Sisters in Bloom (Love in Bloom: Snow Sisters #2), Contemporary Romance (20 page)

Chaz laughed. “I guess. But, Kaylie, when we’re deciding on public schools or private—”

Kaylie held her hand up. “Don’t even go there. No kid of mine is going to prep school. I know you went, and that’s all well and good, but I didn’t, and I’m not sure I would want that degree of separation from the—for a lack of a better word—normal kids around here.”

“Okay, no prep schools.”

“And no diamond earrings at three years old, either. She can wait till she’s twelve, like I did.”

“So now you’re old-fashioned?” he teased.

“I don’t know. I just know that I want this baby to be normal, whatever that is. She’ll be spoiled enough with so many aunties hanging around. I want our baby to know that she can do anything in the world based on her own personality and abilities. I don’t want to raise a selfish, self-absorbed child. I want to raise someone like you.”

“I want the baby to be just like you.”

“No, you don’t. Trust me. I’m really insecure. I never thought I was, but I worry that once the baby comes, I’m gonna fall to the wayside, and that’s totally not normal.” She laughed, but inside, she’d said the hardest thing she’d ever said aloud.

“Is that what you worry about? Without you, there’d be no baby. I can live without this baby, Kaylie. But I’d never want to live without you.”

“Does that mean you don’t want the baby?”

“Oh my God. You’re killing me.”

She nudged him. “I’m kidding. I know what you meant.”
Go away little naggy voice. Be gone.

Danica sat at one of the picnic tables on the lawn of the barn, her hands wrapped around a half-empty large coffee. She’d left a voicemail at the center for Sally to arrange for some of the kids and/or parents to help direct parking. So many parents had offered to help, she knew it wouldn’t be an issue. Then she’d headed to the site to make sure the lights had been hung and the tables set out. The lights were strung properly, but there weren’t enough tables and, although her insides were clawing for her to call the rental company, she knew it was an overreaction. They had hours before the event. She lay back on the bench and stared up at the promising blue sky, reminding herself that it was okay to relax a little. The tables would show up, or they wouldn’t, and if they didn’t, the event could still go on.

She’d worked hard over the last few months to let go of the controlling side of her personality and allow herself to be more spontaneous and unwound.
Unwound
. That’s exactly how she was starting to feel. It was one thing to be relaxed, but another altogether to let her fears go. She’d never admit it out loud—to anyone—but Blake was right. If she were to sell her condo, she’d have no place to go if things went bad. The fate of her parents’ marriage kept poking its ugly head into her thoughts.

Blake’s not Dad
. She felt like she was talking to Kaylie. “And I’m not Mom,” she said as she sat up. She wasn’t her mother. She was headstrong and voiced her opinions, and Blake respected them. She was confident and had a career. Two, if she chose to! Danica paced the field, mentally ticking off the things that were different about her and Blake’s relationship from that of her parents.

He adores me and considers my feelings when making major decisions (rent the condo!).

He is honest.

We have common interests.

We have helped each other grow, and aren't stagnated by each other either personally or in our careers. Oh, yes! That’s a big one! Dad didn’t help Mom grow. Ever.

The sound of tires on the gravel parking lot interrupted her thoughts. Danica walked back across the property as Blake opened the door of his SUV. She jogged over.

“Hey, what’re you doing here?”

He kissed her and then twirled her around. “Did you think I’d let you stress out all by yourself? I went to the shop and Alyssa’s going to handle things for a bit. She’s got it covered tonight, too, so we’re good.”

He gives of himself for me and to me.

“Great!” she said with a little clap. Everything was falling into place, and Danica couldn’t keep the smile from her lips or temper the racing of her excited heart. “Come on. I’ll show you where things are taking place.”

They walked toward the entrance to the barn.

“How are you going to get people not to just come around the back?”

“Some of the kids have volunteered to direct traffic in the lot, and they’re putting up one of those ropes so people will come around to the front.”

“And who’s taking tickets, or whatever needs to be done?”

Danica stared at the enormous barn doors.

“Danica?”

She covered her mouth. “Crap. I forgot. The event runs on donations, so I just assumed that people would toss money into the box and come in. It’s not like we’re in some high-risk area where we have to worry about them taking the money. And Sally’s got someone covering the waivers at a table just inside. I can ask that person to watch the front.”

“I’ll do it,” Blake offered.

“No. Really?”

“Of course. What else would I do? Hang around and do nothing?”

Danica hadn’t even thought of Blake helping. She was just glad he was going to attend. She stood on her tippy-toes and kissed him. “Thank you. That would be great.”

They walked the property, and by the time they came back around to the front, the roar of trucks could be heard in the distance.

