AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re insane.”
“No, I’m pregnant. My emotions are all over the place.”
“What are you going to do next?”
“I’m going to thank you for going through this with me. Then I’m going to haul my loot down to the dock and take it home. I’ll toilet Brulee, and then I’ll make my bed with the new sheets I didn’t need. Then I’ll make a doctor appointment. Just what I need, to spread-eagle to a stranger. And then I’ll work until Justin comes home.”
“Will you let me know when you tell him?”
“Of course.” She rested her head on the back of the car seat. “At least I know why my ass is so big.”
Katrina glanced over at her, chuckling. “You are voluptuous. Has Justin noticed?”
“Yes. I thought it was from too much food over the holidays.”
They arrived at the dock and unloaded the car. Gus came over and helped lower everything into the boat. She longed to tell him her secret, but refrained. Seeing the doctor to confirm it had to come first. If it was disrespectful to tell Gus before Justin, so be it.
Once she landed at her dock, she filled the wagon with her Walmart belongings and pulled it to the cottage. Brulee was barking like a madwoman, and when Maggie opened the door, she leaped out at her, running in circles like a crazed thing.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
She did everything as she had told Katrina. After she took care of Brulee, she made up the bed with the new sheets. Then she looked up Annie’s doctor and called for an appointment. The doctor saw new patients on Thursdays. As soon as she made the appointment, she sent Katrina a text asking her if she could drive her.
A deep longing to share her news with Justin filled her, and she had to fight tears again. He should be going with her to the first appointment. Could she be so cruel as to not at least give him the option of going? He might be one of those men who weren’t really interested in hearing the heartbeat for the first time. Again, her negative inner dialogue about Justin made her so sad she started to weep again. Brulee looked at her, resting her snout on Maggie’s leg.
“We need to go for a walk.”
Hopefully, a friendly horse would be nearby to soothe her soul. Her phone beeped. It was Justin. Leashing Brulee up, she grabbed her phone and answered.
“Hey, I’ve been in surgery all day. How are you doing?”
“Good. Brulee and I are preparing to hike around the property.”
“Watch out for BLM investigators.”
“I will.”
“See you in a couple of hours,” he said. “Love you, Maggie.”
“Love you too, Justin.”
You’re going to be a father…
“Right,” she said out loud after he hung up.
That night, with Maggie’s situation swirling through her brain, Katrina decided to have a chat with Alphé. Maggie’s pregnancy made Katrina’s desire to start her family more potent than ever. Hopefully, Alphé was agreeable. She didn’t want to deceive him, but it wasn’t past her to do it just to get her way. He’d be none the wiser.
After unloading her Walmart purchases, she finished working for the day. She’d have to fly into Baton Rouge from Saint John’s Parish on Tuesday and then up to Shreveport, spend the night, and fly home Thursday morning in time to take Maggie to her doctor’s appointment Thursday. Tonight, she’d see Alphé.
I’ll be out of town the next couple of days. Can you see me tonight? I need to talk to you.
He didn’t answer right away, which meant he was probably still out. The flight out to Baton Rouge was early, but it was a fast trip, so she’d be at her appointment by nine. It meant she wasn’t going to spend the entire evening at Alphé’s.
Tonight, she was going to query Alphé about getting pregnant. Digging through the one box she’d allowed herself to bring to the rented room, she found a candle to light and her rosary. She lit the candle and said the rosary, peace flooding her.
Mae Beaumont came to mind; she’d lost her faith after losing her son and husband. It scared Katrina, unable to imagine anything being that awful that could separate her from her faith, and that there was something powerful enough to do so petrified her. And the answer that she wasn’t seeking came in seconds—the horror oflosing a child might do it.
Shivering, Katrina held her arms around her body. It was unimaginable.
