AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Can you believe it? I didn’t gain anything for the first couple of months.”
“It must be because you’re having a boy. You remember my ass, right? Gigantic. At least my gut finally caught up with it.”
Katrina laughed out loud. Maggie pulled away from the dock.
Katrina and Brulee sat on the bench together, Brulee’s head pointed into the wind, her eyes closed, and Katrina did the same thing. The mist refreshed her in the heat of the day.
“I’m getting a picture of you two sitting together,” Maggie said, laughing.
In minutes, they’d arrived at Bonnet Island. Maggie circled it to make sure they were alone. The island belonged to her, but fishermen and boaters often stopped on the side facing the ocean, and since she’d never put out a no trespassing sign, they didn’t realize it was private property.
On the sandy beach facing the cottage, she beached the skiff. After helping Katrina and Brulee get out, she pulled the boat up farther onto the sand, grabbing the beach blanket and bag with their water bottles and fruit and snacks for Brulee.
“The first time you and I came here in January, Alphé stopped by.”
“Let’s pray he doesn’t drop by today,” Katrina replied, chuckling.
Maggie spread the blanket out. “Sit and don’t move. This is relaxation time.”
“I’m ready. We can watch the cottage from here. I still can’t believe Amber showed up. Of all people to run into today. Now I wonder if she’s going to have something snarky to say about the baby when she finds out.”
“She’s crazy, but she’s not cruel,” Maggie said, looking at Katrina. “Are you worried about what people might say?”
“Sort of. I don’t want bad karma around my baby. You know how superstitious people are around here.”
“We’ll educate them if we have to,” Maggie said, handing her an orange section. She looked over at her friend. “Are you going to say anything to Annie? You can always wait till he’s born.”
“I’m not sure. She has so much on her plate with her jerk husband. Adding my issues seems mean. But it might hurt her if she finds out from someone else.”
“By the looks of her yesterday, she’s going to deliver any minute.”
A fishing boat zoomed by, its wake making small waves lap at the beach. Brulee, trying to nap, picked up her head to see what the noise was, gave the boat alook, and lay back down.
“The dog has the right idea,” Katrina said, laughing. She looked over at Maggie. “Are you going to hire someone to help you?”
“Justin just said something about help. I guess we’ll have to; we’ll have so much going on between the clinic and my own graphic design work. If we can hire out the nonessential stuff, Justin and I can take care of the baby. What about you?”
“I’ll have to hire a nanny, but she’ll travel with me. I won’t leave the baby home with someone unless Dave is available to supervise. Not that we won’t be able to find someone trustworthy; it’s not that at all. It’s just that we want to make it possible for him to reach every milestone. We have the means to provide the best for him. If I can’t do that for him, well, I have no business having a kid.”
“You’re kind of harsh on yourself, sweetie.”
“You think so? I was irresponsible, Maggie. I had unprotected sex with a guy I didn’t know. I’m damn lucky that Dave is a decent, loving man. What if he’d been a schmuck?”
Shuddering, Katrina frowned, contemplating the possibilities.
“Kat, it’s not your fault, okay?”
“Oh, I’m not so sure about that.”
“Knock it off. The guilt thing isn’t healthy for you or baby David.”
She didn’t reply, wanting to end the conversation about it but not wanting to insult Maggie.
“I love living at Creole Cottage, but when I’m with you, I wonder what it would be like to live out here.”
“It only takes me five minutes to get into town in my skiff. It’s not as isolated as it seems. Once the clinic is open, we’ll be bringing the town to Bayou Cottage. It’s already nonstop with the rescue. Not the smartest move I’ve ever made, come to think of it.”
“You came here to hide; is that what you’re saying?” Katrina asked, teasing her.
