Marked Down for Murder (Good Buy Girls) by Josie Belle

but feel they had their whole lives ahead of them.
    They were just leaving the restaurant when Maggie’s phone chimed. She wondered if it was Laura calling from college to ask about her date. She surreptitiously pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the display as they walked to the door.
    The number was Ginger’s. Now, she knew her BFF was curious about her date, but she didn’t think she’d be calling and interrupting unless something had happened.
    “It’s Ginger,” she said.
    “You take it,” Sam said. “I’ll get our coats.”
    He made his way to the coat check and Maggie answered the phone.
    “Hello,” Maggie said.
    “You’re not naked, are you?” Ginger asked.
    “What? No!” Maggie said. “We’re just leaving Voltaire’s.”
    “Oh, good, Roger said not to call because I might be interrupting . . .
you know
,” Ginger said. Then she giggled.
    Maggie rolled her eyes. She felt as if they were still in high school. “Clearly, you’re not interrupting
you know
, so what’s happening?”
    “Michael just called,” Ginger said. Now her voice was straight-up serious. “Joanne is in labor. They are on their way to the hospital right now.”
    “Get out!” Maggie said. “But this is early, isn’t it?”
    “Yes,” Ginger said.
    Maggie could hear the concern in her friend’s voice.
    “Claire and Pete have already left for the hospital, and Roger and I are on our way now,” Ginger said. “I can keep you posted with texts if you want.”
    Sam returned with their coats over his arm.
    “Oh, no,” Maggie said. “Good Buy Girls stick together through it all, especially birth. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
    Sam raised his eyebrows and mouthed,
Joanne?
Maggie nodded at him and he blew out a breath as if he were nervous, too.
    “But it’s your first Valentine’s Day with Sam,” Ginger protested. “You should spend it alone together.”
    “There’ll be more Valentine’s Days for us,” Maggie said.
    Sam smiled at her as if he liked the sound of that, and Maggie almost forgot who she was talking to and why.
    Sam took the phone from her hand. “We’ll see you at the hospital, Ginger,” he said.
    Whatever she answered made him chuckle as he hung up. Sam held open her coat and Maggie shrugged it on. He then handed her phone back, and Maggie tucked it into her purse.
    As he walked her out to the car, Maggie noticed that he had a faraway look in his eyes. She suddenly felt very guilty for ending their date at the hospital.
    “I’m really sorry about this,” she said. “But Joanne and Michael have been trying for so long. I just feel like she needs all the support she can get, especially with the baby coming this early.”
    Sam put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
    “Don’t apologize,” he said. “Of course you need to be with Joanne. Besides, it’s a baby. How cool is that?”
    Maggie looked at him and saw the happy light in his eyes. Oh no, he liked babies! Panic started to thump through her. Maybe he wanted some of his own. Maybe he wanted them with her!

Chapter 7

    “Come on,” he said. “I have my siren in the car. I can get us there in no time.”
    Sure enough, he slapped a siren on the roof and punched the gas. They were pulling into the hospital lot before Maggie had processed all that was going through her head.
    He parked in the visitor’s section and they hurried across the lot to the main entrance. A lovely older woman was working the information desk, and she smiled at them.
    “Visiting hours are about to end,” she said.
    “We’re looking for the maternity ward,” Maggie said.
    “Right down the hall,” the lady said. “Follow the yellow line and it will take you to the elevators. You want to get off on the third floor and go to your right.”
    “Thank you,” Maggie said.
    Sam had already grabbed her hand and they were jogging for the elevators. When they got off on the third floor and turned right, they passed a large waiting