CHAPTER 16
“I’ve got a new sonogram photo!” Charlotte exclaimed at the dinner table, waving around a photograph.
“Did you find out if I’m going to have a brother or a sister?” Ty asked.
Charlotte scowled and dipped a Dorito into her mashed potatoes.
Doritos and mashed potatoes. Lucky stuck to soup and cornbread.
“Oh, right.” Ty rolled his eyes, crushing Doritos into his bowl. “Cousin. Not brother or sister. So, did you? Find out, I mean.”
Lucky paused feeding Andro and held his breath, waiting for the answer.
Charlotte placed the picture on the table. “Now you know we’re waiting to find out the old-fashioned way.”
Darn. Lucky had been afraid of that.
“Ah, ah, ah…” Andro said, leaning forward and trying to reach the spoonful of pureed sweet potatoes.
Oh, yeah. “Sorry, kid.” Lucky got back to the business at hand.
Lucky squinted at the black and white photo, trying to make out…
Charlotte snatched the photo out of reach. “No, you can’t tell from this one.”
Wait a minute. “You didn’t tell us you had a doctor’s visit today.”
She snorted. “I never have before either, unless it’s an important one, like first ultrasound.”
“Yeah, well now things are different.”
“I didn’t go alone.” She lifted her nose, daring him to ask.
Right. Badass woman. Could take care of herself, even if Lucky wanted to wrap her in cotton. As she’d said, she’d managed years without him.
Of course, she hadn’t had people trying to kidnap her then either. So, in a way, Lucky’s staying away had been justified, right?
Bo came in, suit coat slightly rumpled. “Hey, y’all save me any?”
“I made a big pot of vegetable soup,” Charlotte said. “We’ll be eating this for days. It’s on the stove. The meatless one is on the left.” She didn’t mention the bowl of mashed potatoes on the table, or the bag of Doritos.
The state of Idaho needed to erect a statue of her, as much as she served potatoes these days.
“I’ve got news!” Charlotte crowed, a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Oh really?” Better not involve Jimmy.
“There’s a chance I could go into labor on your birthday, Lucky! Wouldn’t that be the bestest gift evah?”
Yeah. Yes, it would. But it didn’t matter if the kid came today or in a month—well, maybe to Charlotte who wanted the pregnancy over with—it’d still be the bestest gift evah.
Bo ladled a bowl of soup from the pot on the stove, filled a glass with water from the refrigerator tap, and joined the family at the table.
When they added another high chair, they’d have to start eating in the dining room. The kitchen table didn’t have enough space.
“How’d it go?” Lucky hated to ask. “Anything I should know about?”
Bo gave Lucky a brief hello kiss. “No. Walter, Jameson, and I divvied up some cases.”
