Pregnancy Plan (32 page)

“
Yes.” Brie touched
Sylvia’s arm. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“But?” Sylvia turned to Marianne. “But how
can she even think about...” Tears filled her eyes. She covered her
mouth with a trembling hand, then shook her head and rushed passed
Jen to the hall bathroom.

Sylvia’s misery hit Jen. These women had
stood beside her during the toughest time in her life and she had
unwittingly hurt them. A backwash of guilt drowned her. How could
she cause them such pain?

Maybe, she should have kept her plans to
herself.

Brie paused in front of Jen and briefly
touched her arm. “Don’t worry. She’ll come around. You just caught
her unprepared.”

The silent understanding in Brie’s smile
helped relieve some of the tension in Jen’s chest. “I’m sorry, but
I can’t grieve for Craig for the rest of my life. I need...”

The frustration of the past year exploded
through her, and Jen stomped her foot. “Hell, we all need to move
on.”

“Some of us need more time.” Brie held up a
finger. “I’ll be right back and then we’ll discuss it.”

Jen dropped onto the couch and lifted her
hand to caress George’s coat. He shimmied away and strolled across
the room.

After a quick sniff, he wolfed Sylvia’s
forgotten sandwich off the floor. He turned and meandered back to
Jen. His brown eyes twinkled and his mouth held a happy smile. She
couldn’t ruin his pleasure by scolding him, so she closed her eyes
and rubbed her fingers across her forehead. The light pounding of a
headache beat insistently against her brow.

What had made her think they would
understand?

Silence filled the room, the tension
interrupted only by the light ticking noise of Marianne stirring
her tea. The sound tap-danced on Jen’s nerves and she peered at the
woman.

Marianne sat staring into space, a perplexed
expression on her face. After pulling her spoon from her cup, she
laid the utensil on her napkin-covered thigh. “How can you forget a
lifetime of love?”

“I won’t forget, but I still need to move
forward.” Jen retrieved her tea and sipped the now lukewarm liquid.
Hell, it was just a date
.

Yet if they needed more grieving time, she
should probably leave and let them carry on in peace.

Sylvia stepped back into the room from the
hallway. “But you’re dishonoring Craig’s memory.”

“How? Because I don’t want to spend every
night alone?” Jen snapped.

Sylvia grabbed her chest.

“Ouch.” Brie wrapped her arm around Sylvia’s
waist and they strolled across the living room to Sylvia’s empty
seat. The older woman settled back into her place on the couch
while Brie perched on the arm. “I couldn’t go out on a date even if
I wished to. The only men I ever see are at the grocery store.
They’re friendly in a grandfatherly sort of way.

As the only one in the group who worked
outside of the home, Jen met scores of people all day long. Most
weren’t single, or even worth her attention, but Hagan
was—
so hot
. She wiped her sweaty hands on
her jeans. Any woman would notice him wherever she happened to see
him—grocery store, library, coffee shop. “That’s because you don’t
work with the public. I happened to show several houses today to a
very nice-looking man.”

“And he asked you out?” Marianne’s
soft-spoken question hung in the air.

Jen stared out the window behind the three
women, unsure how to proceed. A picture of Hagan Cheney’s hazel
eyes and wide smile flashed in her head. Tall, with the muscular
body of an athlete, he reminded her a little of Craig. “Yes.”

“What does he do? Where does he live?” Brie
crossed to the table where her tea stood. The prying questions
reminded Jen of her sisters. They’d bombarded her with questions
about ever guy she’d ever dated.

Jen forced herself to relax and drifted back
to the corner of the couch. “He’s a chiropractor and lives
somewhere off Dodge at the moment, but he wants a house to convert
into an office in the older part of a small town.” Jen ventured a
glance at the other two women in the room, and immediately
regretted looking.

Sylvia gawked at Jen as if she’d been sucker
punched. Marianne didn’t appear much better. A frown marred her
face, and to Jen’s horror, she retrieved her spoon. The irritating
ticking started again.

Jen scrambled through her brain for
something to pacify them. Over the last few months, they had
counted on each other for support—like they were a part of Jen’s
family or her best friends, and she didn’t have many friends. She
didn’t look forward to losing them. But the idea of hurting them
again didn’t sit well either. “He’s a nice guy. I think Craig would
have even liked him.”

“And when are you going out?” Sylvia’s
sorrow presented a picture of total desolation. She held herself
tightly in place with a white-knuckled grip while her tear-filled
gaze met Jen’s.

Unable to inflict anymore pain on the woman,
Jen pushed to the edge of the couch and stood. “I appreciate
everything…”

“No, you can’t leave.” Brie lunged forward
and grabbed Jen’s arm. “Not with my parents demanding I move back
to Florida.”

Jen turned and the crest-fallen distress on
Brie’s face registered.

Holy smoke, what
now?

Brie’s parents couldn’t make her move unless
she wanted to.

George, excited by the exchange, rushed
forward and bumped into Brie.

She swayed on her feet.

Jen caught her by the shoulders. “But I
thought they understood that you didn’t want to relocate the kids
while they were still in school.”

“They did. Until I told them I’m
pregnant.”