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He ran over to it and stood there with his arms outstretched, shaking his hips around.
“Eat your heart out, Cypress Cove!”
“Oh God,” she said, wondering if he had lost his mind, but she finally laughed.
In the kitchen, she took the image off the fridge, ran back into the living room, and handed him the picture. Grabbing Katrina, he held her in front of the window.
“Peasants, look! My woman!” He grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it over her belly. Her breasts peeking out the bottom, Katrina screamed and laughed, trying to cover her pubes while he continued yelling to the empty, dark streets. Thank God the elementary school across the street was unoccupied. “My woman, my baby!”
Out of breath, the exertion, the passion, the heartbreak taking over again, Dave’s moment of madness had ended. Gently pushing Katrina out of view of the window, he embraced her, tenderly holding her. With the ultrasound photo in his hand, he stared at the negative imagery of a little baby, maybe a hint of a smile on the little face, the penis announcing this was David Vincent Justin Chastain, and the father began to cry.
Chapter 4
As she worked around the cottage wearing a pale-blue linen shirt that tugged across her growing belly and slim white pants, Katrina put the finishing touches on the dining room table. She was hosting a baby shower brunch in honor of Annie Casson, Katrina and Maggie Angel’s childhood friend from Pensacola. Annie was due any day, and it had occurred to Maggie and Katrina that they needed to honor her in some way, so they pulled together an impromptu shower.
“You’ve done enough for us out at Bayou Cottage,” Katrina had said. “Let me do it this time. I can finally use my mother’s china.”
“Will you have time?” Maggie asked.
“I’ll make time. I’m going to slow down next month. One more trip out west and Dave is going with me, then I’m done flying. If I can’t get there in a car, I won’t go.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Maggie said, teasing her. “You are the hardest working pregnant lady I’ve ever seen.”
“Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’re not working hard,” Katrina said.
The shower would gladly fall on her shoulders. The guest list was small: Annie, her mother-in-law Beverly, sister-in-law Kelly, Maggie’s aunt Elizabeth and her mother Rose, Maggie, Katrina, and Calista, who was also pregnant.
Annie got there first, dropped off by her husband. Katrina watched her friend get out of the truck, her short legs not touching the ground so she had to sort of slide off the seat, her big belly increasing the speed that she dropped so Katrina, wincing, was scared she’d hit the pavement.
The women waved to each other, and once Annie moved away from the truck, Steve drove off. Anxious to see her friend, Katrina walked down the path to meet her, amazed at the size of her belly.
“Wow, it looks like we are having this shower in the nick of time.”
She towered over Annie by at least eight inches. Katrina put an arm around her shoulders.
“Look at you!” Annie said. “You have a small melon under your shirt.”
“Six months and counting. I feel like I’ve been pregnant all my life.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve been pregnant the entire time Steve and I have been together.”
“Ha! Same here.”
“Sluts.”
They laughed, pointing at each other.
“Maggie is the only one who gave their relationship some time.”
Katrina nodded her head. “All she wanted was a dog.”
They high-fived, laughing out loud just as a truck beeped. It was dockmaster Gus Hebert, bringing Maggie up from the dock. The women turned around to meet her, and another belly joined in, completing the trio. Waving at the women, Gus gunned the engine, grinning.
“Well, looky at this,” he shouted, giving them a thumbs-up. “Repopulating the village. Send me a text when you want a ride back.”
“I will,” Maggie replied.
“We should have made this a group shower,” Annie said. “Once Calista gets here, that will be four pregnant ladies.”
