"And now you’re going to have another little one to care for." Joy hugged Debbie. "This is so exciting! Does Austin know?"
"Yes. He's the one who insisted I go to the doctor last week. He was as shocked as I am, but he's happy about it."
"So, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Sheila asked.
Tears filled Debbie's eyes. "Well, I'm only nine weeks. But also, because my old doctor told me if I was fortunate enough to get pregnant, having PCOS would likely cause me to miscarry."
Joy snorted. "I think we've all figured out that your old doctor was an idiot."
"Dr. Madden, my new doctor, plans to watch my hormones carefully, but he’s optimistic I'll be able to carry the baby to term." Fresh tears ran down Debbie's cheeks.
Eden sensed a presence behind her just as Rudy whispered. "What's going on?"
His warm breath tickled her ear, sending a tingly shiver down her spine.
"Debbie just announced that she's pregnant."
"Seriously?" His brows shot up. Then a gorgeous grin split his face. "I figured it must be something big. I didn't know my sisters could be this quiet."
She gave a soft laugh and turned so he could see her roll her eyes.
His gaze held hers for a long moment before dipping to her lips. They felt suddenly dry under his scrutiny, so she licked them.
He sucked in a sharp breath. "I'd better go." He turned away, then quickly pivoted back. "Here." He thrust two packages of bacon into her hand.
Sucking in a sharp breath of her own, she tuned back into the conversation. The women were still discussing Debbie's pregnancy, and a sense of despondency swept over Eden. A powerful feeling of loss settled low in her abdomen, causing it to clench. It was all she could do to keep from pressing a hand to her stomach.
The emotion surprised her. It wasn't like she'd ever lost a baby. So why did she suddenly feel so melancholy?
She'd always dreamed of living close to Kennedy and having babies together someday, but that dream had always seemed so far in the future. Until her best friend moved away and got married, leaving Eden behind.
With no prospect of marriage, Eden had thrown herself into her work, determined to be a career woman. But she'd only grown more discontented over time.
Was a baby, or rather a family of her own—what she'd been longing for?
She shook the notion from her head before shifting her gaze to her friend. Kennedy wore a radiant smile that looked almost secretive, and Eden had to wonder what it meant.
Was she just happy for Debbie? Or was she dreaming of having her own babies?
The women soon got to work trimming and cutting meat, chopping vegetables, and adding seasonings to assemble casseroles and Crockpot freezer meals. There seemed to always be at least one conversation going on, sometimes two. Amid the banter and gossip, bits of advice for Debbie kept popping up from her sisters and mom, concerning what to expect with her pregnancy.
And with each one, Eden's melancholy grew. Even though she hadn't enjoyed her job in recent years, she loved what she was capable of as a businesswoman. The satisfaction she felt when she helped someone save their struggling business was unparalleled. But now she wondered if she'd been missing something.
Were children in her future? What would that mean for her career?
What career?
"So, Austin and I have a minor dilemma." Debbie's words pulled Eden from her musings while they all worked on layering lasagnas.
All eyes darted to her. Did their dilemma have something to do with her pregnancy?
"His ex-wife, Cheyenne, wants us to send Savannah, Dallas, and Cody to Florida the week after next for a family retreat with Tucker’s work."
"The ex-wife who bailed on taking the kids last year when her husband got the new job without needing to present a family?" Joy asked with a scowl.
"Yep, that one," Debbie said. "She's been making a bit of effort lately, so we want to give the kids a chance to get to know her, but we're not comfortable just shipping them off to Florida. We figured we'd take the whole family, but I’m not sure how I’ll entertain the little ones the older kids do activities with Cheyenne and Tucker. Austin and I feel like we need to stick close to the resort, in case things go south with Cheyenne."
"They're too young to appreciate a trip to Disney World." Sheila said.
