Page 23 of Bountiful
On the porch swing beside me, Audrey stretched her arms overhead. “That second piece of pie might have been amistake.”
“Don’t feel well?” Griffin reached over and palmed her stomach, giving it agentlerub.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “But I have my final fitting tomorrow. If the seamstress has to alter the dress again, she’llscoldme.”
“You’re paying for her trouble, though,” Ipointedout.
“An excellent point,” Griffagreed.
I gave Audrey a once-over. She’d let slip that she’d gained a few pounds, and I thought I knew why.When can we all just acknowledge that you’re pregnant?But I held my tongue, because I knew firsthand what it was like to face too many questions. And Audrey would tell me when she wasready.
“Do you want company tomorrow?” I asked instead. “We’d have to leave Kieran alone at the counter, though.” Griff’s cousin was our part-time employee. He was a hard worker, but not super friendly tocustomers.
“That’s never a great idea. Do you want me to pick up your dress while I’m attheshop?”
“Nope. I picked it up on Monday. It’s hanging in the closet, ready to go.” Audrey had chosen simple sheath dresses for her bridesmaids, which I appreciated. The fabric was cotton with an apple-blossom print. When she’d first shown the design to me I’d said, “Cutest bridesmaid’s dress ever,” andmeantit.
Then she’d floored me by asking me towearone.
Saying yes had been a no-brainer. A lot had happened in the two years since she’d rolled into town. When we’d first met, I’d really wanted to hate Audrey. I’d had some unresolved anger at Griffin for rejecting me. It had stung and had led to some self-destructive behavior onmypart.
But several things happened to change my attitude. First, Audrey had won me over with her sunny attitude and big ideas. We were business partners now, as well asfriends.
Second, I’d stopped being hung up on Griffin and transferred my obsessions to someone equally unavailable, with predictable results. That man was long gone. But his fifteen-month-old daughter was now the light ofmylife.
So, two weeks from now, I would happily stand in front of a row of apple trees at Shipley Orchards, bearing witness to the marriage of my ex-hookup and my best friend. We lived in a small town. There would be people in the audience who would find it titillating.Remember when Griff was banging Zara? Before she got knocked up by amysteryman?
But I’d hold my head up high. The past two years had shown me that the difference between dignity and disgrace was more than just an extra syllable. It was my attitude that mattered. Nobody could make me feel inferior without my permission. I’d made my peace with single motherhood, and it didn’t matter what anyone said behindmyback.
On the lawn in front of us, Griffin’s younger siblings Dylan and Daphne were throwing the Frisbee around and somehow turning the game into a death match. The sky began to deepen. I needed to get the baby to bed. I’d lingered longenough.
“I need to go home,” I said once more, but this time with more conviction. “Anything you need to know for tomorrowmorning?”
“Hmm.” Audrey shook out her golden hair. “Do we still havecurrants?”
“There’s one more batch. I dried them thismorning.”
“Groovy. Currant scones tomorrow and blueberrymuffins.”
“Sounds good. See you around ten thirty? Then you can head for thedressshop.”
“Roger, Roger.” Audrey turned in her chair to look at us, and her face went soft. “Aw. She’s really conkedoutnow.”
Even though I couldn’t see Nicole’s face, I knew she was asleep. Her body was limp against mine, trusting me to hold her while she rested. “That’s my cue, then.” I slid my butt forward on the rocker’s seat, hoping to stand up withoutjostlingher.
“Can I take her for you?” Griff asked, getting up from the porch swing and leaningoverus.
“You can try,” I said. “If she wakes up and cries, I won’t hold it againstyou.Much.”
He grinned. Then he scooped my sleeping daughter into his big hands. I stood, expecting him to hand her back. But instead, he tucked her against his chest, walked slowly down the porch steps, and then toward the driveway where my carwaited.
“Aw,” Audrey sighed,watchinghim.
“Cute, right?” There was a pregnant pause while Audrey seemed to glow with maternal expectation. I hoped she wasn’t set on keeping her pregnancy a secret. It was so freaking obvious. “Night, toots,” I saidtoher.
“Night!” Her eyes were on her man. Someday (very soon) Griffin would make a great daddy. I could say that now without feeling jealous of Audrey. When I looked at him, I didn’t see a man I’d once wanted for myself. I saw Audrey’sotherhalf.
I hustled to overtake Griffin and opened the back seat of my car, where the baby seat waited. I yanked the straps out of the way and stood back. “Let’s see if you can stick thedismount.”
