Calling Kupid (Kupid's Cove Book 1) (8 page)

“So I’m not the only one feeling this way?”

I smiled and shook my head. “No, not at all. I knew before I came to town that I had finally found you. That my prayers had been answered. It took me less than five seconds to find your picture on the website for the firm. My reaction in the beginning was disbelief. I gave Graham a very hard time about coming to Snowberry. I covered it with frustration of taking time I pretended I didn’t have, but the reality is, it was fear. I was afraid to face you and have you throw me out of your office. The day I saw your picture I was so busy that it wasn’t until the evening that I really let it sink in. I didn’t know what to do, so I simply prayed. I knew I had to turn myself over to Him in order to find the courage to come to Snowberry. I am weak alone, but with faith I am strong.”

“
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Is that what you meant?”

I captured her hand again and held it, knowing when I went home tonight at least I would harbor her scent on me.

“That’s exactly what I meant. I had a lot of time to ponder 2 Corinthians when mom was sick. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve learned to incorporate some of those ideas into my everyday life.”

“You know when I’m lying here with you like this it makes it hard to keep the disdain I had for you alive? It makes me want to stay here forever in the darkness and share kisses, not caring about the real truth.”

“What is the real truth, Katie?” I asked, rubbing her belly gently as she spoke.

“That you live in Chicago and I live in Snowberry. You’re a successful businessman and corporate lawyer. I’m a wet behind the ears family lawyer. You were ten when I was born, which means you’ve had a lot more life experience than I’ve had. You come from a very well respected family. I come from a family everyone wants to forget.”

“You forgot one,” I whispered, my lips almost on hers.

“What?” she asked, her eyes glued to mine.

“We shouldn’t be laying here together stealing kisses in the dark, but we are.”

Kate

I held the door open for my Friday clients, Nick and Mandy Klaus, a couple who are near and dear to my heart.

“Hi guys, how’s it going?” I asked, relocking the door behind them and ushering them towards my office.

“Busy as always, so we’re thankful to have a Friday when school is out,” Nick said. “We’ve been waiting for your call to come sign the papers.”

I motioned for them to sit as I went behind my desk. “I’m sorry it took so long to get the papers back from your ex, Mandy. He wasn’t, shall we say, cooperative.”

Mandy grimaced and shook her head. “I’m not surprised. The man is like a faucet, hot then cold then hot. It wasn’t two years ago he was trying to sign away his rights. Now he wants to fight it.”

I leaned over on my blotter and grinned at her. “I don’t think he was real keen on the idea that some other man was taking his children. All I had to do was remind him that you could still press charges for child endangerment and he signed on the dotted line.”

Mandy’s ex was a real loser. He enjoyed toying with her about the children endlessly. A few years ago, their daughter, Esther, was injured because he was negligent while taking care of her. He moved to California right after that incident and hasn’t seen the kids in over two years. Both Esther and Ben have blossomed with the love Nick showers on them and he truly is the one deserving of the name ‘Dad.’

“I’m sure the fact that he won’t have to pay child support anymore was helpful as well,” Mandy sputtered.

Nick put a hand on her back and rubbed it, soothing her. “It’s almost over. Then we can be a family. Just hang in there a little longer, Mands.”

I opened the folder on my desk and picked up a pen. “Nick is right. Once you sign I will file this with the court immediately. They’ll set a date for the adoption hearing within a month. Now that Jacob has signed away his rights, the rest will go quickly because Nick has been financially taking care of the kids for the last two years. You’ve got this, Mandy.”

Mandy nodded, but then her face crumbled and tears ran down her face. “I’m so happy he’s finally out of my life. I’m sorry,” she apologized waving her hand in front of her face. “I’m a little emotional right now.”

Nick kissed her cheek and winked at me. “They say pregnancy will do that to a gal.”

I jumped up from my chair. “You’re pregnant?”

Mandy nodded and I ran around the desk hugging them both. “Oh my gosh! I’m so excited for you. How far along are you?”

Nick was one big grin from ear-to-ear. “She’s four months already. We didn’t tell anyone except our family, until we made it through the first trimester, but I suspect the kids told a few friends along the way.”

