AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’d like to help you guys out,” Rich said. “But I’ve got a plane to catch in” — he looked at his watch — “in two hours.”
“Where’re you going?” Cindy asked.
I wondered, too. He hadn’t mentioned a trip to me.
“Denver. For the weekend,” Rich told Cindy.
I looked away, my eyes sliding across Claire’s face. She caught it. Saw that I’d taken an unanticipated blow.
“Going to see Kelly Malone?” Cindy asked, the reporter in her refusing to just shut up.
“Uh-huh,” Rich said. And unless he’d caught the baby-glow from Claire, he was excited.
“I’d really better go. Don’t want to get caught in traffic. Claire, I just wanted to congratulate you on this great news. I’ll want a picture of Ruby as a screen saver.”
“Sure thing,” Claire said, patting Conklin’s hand, thanking him again for the flowers.
I said, “Have a good weekend.”
And Rich said, “You too. All of you guys.”
And then he was gone.
As soon as he was out of the room, Cindy and Yuki started talking about what a rock star Rich was and wasn’t Kelly Malone his high school sweetheart? And then the door opened again. A nurse rolled a tiny cart up to Claire’s bed and all of us peered inside.
Ruby Rose Washburn was a beauty.
She yawned, then opened her dark, long-lashed eyes and looked straight at her mom, my glorious, beaming friend Claire.
We four held hands, made a circle around the cart, each saying a silent prayer for this new child. Claire released our hands so she could hold her baby.
“Welcome to the world, little girl,” said Claire, hugging and kissing her everywhere.
Cindy turned to me, asked, “What did you pray for?”
I snorted a laugh. “Is nothing sacred, you bulldog? Can’t I even talk to God without you asking for a quote?”
Cindy cracked up, put a hand over those cute overlapping front teeth of hers. “Sorry. Sorry,” she said, tears coming out of her eyes.
I put my hand on Cindy’s shoulder and said, “I prayed that Ruby Rose would always have good friends.”
Chapter 124
YUKI GOT OUT of Lindsay’s car, saying, “Now I know what they mean about feeling no pain.”
“We couldn’t stop you from downing two margaritas, sweetie, and God knows we tried. You’re way too little for that much octane. I’ll walk you inside.”
“I’m okay, I’m okay.” Yuki laughed. “I’m going straight to bed. So I’ll talk to you on Monday, ’kay?”
She said good night to Lindsay and walked into the lobby of the Crest Royal, said hello to Sam, the doorman, and wobbled up the three steps to the mail alcove. On the third try, she managed to get the tiny key into the tiny lock, pulled out the banded packet of mail, and took the elevator up to her apartment.
The apartment was empty, but since the ghost of her mother lingered in the furnishings, Yuki talked to Mommy as she dropped the mail on the console in the foyer. An envelope slipped out of her fingers onto the floor. Yuki peered down at it. It was a padded envelope, not very big, dark brown with a handwritten label.
She kicked off her high heels and said, “Mommy, whatever it is, it can wait. Your daughter is smashed.”
But the envelope was intriguing.
Yuki put one hand on the console, bent and picked up the envelope, stared at the unfamiliar handwriting in ballpoint pen. But the return address on the left-hand corner grabbed her. It was just a name: Junie Moon. Yuki ripped open the envelope as she walked unsteadily to her mom’s green sofa.
