Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“How come you make us wait until tomorrow morning to eat them?” Rose asked.
“Good question,” Sally added.
I leaned against the counter. “Well, in Italy, they’re normally eaten for breakfast.”
Rose tilted her head and thought about it for a few moments. “Okay, but we’re in Moose Village, not Italy.”
“Touche!” Sally cried out.
I tossed the hand towel draped over my shoulder at Sally. “Hush!”
Pushing off the counter, I was about to head into my office when I froze.
“What’s wrong?” Sally instantly asked.
The back door opened, and I heard Rose let out a squeal of delight. “Daddy! Daddy!”
“Did I miss it?” he asked as he swept Rose off her feet and started kissing her.
“Daddy! Stop! Stop!”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I just missed you.”
He moved her to the side and surveyed the kitchen. “Darn it, I missed it.”
“Only by minutes,” Sally said, then looked back at me. “Cadie, what is wrong?”
Kian made his way over to me. Leaning down, he kissed me gently on the lips. “Hey.”
I wanted to dig my fingers into his hair and drag his mouth back to mine. But I had two problems. One, he was holding our daughter, and Sally was here. The second, I was pretty darn sure I was about to have our son.
“Hey, back,” I whispered.
Sally walked over to me and put her face to mine. “What is wrong?”
“Something is wrong?” Kian asked, looking me over from head to toe.
Clearing my throat, I looked at Sally. “Would you mind taking Rose for a bit?”
Kian’s brows rose.
“No, not for that.”
“Why not for that? I’m down for that,” Kian said with a chuckle.
I watched as Rose went to Sally’s outreached hands. She took the bag of filling, put it to her mouth, and squeezed. Sally was too busy looking at me to notice Rose was filling her mouth with the lemon filling.
With a calm voice, I smiled and looked at Sally and Kian. “I either just peed, or my water broke. I’m kind of leaning toward the latter one.”
“What!” they both yelled at the same time.
I counted to five, and chaos ensued. Sally turned one way, then the other, while Kian cried, “We didn’t pack the suitcase! Did we pack it? Why can’t I remember? We need to call the doctor. Call Macy! Sally, do something!”
Putting my hand on my stomach, I felt a contraction coming. I’d felt them all morning but hadn’t been too worried until this one. With a deep breath in, I slowly blew it out and watched as my husband ran to the office, then to the back door and outside.
“Daddy left!” Rose said, a mouth full of filling muffling her voice.
“He’ll be back,” I said as I grabbed my cell phone and called the doctor. By the time I was off the phone, Kian was running back in the back door.
“Shit! I forgot you!”
I nodded. “I saw that.”
“What is going on in here?” Nancy, my assistant manager and baker, asked.
“Don’t worry, all is fine here,” Sally stated. “I’ll take the pastries out.”
Nancy looked around.
“My water broke; I’m heading to the hospital.”
“Oh, okay,” Nancy stated. “Is the Thomas birthday cake done?”
I nodded.
“And the order for the book club in the fridge?”
“Yep,” I said as I pointed to my office.
“Don’t worry,” Nancy calmly said. “I’ve got it under control.”
With a smile, I motioned toward Sally and Rose.
“I’ve got that as well.”
“You’re the best, Nancy,” I said as I let Kian guide me toward the back door.
“Mommy? Can we eat the tarts tonight?”
Laughing, I looked back at my darling little girl. She had lemon all over her mouth. “You can have one. No more than that!”
She fist-pumped, and Sally looked like she was about to pass out.
Nancy stepped in front of her. “Don’t worry…I’ll take care of everything.”
Smiling, I replied, “I know you will.”
Kian slipped his arm around my waist and urged me on. “Do me a favor; don’t be upset when you get to the car.”
Frowning, I waited for him to open the passenger door. “Why would I be upset?”
He shrugged, helping me get in. Before he could say a word, a small bark came from the back seat. My eyes widened as I looked up at Kian, who was attempting to put the seat belt over me.
“You got a puppy?”
He turned to look at me. His soft mouth was only inches from mine, and a part of me wanted to kiss him, and I might have if the puppy hadn’t barked again.
“A reader gave it to me, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. I thought we could name him Moose.”
Suddenly, a little chocolate lab poked his head in the front and barked. My heart instantly melted. The name was spot on. The little guy was huge!
“Okay, well, obviously he can’t come to the hospital with us.”
Nancy was suddenly there. “Give me the puppy.”