Page 66 of Lone Star Longing
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SHE DIDN'T SEE MUCHof Beck over the next few days. He wasn't at his mother’s house, though she could see he had been there, working on the house. But he wasn't there, and she would not ask about him, wouldn't ask if he’d found a job, or if he was avoiding her.
She wasn't going to overthink it. She wasn't going to give into that.
She had bigger worries.
“Your blood sugar and blood pressure have been really steady since Beck came home,” she said to his mother. She’d been more energetic, too. Lacey didn't have to clean as much, because Mrs. Conover was doing more around the house, not sitting in the chair watching TV. The basket of crochet projects was not as stagnant as it used to be. The woman was finding, if not joy, then a purpose in her life. Lacey wondered if Beck saw it, how the two were getting along.
Mrs. Conover made a sound. “He’s worse than you about keeping me on a schedule and making sure everything is healthy.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m terrible.”
Mrs. Conover gave her the side-eye. “You’ve gotten a lot saucier since you started carrying that baby.”
“Maybe it’s the baby’s personality coming out.”
“Oh, you had better hope not. You’ll have your hands full as it is.” The woman shifted as Lacey removed the blood pressure cuff.
“Oh, I know, but now that I’m starting to show, I’m starting to get excited. Looking at nurseries on the internet for ideas, looking for little outfits. Maybe next time I go to San Angelo, I’ll buy a couple of things.”
“You should wait until you know if you’re having a boy or girl. And you think those friends of yours might throw you a shower? So maybe hold off on wasting your money.”
“I was just thinking that having something concrete might, you know, be fun.”
“It will be concrete sooner rather than later. Be careful what you wish for.”
Chapter Sixteen
LACEY HOPPED DOWN OFFthe washer box and returned to her team, high-fiving them. She hadn’t scored so high in weeks. She felt looser, more relaxed than she’d felt in weeks. Maybe the aroma of the beer her teammates were drinking affected her. Maybe it was the freedom of knowing her life was her own.
She admitted she was a little disappointed Beck hadn’t shown up today. She didn't know where he was, or why he hadn’t been around. She missed him, because he was always so easygoing and fun to be around, but he must have something else going on. Too bad, because she’d heard about a job he might be interested in. In Midland, so far away, but something he might be interested in.
“That’s our little good luck charm,” Poppy laughed, rubbing Lacey’s tummy.
“Lowers her center of gravity,” joked Con, taking his spot on the opposite box.