Mandy laughed through her tears. “They are pretty excited to have a little brother or sister.”

“A Nick S. Klaus III?” I asked Nick.

He laughed softly. “If it’s a boy.”

“But Esther is betting it’s a girl and plans on naming her Elsa,” Mandy quipped.

I snickered. “That girl and her
Frozen
. I loved her rendition of
Let It Go
at the concert last year, it was very, original.”

“She’s my drama queen,” Nick laughed. “But I love her.”

“I guess I better be careful about drinking the water in Snowberry right now. Maybe pregnancy is contagious.”

Mandy laughed. “No, I think it’s only in the Alexander family well right now.”

“What? Is Snow pregnant again?” I asked surprised.

Mandy shook her head. “No, but December is!”

I put my hand over my mouth. “I haven’t seen her in like, forever! My goodness, so many babies in your family, they are going to be great friends. When is December’s baby due?”

“She’s about a month further along than I am. Christmas was a virtual baby wonderland. I think the unborn got more gifts than the born, but it was great to see Jay and December so happy.”

I went back around my desk. “Everyone had bets going on when they would have a baby. I wonder who the winner is.”

Mandy chuckled. “They wanted to be smart about it and plan it out as much as they could. December has a year vacation saved and so does Jay. They will each take time with the baby and then they will send him or her to the hospital daycare. When their name was second from the top of the list, they started trying.”

I started to laugh. “I guess that’s as good a time as any to have a baby. When there’s room in the daycare for them.”

“In this case, it is. Jay and December both work there so the baby will see a friendly face all day long.”

I let out a breath. “Well, it really is wonderful that your family is experiencing a baby boom, but it’s not just the Alexander’s who are getting pregnant.”

“You know of someone we don’t?” Nick asked. “We’re pretty in tune to the pregnancy vine.”

I snortled and leaned over my desk again. “This one probably hasn’t hit the vine yet since we just found out yesterday, but Winifred is expecting as well.”

Mandy clapped with excitement, “You’re kidding me, right?”

I shook my head. “Nope, she was in my apartment yesterday in tears. She was freaking out thinking she had messed up some great plan they had made.” I waved my hand around to indicate it didn’t matter. “Anyway, she isn’t sure how far along she is, but we know she’s at least a couple months. She went to see Tom yesterday, but I haven’t talked to her since. She’s next on my list.”

I picked up my pen and opened the file. “Let’s get this done. Who wants to sign first?” I asked. 

Mandy scooted forward to take the pen. “I do. Signing this paper is the final thing we need to do in order to make the past disappear, and start our new life as a family, all with the same last name. Jacob doesn’t deserve Ben and Esther. Nick does.”

She scrawled her name across the line then handed the pen to Nick who did the same. I signed my name, dated it with a flourish and winked at Nick. “And with that, you’re one more step closer to being a daddy, Nick.”

“I already am one,” he said quietly.

I held up my hand. “Of course, I meant legally. I know Judge Burkett will rubber stamp this. Everyone in Snowberry knows how much you love Ben and Esther. I have to go see Hank at the pharmacy, but I plan to drop these off with the clerk of courts on my way. She will make sure Judge Burkett gets them immediately. He will call me with the time for court and I’ll call you. Deal?”

Mandy nodded eagerly then hugged me. “Thank you, Kate. I really appreciate everything you’ve done to help our family move on.”

“No worries, Mandy. You know I’m rooting for you. I’m so thrilled your family is expanding! Have a great weekend and I’ll call you as soon as I know anything about a date.”

They waved as they left the office and let themselves out the front door. I remained at my desk, my chin in the palm of my hand. Everyone in Snowberry was getting married and having babies. My mind’s eye went immediately to Gideon and I laughed. Sure, marriage and babies with Gideon Armstrong, like there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening.

Snowballs don’t survive in hell. It’s too hot.

I tried hard not to roll my eyes, since you shouldn’t roll your eyes at God.

I always know when you have something on your mind, Katie.

There is nothing on my mind, but doing my job and checking on my friend.