“Hey,” Danica said as she spun around and faced Blake, stopping him in his tracks. “You…” She touched his chest. “Are buying
us
a house. And I’m not freaking out about it,” she said proudly.

He kissed her nose. “I know. I’m so proud of you. My little girl found her big girl panties.”

By the time the trucks showed up with the rest of the tables and chairs, Danica was ready for whatever the day held.

Back at the center, cars lined the street.
Damn
. She’d forgotten about the volunteers meeting. She rushed through the front doors carrying her purse in one hand and an empty coffee cup in the other.

“You must be Danica.”

Danica didn’t recognize the petite blonde with the beady eyes and perfectly matched blouse and slacks. “Yes.”

“Trisha.” She extended her hand.

Trisha? Trisha! Oh, God, Dave’s other woman. “Trisha, hi.” Danica fumbled with the empty coffee cup, dropping it on Sally’s desk, and then caught it as it fell off the edge. “Sorry. Crazy morning.” She shook her hand, stealing a look toward the back, wondering where Sally was.

“Thanks for letting me help out. Sally said you needed all the hands you could get, and with Michelle and Chase carrying on and all, it seemed the least I could do.”

“Michelle and Chase?”
What on earth is going on?

“Well, yeah. They’re so cute. They text all the time, and I don’t think they know that I know.”

“Michelle and Chase?”

“Yeah, I know. What are the chances, right? I guess I hadn’t remembered Allure being such a small town.” She walked with a bounce in her step toward the front door. “I’ll see you tonight. Thanks again. I’m really glad we’ve finally met.”

A handful of adults and children came into the lobby from the hallway. She’d missed the entire meeting. The voices pulled Danica from her stunned state in the middle of the floor.

“Hey, Danica.”

Danica waved at the teens. “Hi.” She scanned the kids for Michelle, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Missed you at the meeting,” Gage said as he came to her side.

Michelle and Chase? Then why did Rusty look so upset when Michelle was talking to Brad? “Sorry, I was at the barn. How’d it go?” She kept her eyes trained on the hallway.

“Great. As long as Kaylie doesn’t go into labor, this should be a really fun night. I think the kids are really looking forward to it.” Gage leaned over Danica and looked down the hall.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Michelle and Sally.”

“They’re in the game room. Is everything okay?”

Danica was already heading down the hall. She stood outside the game room watching Michelle and Sally putting the Ping-Pong paddles and pool cues away. Michelle had been wearing shorts instead of her black jeans lately, and Danica noticed, as she turned and smiled at Sally, that she’d done something different with her hair, too. It was still jet black and hung straight down to the middle of her back, but the bangs didn’t fall in her face. She had them brushed back, and her smile reached all the way to the rosy puffs of her cheeks.

“Some people would call you a stalker.”

Danica socked Gage in the arm. “I’m not stalking. I’m watching.” She pointed at Michelle. “She was my Little Sister in the Big Sister program. Gosh, it’s been a few weeks since we’ve done anything together.”

“Michelle? She’s great. Everyone really likes her. Her mom, too.”

It wasn’t Michelle whom Gage was watching. Danica noticed the way his eyes tracked Sally’s every move. “Yeah, Sally’s pretty great, too.”

Gage handed Danica a piece of paper. “Uh, here. This is a list of the volunteers, phone numbers of the vendors, everything for tonight.”

“I’ve got this already,” she said, and watched his eyes return to Sally. “Hey, did you guys meet for breakfast again to go over the details?”

“What? No, not today.”

No wonder you look like a lonely puppy
. “Gage?”

“Yeah.” His eyes were trained on Sally.

“Do you know if Michelle is dating anyone?”

He shrugged. “She hangs out with Rusty a lot, and Brad comes to see her. My money’s on Brad, because Rusty sort of hangs back, you know? I’m not sure he’s got what it takes to make a move.”

“It’s tough to be a teen.”
Or an adult lusting after a coworker
. She eyed Gage as he practically drooled over Sally
.

At three thirty, they locked the center doors and agreed to meet at the barn by five. The event started at seven thirty, leaving just enough time for Danica to stop by Kaylie’s and see if she needed help. She considered calling her instead, but with everything Kaylie had been through, she thought it was best to see her in person.

Her cell phone rang, and she snagged it from the passenger seat.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, honey. I just thought I’d see how you and Kaylie were doing. She still hasn’t returned my calls.”

Danica sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom. You know how she gets when she’s upset. I’m heading there now. I’ll remind her to call you.”

“Your event is tonight, right?”

