Read Online Poppy's Picnic (Poppy's Place Short) by Stephanie Beck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephanie Beck
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asked.
“Turns out our Poppy hasn’t told the boys she’s pregnant yet.”
Thomas pulled out his phone. “I can get on one of those craft sites to find a cute way to tell them.” He paused and looked up, his cheeks pink. “Ah, I mean, Mary’s been talking about it and showed me some stuff. I’m just passing it on.”
“Not planned, big surprise,” Paul said.
Poppy shook her head. “But not to either of you. How the heck did you know?”
Thomas put his phone down and patted her hand. “Paul spotted it first. No wine at dinner the last few weeks. You’ve been napping while the girls are at school—not your style. Little things you did when you were pregnant with Lola. I’ll give you this—you’re consistent. Mary never had the same symptoms twice when she was pregnant with the boys, so it was harder to read.”
She tapped her fingertips on the table. “So maybe Cody, Michael, and Trevor already know.”
Paul shook his head. “I’d bet they don’t have a clue.”
“Paul is the pregnancy whisperer around here,” Thomas said. “He knew about all three of our boys before Mary told us. He even spotted it before Duane—which always pissed off Duane. Anyway, what’s got you so flustered? Babies are wonderful. I might be biased, but I’d say you make the prettiest ones I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s sweet.” The answer to his question remained elusive even after several days of letting the knowledge soak in. “I don’t know why I’m so upset. We didn’t plan this time, but that doesn’t mean a baby is unwelcome. If it were, they’d have all gotten snipped. I just…it brings back a lot of feelings from when I first got here, I guess. I was pregnant then, too, right from San Antonio.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Paul retrieved their snack from the counter. “Might as well enjoy these. So, you’re seeing some real similarities, huh?”
She helped herself to a treat. “Yes, I am. Even though the circumstances are so much different, I can’t help but remember.”
“How about you remember the good stuff?” Thomas passed her the milk. “Like late nights in the kitchen. Remember those?”
She nodded. Insomnia and tummy aches had plagued her first pregnancy. Fortunately, she’d used the time to get to know the older Parabys. She treasured the memories they’d made around Mary’s kitchen table.
Paul took a second cookie. “The boys fall all over themselves when you’re pregnant. Remember when Trevor took you shopping? You had a lot of fun. Even though there were some struggles, there were a lot of good times way back when—only seven years ago. Crazy to think about, right?”
“I know you’re right….” But she had let herself think past those wonderful moments. Having her daddy issues flare right as she was flooded with pregnancy hormones obviously made her see a different picture.
“We are right,” Thomas said. “Believe me, I’m great at being right. So now the real question is, how are you going to tell the boys?”
Paul rubbed his hands together. “I think you should be creative. What did Mary do when she was pregnant with Trevor, Thomas?”
“She threw up on you—a lot.”
Paul snorted. “Not that. She put baby shoes in our shoes, remember? That was cute.”
“Yeah, and with Cody she made little food. That was totally with the times, though,” Thomas said. “But we kind of missed it. Baby corn and carrots were novelties, so when she made them with mini meatballs, we just thought she’d gotten a new cookbook.”
“Then she yelled at us.” Paul and Thomas laughed together.
Poppy could quietly fume and hold onto her father’s disapproval. Or she could embrace the excitement of the family who adopted her as one of their own. The answer was easy, she just wished she’d come to it sooner—like before she’d had her men plant peas in some frenzied attempt to distract them.
“You know they’re going to be thrilled,” Paul added. “Like, over the
“Turns out our Poppy hasn’t told the boys she’s pregnant yet.”
Thomas pulled out his phone. “I can get on one of those craft sites to find a cute way to tell them.” He paused and looked up, his cheeks pink. “Ah, I mean, Mary’s been talking about it and showed me some stuff. I’m just passing it on.”
“Not planned, big surprise,” Paul said.
Poppy shook her head. “But not to either of you. How the heck did you know?”
Thomas put his phone down and patted her hand. “Paul spotted it first. No wine at dinner the last few weeks. You’ve been napping while the girls are at school—not your style. Little things you did when you were pregnant with Lola. I’ll give you this—you’re consistent. Mary never had the same symptoms twice when she was pregnant with the boys, so it was harder to read.”
She tapped her fingertips on the table. “So maybe Cody, Michael, and Trevor already know.”
Paul shook his head. “I’d bet they don’t have a clue.”
“Paul is the pregnancy whisperer around here,” Thomas said. “He knew about all three of our boys before Mary told us. He even spotted it before Duane—which always pissed off Duane. Anyway, what’s got you so flustered? Babies are wonderful. I might be biased, but I’d say you make the prettiest ones I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s sweet.” The answer to his question remained elusive even after several days of letting the knowledge soak in. “I don’t know why I’m so upset. We didn’t plan this time, but that doesn’t mean a baby is unwelcome. If it were, they’d have all gotten snipped. I just…it brings back a lot of feelings from when I first got here, I guess. I was pregnant then, too, right from San Antonio.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Paul retrieved their snack from the counter. “Might as well enjoy these. So, you’re seeing some real similarities, huh?”
She helped herself to a treat. “Yes, I am. Even though the circumstances are so much different, I can’t help but remember.”
“How about you remember the good stuff?” Thomas passed her the milk. “Like late nights in the kitchen. Remember those?”
She nodded. Insomnia and tummy aches had plagued her first pregnancy. Fortunately, she’d used the time to get to know the older Parabys. She treasured the memories they’d made around Mary’s kitchen table.
Paul took a second cookie. “The boys fall all over themselves when you’re pregnant. Remember when Trevor took you shopping? You had a lot of fun. Even though there were some struggles, there were a lot of good times way back when—only seven years ago. Crazy to think about, right?”
“I know you’re right….” But she had let herself think past those wonderful moments. Having her daddy issues flare right as she was flooded with pregnancy hormones obviously made her see a different picture.
“We are right,” Thomas said. “Believe me, I’m great at being right. So now the real question is, how are you going to tell the boys?”
Paul rubbed his hands together. “I think you should be creative. What did Mary do when she was pregnant with Trevor, Thomas?”
“She threw up on you—a lot.”
Paul snorted. “Not that. She put baby shoes in our shoes, remember? That was cute.”
“Yeah, and with Cody she made little food. That was totally with the times, though,” Thomas said. “But we kind of missed it. Baby corn and carrots were novelties, so when she made them with mini meatballs, we just thought she’d gotten a new cookbook.”
“Then she yelled at us.” Paul and Thomas laughed together.
Poppy could quietly fume and hold onto her father’s disapproval. Or she could embrace the excitement of the family who adopted her as one of their own. The answer was easy, she just wished she’d come to it sooner—like before she’d had her men plant peas in some frenzied attempt to distract them.
“You know they’re going to be thrilled,” Paul added. “Like, over the
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