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On impulse, she went to his kitchen board, drew a heart with their initials in the center.
Fueled with coffee and a quick yogurt, she pulled on boots, wrapped on a scarf and shrugged into her coat before she saw the note by the door.
Take this, it read.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed the folding umbrella.
She’d take it, but he’d be lucky if she didn’t lose it somewhere along her morning run.
Halfway to Boonsboro, the first drops of rain splatted her windshield. She could only cast her eyes skyward and think how annoying it was that Owen was always right.
Minutes later, going over her morning plans, she forgot the umbrella and dashed through the rain to the bookstore’s covered porch.
She tapped on the glass, then used the key Clare had given her after the trouble with Sam Freemont the previous fall. As she stepped in, shaking rain from her hair, Clare walked down the stairs.
“Coffee’s fresh,” Clare announced.
“I just had some, but . . . who can say no to a latte?”
“I’ll fix you up. Thanks for coming by.”
“No problem. It’s just the excuse I needed to nose into the new place. They’re starting the demo this morning.”
“I know. Exciting.” She steamed milk while Avery glanced at the bestsellers on the front display.
“I need an afternoon off, a rainy afternoon like this one will probably be, so I can catch up on my reading. I couldn’t get through the book club book this time. Why do I want to read about someone else’s misery? Is it supposed to make me feel better about my life? Smug? Or just depressed? Because it was bringing me down.”
“I hated it, too. I choked it down the way I used to choke down the brussels sprouts my mother insisted were good for me. It was a brussels sprout book, and I’m not convinced they’re good for me.”
“Exactly.” Idly, Avery pulled down a thriller, skimmed the copy. “Plus, if I sit down to read, I want crème brûlée, or a good meaty steak, maybe pepperoni pizza, possibly a hot fudge sundae. And now I’m hungry.”
She turned back, smiling as she reached for the coffee. “Thanks. Hey, you look a little ragged-out.”
“Feeling a little draggy, a little off this morning.”
“You can’t catch anything.” Avery pointed a decisive finger. “You’re getting married in less than a month. You’re not allowed to catch anything. Here. You look like you need this more than I do.”
Clare shook her head at the offered latte. “I haven’t caught anything the way you mean, and I’m off coffee for now. I’m not sick.” Clare drew in a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
“What? Now? Pregnant as in baby-on-board?”
“Yes, now. Pregnant as in.” On a laugh, Clare pressed her hands to her belly. And Avery wondered how pale could go to glow so fast.
“Oh, Clare. You’re pregnant, and you’re happy.” Setting the coffee down, Avery rushed around the counter, folded Clare into a hug. “I’m so happy for you. When did you find out? How far along are you? What did Beckett say?”
“I don’t think I could be happier. This morning, though I suspected yesterday. Probably about two weeks. And I haven’t said anything to Beckett yet.”
“Why?”
“I need you to do me a favor first. You’re going into Hagerstown, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’ll be heading that way.”
“Could you pick me up a home pregnancy test?”
“You haven’t taken one already? You said you found out this morning.”
“Morning sickness, the second day running. I know the signs—this would be the fourth time. I’m wifty and tired, and sick in the mornings, and my body feels . . . It’s hard to explain.” Again she touched her belly, then her breasts. “My body feels pregnant. But I want to confirm before I tell Beckett just in case I’m wrong. I just don’t want to pop in the pharmacy here or in Sharpsburg to buy the kit.”
“Word spreads fast.”
“You got it, and since you’re going into Hagerstown anyway, you could get one for me, in anonymity.”
“Happy to. Wow. Wedding, honeymoon, familymoon, baby! Beckett’ll be good with it, right?”
“Very good.” Reaching down, she chose a ginger ale for herself from the under-counter cooler. “We wanted a baby, though we thought we’d wait a few months. We weren’t trying, but obviously, we weren’t not trying. If I’ve calculated right, we’ll be a family of six next January, right about the time the inn has its first anniversary.”
“Can I tell Hope? I’m going to see her later, but I’ll swear the vow of silence if you want.”
“I’ll let you know once I’ve taken the test. You can tell her right after I tell Beckett.”
“Vow of silence until. This is such good news. Good, happy news,” she added with another huge hug for Clare. “I’m not going to stop by to see the demo before I go. I don’t want to risk it. I talk to no one. I’ll be back in a couple hours. Oh boy!”
“Think, oh girl.” Clare laughed. “I know it’s silly, but God, I’d love to have a girl this time.”
“Thinking pink.” She gave Clare a last hug. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Thanks. Wait, it’s pouring. Let me get you an umbrella.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got one in the car.” She ran out, was soaked through before she got behind the wheel.
But she grinned all the way out of town.
* * *
OWEN LEFT THE crew to the demo, did a quick pass through the bakery project. Mostly on schedule, he noted, and with Ry at one helm, Beckett at the other, he was free to drive into Hagerstown for materials, knock off some personal errands—and the ones his brothers had added to his list.
He didn’t much mind the multiple stops—more materials meant more progress. He didn’t much mind driving in the rain. It could’ve been the snow currently hammering the northern part of the county and up into Pennsylvania.
He’d had enough of snow, enough of winter, so he’d take the rain.
He hoped Avery hadn’t ignored
the umbrella, as he knew she’d be doing just what he was doing. Multiple stops, multiple parking lots and dashes into stores, crossing off chores.
Too bad they couldn’t have gone together, but the stops didn’t match up well enough to make it practical. If the weather guys were right, they were in for a full day of rain, a full night of it. He remembered Avery had scheduled herself to work, and to close. He could grab dinner at Vesta after work, use her apartment to finish up paperwork while she was downstairs.
Stay at her place.
He had to remind himself not to assume, but damn it, he’d reached the point he wanted to assume. He wanted her to do the same.
Why shouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t they? But he couldn’t shake the certainty that she’d braked on that particular step and wasn’t quite willing to take the next.
Then again, he had to admit the step they’d stopped on was pretty comfortable.
He swung off for hardware, put an order in for lumber, picked up paint, then carpet samples for the over-the-bakery apartments.
He streamed through his list, making a circuit, making his last stop the drugstore. He clicked through his own items, added Ryder’s shaving cream, Beckett’s Motrin, tossed in a couple of fresh sets of playing cards—to supplement the naked women cards he’d already bought for Beck’s poker night bachelor party.
He started to turn down the next aisle, and spotted Avery.
It gave his heart a quick lift, to see her like this, unexpectedly—and made him shake his head when he noticed her damp hair.
She hadn’t used the umbrella after all.
He thought he’d ease down to her, come up behind—grab her. Imagined her reaction—the jolt, the squeak, the surprise, then the laugh.
She was concentrating so hard, he thought, amused, trying to figure out which . . . pregnancy test to buy.
Jesus Christ.
It was his last clear thought as he watched her take one off the shelf, give it another long study, front and back, then add it to her basket.
He stood exactly where he was, rooted to the floor as she strolled away down the aisle, turned the next corner.
A home pregnancy test? But she took . . . He used . . . How could . . . ?
Avery pregnant? How could she be pregnant? Well, he knew how, but she’d never said anything. Never gave the slightest hint she thought maybe.
She just picked up the am-I-or-aren’t-I kit and added it in with her shower gel and shampoo and mouthwash.
Just another item on the list?
He wanted to go after her, ask her what the hell.
Not the time or place, he told himself. Not the right frame of mind since he couldn’t decide what his frame of mind was, exactly.
He stared down at the things in his own basket, couldn’t think what to do, couldn’t think at all. Numb, a little shaky in the knees, he set the basket aside, and left without buying a thing.
* * *
