She pressed a hand to her side, and had the blood draining out of Harper's face.
"What? What?"
"Nothing. Baby's moving around. Sometimes it gives me a jolt is all. "
"You should stand up. You should sit down. "
"Let me just finish this one. Back home, when I started to show? People, some people, just figured I'd got myself in trouble and the boy wouldn't stand up for me. I mean, Jesus, are we in the twenty-first century or what? Anyway, that made me mad, but it was embarrassing, too. I guess that's partly why I left. It's hard being embarrassed all the damn time. There. " She patted the dirt. "They look really pretty. "
He popped up to help her to her feet. "You want to sit for a minute? Want me to walk you back?"
She patted her belly. "This makes you nervous. "
"Looks like. "
"Me too. But I'm fine. You'll want to get the rest of those planted before it gets dark. " She looked down at the flowers again, at the house, at the gardens surrounding it, and those long, lake-colored eyes seemed to take in everything.
Then they zeroed in on his face and made his throat go dry.
"I really like your place. See you at work. "
He stood, rooted, as she walked off, gliding along the path, around the curve of it, into the twilight.
He was exhausted, he realized. Like he'd run some sort of crazed race. He'd just have that beer now, settle himself down. Then he'd finish with the pansies.
* * *
&nbs
p; With the kids outside taking Parker for his after-dinner walk, Stella cleaned up the mess two boys and a dog could make in the kitchen over a pepperoni pizza.
"Next pizza night, I buy," Hayley said as she loaded glasses into the dishwasher.
"That's a deal. " Stella glanced over. "When I was carrying Luke, all I wanted was Italian. Pizza, spaghetti, manicotti. I was surprised he didn't pop out singing 'That's Amore. '"
"I don't have any specific cravings. I'll just eat anything. " In the wash of the outside floodlights, she could see boys and dog racing. "The baby's moving around a lot. That's normal, right?"
"Sure. Gavin just sort of snuggled and snoozed. I'd have to poke him or sip some Coke to get him moving. But Luke did gymnastics in there for months. Is it keeping you up nights?"
"Sometimes, but I don't mind. It feels like we're the only two people in the world. Just me and him - or her. "
"I know just what you mean. But Hayley, if you're awake, worried or just not feeling well, whatever, you can come get me. "
The tightness in her throat loosened instantly. "Really? You mean it?"
"Sure. Sometimes it helps to talk to somebody who's been there and done that. "
"I'm not on my own," she said quietly, with her eyes on the boys outside the window. "Not like I thought I'd be. Was ready to be - I think. " When those eyes filled, she blinked them, rubbed at them. "Hormones. God. "
"Crying can help, too. " Stella rubbed Hayley's shoulders. "And I want you to tell me if you want someone to go with you to your doctor's appointments. "
"He said, when I went in, that everything looks good. Right on schedule. And that I should sign up for the classes, you know? Childbirth classes. But they like you to have a partner. "
"Pick me!"
Laughing, Hayley turned. "Really? You're sure? It's a lot to ask. "
"I would love it. It's almost as good as having another one of my own. "