Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Rachel’s chin lifted. “You mean the police force that just let Jason Abbott escape?”
“I imagine they’re on much higher alert now,” Huck said dryly. “But yeah, call them if you feel you’re in danger.”
She sat back and crossed her legs, hitching the pencil skirt up. “Now, Huck, we both know if I’m in danger, I’m going to call you. Right?”
He’d stopped answering her calls long ago, but as he glanced at the face of Jason Abbott still on the screen, he had to admit he had just put Rachel in danger.
If she called, he’d help her.
By the smile on her face, she knew it.
Chapter 6
Laurel pushed away the now-scraped-clean plate of her mom’s pot roast dinner and patted her stomach. The cat she’d rescued last month, Fred Lacassagne, slept on her foot. “I ate too much.”
Her mom chuckled, appearing at ease at the country-style kitchen table, one leg tucked beneath the other and her posture perfect. “You probably ate just the right amount. Although, you look tired.”
“I am.” Laurel stretched her neck. “It was a long day.” She couldn’t believe they’d found the body just that morning.
“I’m glad you came home tonight.”
Laurel found peace in the quiet kitchen. “I haven’t seen you for a few days and thought I should check in. Before I forget, the new huckleberry-rhubarb tea is my favorite so far.”
“Nice to know.” Deidre stood and reached for a notepad from the counter to scrawl notations across it. “What did you like best about that blend?”
“The concoction tasted like huckleberries and rhubarb pie while soothing my stomach.”
Deidre stretched into a casual yoga pose. “Yes, there’s some peppermint in there.” She looked healthy with her trim physique, a clip holding her chin-length blond hair away from her face. She’d practiced yoga as long as Laurel could remember and even wore a yoga outfit most of the time. “I’m not sure about the in-person store, though.”
Laurel shrugged. “Why don’t you commit to a six-month experiment, and if you don’t enjoy yourself, we can either hire somebody else to manage the store or cut the lease short. The documents I drafted protect you either way.”
“Of course they do.” Deidre retook her seat. “How is Huck?” It was nice that her mother was finally warming toward Huck. She’d never been a fan of men in general, and Laurel couldn’t blame her.
“He’s doing well. He had to give an interview to a local podcast, so I’m sure he’s in a grouchy mood.” Which was one of the reasons she’d decided to stay the night at her mother’s home.
Deidre speared a carrot from her plate. “He’s not much in favor of the media, is he? Although, I don’t blame him.”
“Neither do I,” Laurel said. “I’ll call him later to see how the interview went.”
“So”—Deidre cleared her throat—“have you two announced the pregnancy yet?”
Laurel took a sip of her sparkling water. “No. We’ll wait until the second trimester. I’m not ready to share the news with anyone else yet.”
Her mother studied her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” Laurel said, and then quickly decided to be truthful. “I don’t think I can be the mother that you are.” There, she’d finally said the words.
Deidre shocked her by laughing. “Of course, you won’t be the mother I am. You’ll be the mother you are. You can’t compare yourself to anybody else, Laurel. I believe you learned that a very long time ago.”
The truth in that statement caught Laurel. “Yes, but children require affection and fun and goofiness and love. Everything I do comes from the brain, not the heart.”
Deidre tilted her head. “So? Maybe your kid will be the same.”
Laurel took another drink. “What if I’m more like Abigail than like you?” She wasn’t one to express fears because there was no logic in doing so. Yet this one would not leave her alone.
Deidre slapped a palm on the weathered table. “That’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. Abigail is a crazy psychopath, and you are a sweetheart, as am I.” She grinned. “This baby will get the best of all of us, including Huck, who seems like a fairly sentimental guy.” Not many people in town would consider Huck to be anywhere near sentimental, but Deidre saw things in people that Laurel never did.
“He has become rather overprotective. I imagine he’ll be so with his child as well.”
“I imagine so,” Deidre said dryly. “I’m rather surprised he hasn’t popped the question.”
Laurel blinked. “Why would he do that?”
Deidre stared at her for a moment. “Because you’re having a baby together. He seems like a rather old-fashioned guy. Isn’t that what normally happens?”
Laurel gently nudged Fred off her foot, stood, and took her plate to the sink. “I have no idea.” She cared about the captain, but she’d never envisioned herself being married—or having a child for that matter. Yet here she stood, pregnant.