And marrying Gideon and having babies.

I snorted against my will.

We both know that’s not going to happen,
I grumped.

I slammed my laptop closed and grabbed my phone off my desk. It was time to get a move on, so Gideon, and the good Lord, stay out of my head. I pulled my coat down from the hook by my office door and stuffed my arms into it. I only had a few minutes to get over to the pharmacy before Hank left for the weekend. What was supposed to be a quiet Friday had turned busy from the moment I got out of bed.

I took a step forward and tested my left leg, happy when the pain was down to a dull ache. After Gideon left last night, I took two Tylenol and went to bed, but I didn’t get much sleep. I was far too busy running the entire day on repeat through my head. I kept getting hung up on the part where he kissed me senseless four times before I sent him back to his hotel. Each time I replayed those kisses in my mind, the night in Hawaii got harder and harder to remember. I felt like I was trying to fight a power that was greater than both of us were. When I finally drifted off to sleep, I was completely and utterly confused. Still was, in fact, but I didn’t expect things to become clear anytime soon.

I shut off the lights then left from the rear entrance. I was planning on driving over to see Hank, stopping by Freddie’s to check on her, and then heading home for a bubble bath and early bed. The only monkey wrench I saw in that plan wore glasses and smiled with his eyes.

I slid into the front seat of my Honda and turned over the engine, giving it a minute to warm up before I convinced its hulking body to move me toward town square. The air was stinging cold and the weatherman was calling for more snow in the next few days. The only upside to snow was the bitter cold would take a hike.

The drive to the courthouse was quick and I was in and out in a minute, leaving the signed papers with the clerk of courts. She promised to get back to me with a time by tonight. I was almost bouncing by the time I got to the pharmacy. Nick and Mandy were one of those ‘meant-to-be’ couples and knowing that they were having a baby of their own really made my day. I stepped through the door of the pharmacy and it was busy as the weekend approached. I entertained myself looking at a rack of books while I waited for Hank to be free.

“Kate, nice to see you here,” he said coming around the counter.

I hugged him quickly and smiled up at him. Hank was easily a foot and a half taller than I am, which put him somewhere near basketball net tall.

“I have your prescription ready. I expected to see you yesterday.”

I scratched my temple and grimaced. “Sorry about that. You were closed before I was free. Let me pay you for the book and the meds so we can talk about the Armstrong’s.”

He went behind the counter and pulled a bag from the bin against the wall. “Have you taken this one before?” he asked, his left brow higher than his right.

I shook my head. “No, it’s a new one.”

“Are you having problems again?”

I made the so-so hand. “I saw Dr. Sawyer yesterday. We did my yearly tests and a strange tachycardia showed up on the readings. Apparently, I have some right heart failure, but nothing too far outside what would be normal considering what my heart looked like when I was born. She thinks the medication might bring everything back under control. We’re trying this for two months to see if it helps. Then we will get back together to make more plans.”

He rang up the medication, and my book. “Are you aware when you’re in the wrong rhythm?”

I nodded. “I know, believe me. She gave me a few techniques to get back into sinus rhythm when it happens. So far, so good.”

“Good, but you know I’m obliged to tell you…”

“If the medication doesn’t work, or my heart is racing for longer than an hour, I need to report to the ER immediately for cardioversion.”

He smiled and chuckled. “My work here is done.”

I winked and handed him the money, then grabbed the paper sack, stashing it in my messenger bag.

He motioned me into his office and shut the door. “Now then, the Armstrong’s. Gideon said you would be by. What can I do for you?”

He sat opposite me and I pulled out the file from my bag. “To start, I want to thank you for helping Winifred yesterday. She was scared out of her mind about being pregnant. The test you gave her was easy to read and gave her confidence that it was accurate.”

He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “So, what did the test reveal?”

I hesitated for a second, but decided that since she told him she might be pregnant, she wouldn’t care if I confirmed it.

“Baby Steele will be here sometime in the next seven or so months.”

He grinned doing a fist pump that was almost comical, considering the length of his arms.

“Why was she so scared? Was it just the idea of having a baby or is there something more to it?”