When I saw the double lines—meaning I was pregnant—I needed confirmation. So I called the one person I could count on to not freak out. Brighton. I also knew she wouldn’t call everyone else to tell them.
She started to dig through the bags. “We’ve got Clearblue, First Response, Stix, Modern Fertility, Equate, CVS Brand, and then I found these strips. Grabbed some of those too.”
I stared at all the boxes on my bed. “I don’t even remember seeing all these brands.”
Bree let out a laugh that almost sounded hysterical. “Oh, I went to four different stores. I’m pretty sure word will spread around Boggy Creek that I’m knocked up and needing extra confirmation.”
I brought my hand up to my mouth and tried not to laugh. “I’m so sorry, Bree.”
She waved me off and picked up the First Response. “Let’s do this one first.” I held out my hand, and she put the box in it. “Then let’s do these strips. They look cool!”
An hour later and after a whole lot of water drunk, ten tests were all spread out on three paper towels—and all with the same result.
Pregnant.
I stared at them while Bree jumped up and down next to me like a kid in a candy store, giving me her picks for girls’ names.
“Jade is so cute. Willa wouldn’t even think of using it, though I don’t know why. Something about Aiden not liking it, but whatever. Oh! Jagger is cute for a girl too! I’ve always loved the name Jackson for a boy. Oh wait, we can’t do that because then he’ll be called Jack, and you’ve got the dog and Hunter’s dad, and yeah…”
I picked up one of the tests and placed my other hand over my stomach. Bree continued to spit out name after name.
Pregnant. I’m pregnant.
Hunter’s baby, our baby, was growing inside of me. I rapidly blinked as I tried to hold back my tears. I finally lost the battle and a loud sob slipped free.
“Okay, so maybe Peace isn’t a good name, but you don’t have to cry about it!”
I shook my head and covered my mouth. When I spoke, my words came out all mumbled. “I’m just so happy.”
Bree stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “What? You miss your nappy?”
Shaking my head, I tried to speak again, but I couldn’t stop crying.
“Okay, you’re freaking me out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone smile while they’re crying. Gotta say, it’s creepy as fuck, Arabella.”
I grabbed Bree and pulled her into my arms, crying even harder. She wrapped her arms around me, and we slowly sat down on the bed.
“Shhh, it’s okay, sweetie. Are you happy? Sad? Scared? Talk to me.”
Drawing back, I wiped my tears. “I’m for sure not sad, but I am scared.”
She took my hand in hers. “It’s going to be okay. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, and blow it all out. I learned that bullshit in yoga.”
I sniffled. “You do yoga?”
“Did yoga. There was a hot guy going to the yoga studio below my condo. I signed up and took four or five classes before I realized he took the class because his wife taught it. Turns out all those times he smiled at me, he was actually just being polite to the crazy woman who kept gawking at him all through downward dog. Ugh…seeing them together made me sick.”
Laughing, I asked, “Why did it make you sick? That he took the class because his wife taught it?”
She nodded, then shrugged. “Fine, I thought it was sweet. But if you tell Candace I said that, I’ll deny it.”
I laughed and decided I needed a bit of a distraction from my big news. Squeezing her hand, I asked, “Why did you really leave Boston?”
She chewed on her lip nervously. “Will you keep this between us? I’m not really ready to tell the girls about Luke.”
I nodded. “Of course, I will.”
She blew out a breath so hard it made her lips vibrate. “Okay, here goes. I met someone great. Really, really great. And things didn’t work out and…I ran. And when I say I ran, what I mean is, I gave up my entire life and sprinted like hell back to Boggy Creek.”
“Why did you run?”
Chewing on her lip, she said, “Do you know who Luke Walters is?”
The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. “I don’t think so, though it sounds kind of familiar.”
“Neither did I. Two Christmases ago, I made a deal with one of the partners at the law firm I worked at. He’s a member of the Lakewood Country Club just north of Boggy Creek. He arranged for Aiden and the guys to stay out at the country club and golf and all of that before Willa’s wedding. In exchange, I agreed to be his son’s date for the office Christmas party.”