more times before she straightened up.
“I haven’t told Mav yet,” she admitted, a bit sheepish. “He was sort of a mess with the first pregnancy. Especially the first trimester, when risk of miscarriage is so high. Some of his sisters have miscarried quite a bit and I don’t want to stress him out before I have too. He’s very protective.”
I snorted.
Understatement of the year.
“Wee bit.” I grinned, fingers held barely apart. “As he should be,” I tacked on.
The pang of losing Jakob usually followed such a sweet sentiment, but I didn’t feel it this time. Jakob hadn’t ever been protective. Affectionate, yes. But not . . . overly concerned about much. Instead, Bastian pushed on my thoughts. He seemed like the protective type. I let that thought linger a bit, and it felt good.
Bethany’s brow rose a little. “Keep my secret, please?”
Her plea struck my heart. “Of course. As long as you want me too. Run to me anytime you need a place to vomit or get relief. My mom is an OBGYN. I can get you some meds or something, I’m sure.”
“Thanks. I have my first appointment next week.” She smiled, then lit up. “Enough about me! Any luck on the finding-your-new-path hunt? Lizbeth mentioned you didn’t want to be a nurse.”
Her genuine curiosity held a bit of fear. As their only employee, I cradled their store in my little hands. If Bethany was sick as a dog while pregnant, she certainly couldn’t stay here long. Maverick had his own career and houses he consulted on for construction work. With Ellie on the other side of the country and no other applicants for a job, I had become the symbol of the Frolicking Moose.
Not a bad spot to be in, but not a forever one, either.
