didn’t belong to the clan anymore. She knew they still loved her, but there was a strange distance in the air that had never been there before.
“You know, Mimi—”
Mimi whirled to stare Fannin down. If he said a word about her wanting to see Mason, she was going to grab that hose and give him a washdown he’d never forget. It’s really best if he doesn’t mess with a big, fat, nervous pregnant woman. “Yes?”
Fannin sighed. “Nothing.”
“Are you sure?” she snapped.
“Positive. Lasso those hormones, sister. I need my head a few more days, anyway.”
Mimi gave him a black look and stomped away.
Chapter Five
Fannin watched as Mimi left, then he turned to put the hose away. Fiery women, Mimi and Kelly. “Wish I’d seen that coming,” he muttered.
“Seen what coming?” Kelly asked, walking past him to her car.
“You, for starters. Do you always sneak up on people?”
“Only people who are standing right next to my car.” She opened the passenger side door, helping her mother in. “Is Mimi having a boy or a girl?”
“How would I know?” Fannin demanded.
“Because you live next door, and she might have told you,” Kelly said reasonably. “Mama doesn’t know about the sex, either.”
“What?” Fannin looked guiltily at the German housekeeper, but she was settling Joy into her lap.
Kelly looked at him curiously. “Mama doesn’t know the sex of Mimi’s baby.”
He stared at her.
“Oh,” Kelly said with a frown, “you weren’t thinking I told my mom about us—”
“No!” He didn’t want to talk about sex, not with her mother between them, even if Helga didn’t understand what they were saying. His skin felt like it was hiving. “Don’t even mention it.”
“I didn’t. You did.” She got into the car and rolled the window down to talk across her mother. “Thanks for washing off my car.”
“It’s fine.”
He earned a frown from her for that answer. She rolled the window back up. He walked around to her side of the car and tapped on the window.
She rolled it down.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Shopping.”
“I know. Where?”
She glared at him. “Does it matter? In the grand scheme of life?”
“Not really.”
“Well, then I don’t need to give you an itinerary, do I?”
He sighed, scratching his head under his hat. “Will you call if you get lost?”
“Thank you, but I think I can find my way around a small town.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t going far, another relief, although he couldn’t say why. “Can I talk to you when you get back?”
“Topic?”
“I’m not really ready to discuss it. I need to formulate my thoughts.”
She frowned. “That sounds serious.”
He glanced at Helga. “I’m sorry about everything.”
“I am, too. If you are, then I most definitely am.”
He nodded.
“I’ll leave after I take Mama shopping.”
“I understand.”
“By the way, have you decided about what you want me to tell her?”
“We’re trying to make a family decision about that. As of now, no. Let’s just leave it through Christmas.” It would be unfair to make any changes before the holidays.
“Mimi looks awfully big. When is she due?”
“Anyday now, I think.” He stared down at Kelly, wondering how eyes like hers could be so blue. How could red hair be that crisp and vibrant? It looked so soft and yet the color was so shiny. You wouldn’t miss this woman—she was simply dynamite. “Have a good time,” he said.
“Goodbye,” was her reply as she rolled up the window.
But she stared at him a second longer than it took for the window to roll up—and in her gaze he saw sadness.
He’d put that sadness there.
Sighing, he tapped on the window again. She rolled her eyes, but she obliged him.
“Kelly, under the circumstances I probably shouldn’t say this, but…you…I mean, I can go with you, if you’d like. Chauffeur the two of you. Carry packages. Joy,” he said, his words rambling so that he wouldn’t say
“You know, Mimi—”
Mimi whirled to stare Fannin down. If he said a word about her wanting to see Mason, she was going to grab that hose and give him a washdown he’d never forget. It’s really best if he doesn’t mess with a big, fat, nervous pregnant woman. “Yes?”
Fannin sighed. “Nothing.”
“Are you sure?” she snapped.
“Positive. Lasso those hormones, sister. I need my head a few more days, anyway.”
Mimi gave him a black look and stomped away.
Chapter Five
Fannin watched as Mimi left, then he turned to put the hose away. Fiery women, Mimi and Kelly. “Wish I’d seen that coming,” he muttered.
“Seen what coming?” Kelly asked, walking past him to her car.
“You, for starters. Do you always sneak up on people?”
“Only people who are standing right next to my car.” She opened the passenger side door, helping her mother in. “Is Mimi having a boy or a girl?”
“How would I know?” Fannin demanded.
“Because you live next door, and she might have told you,” Kelly said reasonably. “Mama doesn’t know about the sex, either.”
“What?” Fannin looked guiltily at the German housekeeper, but she was settling Joy into her lap.
Kelly looked at him curiously. “Mama doesn’t know the sex of Mimi’s baby.”
He stared at her.
“Oh,” Kelly said with a frown, “you weren’t thinking I told my mom about us—”
“No!” He didn’t want to talk about sex, not with her mother between them, even if Helga didn’t understand what they were saying. His skin felt like it was hiving. “Don’t even mention it.”
“I didn’t. You did.” She got into the car and rolled the window down to talk across her mother. “Thanks for washing off my car.”
“It’s fine.”
He earned a frown from her for that answer. She rolled the window back up. He walked around to her side of the car and tapped on the window.
She rolled it down.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Shopping.”
“I know. Where?”
She glared at him. “Does it matter? In the grand scheme of life?”
“Not really.”
“Well, then I don’t need to give you an itinerary, do I?”
He sighed, scratching his head under his hat. “Will you call if you get lost?”
“Thank you, but I think I can find my way around a small town.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t going far, another relief, although he couldn’t say why. “Can I talk to you when you get back?”
“Topic?”
“I’m not really ready to discuss it. I need to formulate my thoughts.”
She frowned. “That sounds serious.”
He glanced at Helga. “I’m sorry about everything.”
“I am, too. If you are, then I most definitely am.”
He nodded.
“I’ll leave after I take Mama shopping.”
“I understand.”
“By the way, have you decided about what you want me to tell her?”
“We’re trying to make a family decision about that. As of now, no. Let’s just leave it through Christmas.” It would be unfair to make any changes before the holidays.
“Mimi looks awfully big. When is she due?”
“Anyday now, I think.” He stared down at Kelly, wondering how eyes like hers could be so blue. How could red hair be that crisp and vibrant? It looked so soft and yet the color was so shiny. You wouldn’t miss this woman—she was simply dynamite. “Have a good time,” he said.
“Goodbye,” was her reply as she rolled up the window.
But she stared at him a second longer than it took for the window to roll up—and in her gaze he saw sadness.
He’d put that sadness there.
Sighing, he tapped on the window again. She rolled her eyes, but she obliged him.
“Kelly, under the circumstances I probably shouldn’t say this, but…you…I mean, I can go with you, if you’d like. Chauffeur the two of you. Carry packages. Joy,” he said, his words rambling so that he wouldn’t say