Spellbound Falls [5] For the Love of Magic by Janet Chapman Page B

read an article,” Peg told the midwife, “that said it’s okay for pregnant women to drink coffee. In moderation,” she tacked on.
    Yes, that was definitely desperation.
    Maude arched a brow. “Do you really want those two darling little boys doing cartwheels inside you all day, Margaret?”
    Peg slapped her hands to her chest with a gasp, her vivid blue eyes widening in surprise. “Boys? You think I’m carrying
boys
?”
    “I’m sorry. Were you hoping for girls?”
    “No. Boys! I want boys.” Peg picked up her ginger tea. “I mean, of course I would love girls just as much, but . . .” Her eyes sparkling with excitement, Duncan’s wife used her cup to gesture at Julia and Olivia. “We plan to raise all these babies together in a little wolf pack, and the more boys the merrier.” But that sparkle suddenly dimmed as she studied Maude through narrowed eyes. “My ultrasound last week didn’t show anything even resembling penises.”
    “Maybe they’re shy little boys,” Maude said.
    Peg snorted. “They’re
MacKeages
.” She finally took a sip and immediately spit it back into the cup. “Are you serious? This is terrible.”
    “Trust me,” Olivia piped up. “It’s an acquired taste.”
    “So, ladies,” Rana quickly interjected when she saw Peg working her way to another scowl. “Where are we in regards to our women’s clinic?”
    “I mentioned our problem of finding a vacant building to Reverend Peter,” Julia said in a rush, apparently also eager to redirect Peg’s attention. “And he’s offered to let us use the church basement until we’re able to find something permanent.”
    “Well,” Rana said, trying not to sound disappointed, “a basement is a bit gloomy for a birthing clinic, but at least it’s right here in town. And it is only temporary.”
    Vanetta gave a negligent wave. “We can brighten it up with a fresh coat of paint and hire Grundy Watts to build some screens to section off exam rooms.” She beamed a smile around the table. “As for the women’s shelter, I found us the perfect home.”
    “Where?” Olivia asked. “Is it close to town?”
    “It’s within walking distance,” Vanetta said, her cheeks flushing when her announcement was met by silence. “It’s . . . um, my house. And it’ll be vacant just as soon as I finish moving in with Everest. I’m leaving most of my furniture, so we’ll only have to buy more beds.”
    “You and Everest are going to live together?” Peg said in surprise.
    Vanetta held up her left hand and used her thumb to push out her banded ring finger, her smile returning at the chorus of soft gasps. “You mean it’s not customary for wives to live with their husbands?”
    “You guys got
married
?” Julia squeaked. “But when? Or more importantly, why weren’t we invited to the wedding?”
    “We tied the knot last week when we were in Las Vegas.”
    “But haven’t you and Everest been dating only three months?” Olivia asked, her own cheeks darkening—likely because Vanetta had been dating Olivia’s father, Sam, as recently as
four
months ago.
    Vanetta picked up her coffee again. “A few days into our vacation, Everest asked me why we were running two households when we could be waking up together every morning for the rest of our lives. Taking that as a proposal, I dragged the man to the first cheesy wedding chapel I could find before he changed his mind.”
    “Does Daddy know?” Olivia whispered.
    “He knows,” Vanetta returned just as softly. “And Sam’s good with it. In fact, he wished me well, saying he was glad I found someone smart enough to marry me.”
    “I was hoping
he
would be that smart.”
    “You and I both know that’s never going to happen, Olivia,” Vanetta said gently. “Sam’s too much of a loner to be domesticated. So,” she said brightly, looking around the table again. “I am officially donating my house for our women’s shelter.”
    “But you could sell it for a fortune,”