“I’ll make them with you, Mom.” Christian smiled, but it was tight, not quite meeting his eyes. “You show me where the ingredients are, I’ll make the best damn drink you’ve ever had. And we can take some great photos to post to make your friends weep with envy.”
Mrs. Calhoun grinned. “That’s my boy!”
“Competitive in everything. I’m so proud.” Mr. Calhoun lifted his mug of beer from the recliner. “To winners!”
Everyone repeated the words, but Charlotte frowned. Her attention shifted from me toward the hallway where Penny moved to, clearly saying,Go follow her.
I nodded at Gwen, to which Charlotte patted my daughter’s head. If I weren’t a little concerned about Penny, then I would’ve smiled at the fact that Char and I were communicating with looks. It felt so familiar and comfortable.
But Penny acted out of character, and I wanted to check on her. I jogged up the stairs and searched Christian’s old room, then Charlotte’s. Both empty. Then a horrible, animal-like sound came from the bathroom. Shit.
I tapped the bathroom door. “Penny, it’s Hayden. Can I come in?”
“No.”
Another retching sound. My stomach soured. I wasn’t a big fan of throwing up. Who the hell was?
“Okay, I’m coming in to make sure you’re alright.”
“Hayden—”
She got sick again.
Before going in, I jogged back to Christian’s room and snatched a bottle of water left on his side table. I pushed in the door, and my heart clenched for my friend. She sat on the ledge of the tub and held her head in her hands. Her skin was pale, and her chest heaving.
“Hon, what do you need?” I crouched and went into help mode. I ignored the smell of puke and assessed her. “Water? Doctor? Soda?”
“This can’t be normal.” She sniffed and glanced up at me with tears welling. “I can’t stop throwing up. It started Monday and every morning and afternoon, sometimes middle of the night. It’s constant, Hayden.”
That sounded like…
“Penny.” I took her hand and held it. “Are you pregnant?”
She nodded as her face crumpled. “I’m so happy. So fucking happy but I’m miserable and I’m only eight weeks. How am I gonna survive thirty-two of these?”
So much made sense now. It all clicked together. My first thought wasOh, I need to tell Charlotte, but I stopped. This was Penny’s news to share, hopefully with Christian already. “Look at me, please.”
She did as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I can’t be like this on my wedding day. I can’t… We weren’t supposed to get pregnant this fast.”
I rubbed her hands because they were so cold and clammy. “There is no right or wrong time to start a family. Take it from me, I’m a prime example of how surprises can turn out to be the best thing in the world.”
She snorted. “We weren’t going to tell anyone until after the wedding.”
“Then don’t.”
“I can’t… hide this, if I’m sick,” she mumbled. “This is so embarrassing.”
“Why? Because I’m holding your hand in a bathroom while you throw up? Penny, we’ve done way weirder and more embarrassing shit together in our decade of friendship. This is why you have friends: to help you when you’re a little down. You and Christian volunteered to watch my daughter so I could do my job. That wasn’t a burden, right?”
She shook her head.
“Then please don’t worry about me. Your secret is safe with me. It’s your and Christian’s news. Now, I have some thoughts on the matter, but I’m not going to give out unsolicited advice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Since when has that stopped you?”
Chuckling, I released her hand and grabbed a towel. I wet it and placed it on the back of her neck. “I learned with Gwen that leaning on the people you love and trust the most is the best thing you can do for yourself. I guarantee, if you tell the people downstairs, they will do anything you ask to keep it secret, to make sure you’re okay on your wedding day. I’ll help in any way I can, but the Calhouns are pretty fucking special people.”
Something flashed in her eyes, and a little color crept into her face. “Hop, are you finally admitting you’re interested in Charlotte?”
