Read Online SWEET ANTICIPATION by Kathy Clark - Free Book Online Page B

to forget how it feels to deal with the public. It’s been several years since I’ve had an active practice, and even then, I never had to handle a crowd like you had today.”
     
    “It sounds like the two of you really had your hands full,” Rita commented, relaxing against the wall now that she saw the unusual congeniality between Lauren and Jordan. It was as if they had called a temporary truce to get them through the day’s crisis. She had no idea how long it would last, but she was relieved that at least for now everyone seemed too exhausted to resurrect the hostility.
     
    “It was incredible. The entire city of Houston must have suddenly been struck with the seasonal spirit or something. Even on Valentine’s Day we weren’t this busy. Thank goodness we’ll have a couple of weeks to recover before Mother’s Day hits us,” Lauren said with a sigh more of contentment than complaint. After days like this, she couldn’t help but feel a swell of professional pride.
     
    For years her mother had run this shop with only a mediocre amount of success. But her mother had always considered it to be more of a hobby, while for Lauren, it was her livelihood. And now, as Lauren put more and more of her ideas and personal decorating touches, such as the pink-and-white awning, into effect, the business seemed to be growing beyond even her own optimistic expectations. She hoped that within a year she would be able to afford to hire another full-time employee so that she could spend as much time as possible with her child.
     
    Unaware that she was doing it, she rested her hand on the curve of her stomach in an affectionate, maternal gesture. Feeling the peculiar stirrings within her, she could tell that her baby was trying to change positions in its confined temporary home.
     
    Jordan had been watching her, noting the variety of expressions that had played across her face in the last few minutes. He sensed she was thinking about the child, his child, and he couldn’t keep from resenting being excluded from sharing those thoughts and dreams. Vaguely he remembered hearing this same complaint from other expectant fathers, all of whom were anxious about their situation, even though none of theirs had been as awkward and bizarre as his. Although their status as fathers-to-be had been unquestioned, they, too, had talked about feeling left out as their wives enjoyed a unique and exciting experience. Jordan had never been able to understand or really sympathize with them until now.
     
    He felt an unreasonable jealousy that already Lauren had a special closeness, a bond to the baby that he could never hope to have. They didn’t need him. Oh, sure, without his original contribution there would be no baby, but now he was as unnecessary as snowplows in Houston.
     
    Jordan saw her place her hand on her stomach and quickly dismissed all those other unimportant thoughts. Was she having a pain? Had she overdone it today? A worried frown creased his forehead as he asked, “Lauren, are you feeling okay? Maybe you should lie down for a while.” Before she had a chance to answer he had crossed the room until he stood next to her.
     
    “My feet are killing me,” she answered with a wry grin, “but the baby’s fine. He just woke up and has a bad case of the hiccups.” She looked up into Jordan’s face and saw such intense emotion that her breath caught in her throat. There was relief, mixed with a sort of bewilderment and longing. It was the first time he had shown the slightest chink in his self-confident armor and, in spite of herself, she was touched. Without considering any possible repercussions, she reached out and took his hand. “Would you like to feel it for yourself?”
     
    For a second his hand hovered uncertainly over her abdomen, then as she guided it to the spot still warm from her own hand, he was almost frightened. He knew as soon as he felt that child within her move, it would become a real, living person, no