“Yeah.” It had been so long since Danica and her mother had taken a real interest in each other’s life that she had to remind herself that her mother might be vying for an invitation. The luncheon the other day had been a step, hadn’t it? It was silly, really, the distance that had somehow formed between them all, like a cockeyed triangle where the angles didn’t meet very well, and when they did, it was awkward and pokey.

“Hey, Mom, why don’t you and Patrick come by tonight? We’ll all be there, and Kaylie’s singing, so it’ll be a chance for you to see what it is that I’m doing and hang with me and Kaylie. Spend some time with Blake and Chaz.”

“I’m not sure. It’s a young event, isn’t it?”

“Mom, come on. It’ll be fun.”

She imagined her mother creasing her brow, her finger on her lips as she thought through the potential scenarios.

“Mom?”

“Okay. I’ll ask Patrick, and if he’s free, we’ll be there.”

“Great!” When she hung up the phone, she knew she’d made the right decision. They were a family, and no matter how hard it might be for Kaylie, it was time to start moving forward.

Kaylie answered the door in a short yellow bathrobe that barely covered her thighs, her hair piled high on her head, secured with a rhinestone hair clip.

“Wow, aren’t you the sexy mama?”

“More like the walking whale,” Kaylie joked. “Come on in. What’re you doing here?”

They went into the living room, where Danica studied the photos of Kaylie and Chaz on the mantel. She’d seen the photos dozens of times, but now, as she looked at their eager, excited faces, she wondered if they’d ever be those same carefree people after they had a baby to care for. “Are you nervous?” she asked.

“Not really nervous. I mean, I know how to sing in front of a group. More, I don’t know. I think I feel out of practice. It’s actually been a while.”

Danica nodded. “I really appreciate you singing, and you’ll be great.”

Kaylie put her hand behind her and lowered herself onto the couch. Danica sat beside her and reached for her belly.

“How’s the evil spawn?”

“You’re not going to call her that when she’s born, right? That could hurt a girl’s ego.”

“How about if it’s a boy?” Danica joked.

Kaylie sneered at her.

“I just want to give you fair warning. Mom’s coming tonight. Probably with Patrick.”

“What? Danica, why would you do that?”

“Chill, would ya? It’s time, Kaylie. We all have to move on, and you can’t blame Mom for everything.”

“I know I can’t, and I’m trying not to. It takes me a while to get from knowing to acting on. You know that about me,” Kaylie said honestly.

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Danica heard Chaz talking in his office. “How’re things?” she whispered, nodding in Chaz’s direction.

“Great.”

“Great, really? Or great, sarcastic? I have a hard time determining which sometimes.”

“Great really.” Kaylie pushed to her feet. “Wanna help me get ready?”

Danica followed her into the bedroom, where Kaylie had her clothes laid out on the king-sized bed. Spike heels lay on the pillow.

“Kaylie, really? You’re almost ready to pop, and you’re gonna wear those? What if you fall or something?” She touched her finger to the tip of the stiletto and pulled it back. “Dangerous.”

“I’m not gonna wear them.”

“Now you’re thinking.”

“I was going to, but then I realized, when else can I ever be comfortable while performing? Pregnancy is a great excuse not to wear killer heels.” She bent down and when she stood back up, a pair of low-heeled black shoes swung from her index finger.

“Those look like mine.”

“They are. I borrowed them when I stayed at your house. Who’d have ever thought I would be borrowing
these
from you?”

“You’re such a snark,” Danica teased, and flopped on the bed.

“Am I? A snark?” Kaylie asked as she slipped her dress over her head and tugged it down past her belly.

“Sort of.”

Kaylie turned around for Danica to zip her dress.

“Where did you get that? You look like a pregnant model, Kay. My God, you really are stunning.” The navy fabric clung to every curve of her life-affirming figure. The neckline scooped to the crest of her ample breasts, and her slim arms and fit legs gave her the appearance of a girl playing dress up with a fake baby bump.

“Maternity Road.” She sat down next to Danica. “I don’t want to be a snark,” she said. “I hate snobby girls.”

“You’re not snobby. Snarky is different. It’s…you. Fun, witty.”

Kaylie smiled. “Good.”

They went into the bathroom and Kaylie applied her makeup. “How’s your licorice stash these days?”

Licorice—Danica’s after-sex go-to snack. “Delicious,” she gloated.

Kaylie’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah,” Danica said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “Kay, how would you feel if I lived closer?”

“What do you mean?”

“Would you mind?”

Kaylie stopped applying her mascara and turned worried eyes on Danica. “Did something happen between you and Blake?”

“Nothing bad. Um. He…” Danica ran her finger in circles on the countertop. “He’s sort of buying that house down the road.”