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the lake . . .”
    “Of course,” Teddy said. “But I’m sure he looks forward to all of it,” he added with an impish grin. Jean’s cream complexion tinted crimson.
    “Teddy, you’re embarrassing her,” Kristin chastised. “You know she didn’t mean that.”
    “Jean often has trouble saying what she means,” Nikki commented, her eyes fixed on the tall redhead, who giggled nervously again.
    “Do you have any children, Nikki?” Kristin asked.
    “Bill and I have an eight-year-old son, Graham, and a ten-year-old daughter, Heather,”
    she said quickly.
    “I love those names. That’s what we’ve got to start doing,” Kristin said turning to Teddy,
    “going through that book of names again.”
    “Do you know what you’re having?” Nikki asked.
    “No. We didn’t opt for that. Surprise is still important,” Teddy said. “Of course, Jennifer would like a little brother, right, Peanut?”
    She nodded.
    “And what name would you like him to have if your mother does have a boy?” Jean
    asked her.
    Jennifer shrugged and then said, “Kermit.”
    “Kermit?”
    Jennifer looked up at Kristin to see if she had said something wrong.
    “Like the frog,” Kristin added for her.
    “Oh. Ooooo, of course. Kermit.” Jean stopped smiling. “You wouldn’t . . .” She shook her head.
    “No,” Kristin said laughing. “We’re going to do the research and come up with
    something we both like.”
    “We’d be glad to help,” Jean said. “Everyone loves poking his or her nose into everyone else’s business here.”
    “Jean makes it sound as if we’re all a bunch of gossips. We’re just eager to help each other. The residents of Emerald Lakes are like an extended family.”
    “Yes, we’re a kibbutz,” Jean joked. Teddy laughed. He liked her and enjoyed the way she obviously annoyed her more sober friend from time to time.
    “We had better put the perishables away,” Nikki reminded them, and plucked the quart of low-fat milk from the bag.
    “Right,” Kristin said digging in.
    “Oh, you bought Grain Flakes,” Jean said holding up the box. “Isn’t that funny? We’re all buying that these days.”
    “It’s got the best fiber content and nutrition,” Nikki said with a tone of approval.
    “Yes. Eileen found it first, didn’t she?” Jean asked.
    “No, I did,” Nikki claimed.
    “Are you sure? I recall her list had it underlined.”
    “Because I told her about it,” Nikki insisted. Jean nodded but she still looked skeptical.
    “You can ask her yourself,” Nikki snapped.
    Jean smiled at the surprised Morrises, who stood back watching and listening to them argue about who should get credit for discovering a good cold cereal.
    “We often share our grocery list, pointing out bargains and better products,” she
    explained.
    “That’s very nice,” Teddy said quickly.
    “How do you do that?” Kristin asked. Teddy raised his eyes. He could hear the
    underlying tone of ridicule in her voice. These Stepford Wives were about to confront Mrs. Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was on her lips: “Conformity is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
    “We call each other, tell each other, often go shopping together when we can,” Jean said.
    “And the Neighborhood Watch committee puts out a monthly newsletter filled with
    valuable information like that,” Nikki added.
    “I see,” Kristin said shifting her gaze to Teddy. He pretended to be interested in a cabinet door.
    “This brand of cranberry juice has too much corn syrup in it,” Nikki announced.
    “It’s my favorite,” Kristin said smiling. “Actually, I have a weakness for corn syrup.”
    “You’ve got to watch your diet now that you’re pregnant,” Jean warned.
    “You see, Teddy Morris, I do show,” Kristin joked.
    “Oh, you don’t show at all,” Jean remarked. “One would never know.”
    “You did.”
    “Well, I read your application,” Jean revealed. Teddy looked up.
    “Oh?”
    “But we didn’t put down my pregnancy on our