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“Evelyn and I will leave with you this mornin’,” Lawson announced. “We’ll drop you off before headin’ to the dealership.”
Nora frowned and, speaking around a bite of pancake, muttered, “The dealership?”
“Yup. You need a new car.”
“Yay! I want mommy to get a new car,” cried Evie.
Nora looked from Lawson to Evie then back again. After she managed to swallow, she replied, “Babe, I know I’m not drivin’ the latest thing on wheels, but my car runs fine.”
“You’re gonna need somethin’ bigger and more reliable.”
“Lawson,” she murmured, understanding washing over her. “You don’t have to do this now. Besides, we’re gettin’ married, soon. And if I know you, and I do, the next thing you’ll be pushin’ for is our house.”
“We’re not poor, songbird.”
“Maybe not, but a new car? It’s too much.”
Lawson set his fork down, shifted in his seat, and reached to rest his hand on her thigh. “Baby—you’re not hearin’ me. I served two deployments with no one to support back home. You saw what I brought with me when I moved in. Outside of my land and my Chevy, I’ve been sittin’ and investin’ on the money I’ve earned. We can afford a weddin’, and a house, and a car. From where I’m sittin’, way things are goin’, our family requires all three. So, you can either trust me to pick out somethin’ you’ll like, or you can tell me what you think you want, but you’re gettin’ a new car today.”
Nora sat silently only long enough to come to the conclusion that she wasn’t going to change his mind. Yet again, she saw her man standing steadfast in his role ofprovider, and she didn’t want to fight him on it. Much as it would take for her to get used to it, she loved him more than enough to surrender. She could trust him now in a way she couldn’t when they were younger. They weren’t kids anymore. They weremakingkids, and he was ready to be all she needed him to be.
“Okay. Just—when you see him, don’t let on to Sterling,” she pleaded, knowing there was no way Lawson would buy a car from anyone else. “I don’t want him to tip Mitzi off. I want the news to come from us when we’re ready.”
“Is your new car gonna be a secret?” interjected Evie, trying to keep up with the conversation.
Now it was Nora’s turn to put down her fork. She drew in a deep breath, looked at Evie, and then at Lawson, who wore a knowing smirk that said it all.
“Not a new car. But I do have a secret.”
“Can you tell me?” Evie asked on a whisper.
“Mmhmm. Come ‘ere. I’ll whisper it in your ear.”
Evie was quick to abandon the remains of her breakfast as she scrambled to stand next to Nora. Wanting her daughter extra close as she shared the news, Nora lifted her little oneinto her lap, wrapping her arms around her as she murmured, “Before I tell you, remember it’s a secret, okay? You can’t tell anyone until mommy says so.”
“Not even daddy?” she gasped, looking Lawson’s way.
“Daddy already knows, pretty girl. This will be our family secret.”
“Okay! Tell me,” Evie insisted with a nod.
Nora smiled, knowing good and well she was about to set off an adorable ticking time bomb. Telling Evie meant they’d have to tell the rest of their family the next day—but she didn’t mind. She didn’t want to keep the news to herself.
Cupping her hand around her mouth, and bringing her lips to Evie’s ear, Nora whispered, “You’re gonna be a big sister, Evie-B. Mommy’s going to have a baby.”
Evie sucked in a sharp breath as her back straightened. She turned enough to look her mother in the eye, hers round in awe.
“You’re gonna have a little baby?”
“Mmhmm,” hummed Nora with a nod.
“In your belly?”
“Yeah.”
Nora grinned as Evie looked down at her still flat stomach. “You have a baby in there right now?”
“I do. It’s really, really small—but it’ll get bigger.”
