Chapter 5
Lisa placed Nathan’s car seat on the floor beside the wall and settled with a sigh into the nearest chair. Buns and Roses was quiet at the moment. She’d managed to hit the lull between pre-office breakfasts and post-school drop offs. The quiet murmur of adult voices was exactly what she needed.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. In and out, slow counts.
For this moment at least, Nathan was asleep. Josiah was home with their other two kids. Zoe and Mason were amazing, and Lisa loved being a mom, but for some reason, she’d been dragging the past few weeks.
Yes, she knew it was a lot taking care of three kids who were four, eighteen months, and a baby, but still.
She’d always been the energizer bunny, at least in her mind.
A delicious aroma filled her head on her next deep inhale, right before someone spoke softly. “If you want to keep sleeping, that’s fine. But I have something for you.”
Lisa’s eyes popped open. Marina, the baker who’d taken over duties at the café, placed a steaming hot cup of something on the table then sat. Her salt and pepper hair was pulled into two high pigtails and the style looked perky and happy on the older woman.
“Morning. Bet you didn’t know you were running an Airbnb,” Lisa said as she forced herself back into peopling mode.
“As long as I don’t need to change the sheets, I’m happy for you to catch a few winks,” Marina returned with a smile. “You have a hall committee meeting?”
“Yes, but it’s with me, myself, and I. Paperwork—grant application follow ups—so Buns and Roses is my office this morning.”
“Then that means you’ll need one special in a bit.” Marina leaned forward. “Now I know why I was inspired to make cinnamon bun French toast.”
“Oh God, are you serious?”
“With peaches and honeyed whipped cream.”
“I’m never leaving,” Lisa said. “I’ve just moved in, lock, stock, and barrel.”
“Nathan will enjoy the variety of cuddles from the other patrons,” Marina teased. “But I think the rest of your family would miss you.”
“They would. So I’ll play hooky for the morning.” Lisa sighed happily as she took the cup. “Apple cider?”
“Apple pear ginger.” Marina patted Lisa’s hand then rose. “You look as if you need a pick me up.”
“Appreciate it. And that French toast you’ll make me in about an hour.”
Marina nodded. “Deal. Now I’m back to work.”
She wove through the seating area, chatting with everyone before heading back to the kitchen. Near the front door, a large box decorated with Christmas wrapping paper sat on a table with a handwritten sign on the side that read:
Tacky Threads Throwdown
FEbrAURY votes
$1/ vote slip
Purchase at the counter
Lisa sipped the cider, pulled out her paperwork, and got to it. Nathan woke up, but after nursing, he was content back in the car seat, propped up now on the chair next to her so he could see her.
Locals waved or stopped for a minute, but the papers on the table clearly said she was in work mode, and slowly Lisa got her tasks done and felt a change slipping in.
It was such a simple thing. A morning out with minimal responsibilities, but it felt huge and refreshing. The only downside was, as amazing as the French toast smelled, she demolished exactly three forkfuls before she couldn’t eat another bite.
At eleven, papers completed, Nathan wrapped and loaded against the cold, Lisa waved goodbye to the staff and headed outside.
She was about to pop Nathan into the backseat of her SUV when she realized she’d parked right outside the Heart Falls Health Clinic. Twisting, she redirected. She was here. She may as well see if the clinic could recommend something to perk her up.
Inside the warm waiting room, Lisa blinked at the empty chairs.
“Thank God, a customer.” Dr. Sydney Jeremiah slipped into view. “Sorry, that came out wrong. As long as it’s not something serious, I’m glad to see you.”
“Bored?” Lisa guessed.
“Out of my mind.” Sydney waved a hand at the empty room.
“My assistant convinced me we should open the office two more days. This is our first week, and I’ve already seen all the morning bookings and there’s only three this afternoon.
I’m debating walking the street and dropping in on all the local shops as house calls to keep busy. ”
“Trust me, by next week you’ll be full. I was expecting to talk to your desk staff, not you.”
“Well, you got me.” Sydney rubbed her hands together before snickering. “Again, sorry for the enthusiasm. Nathan okay?”
“He’s great,” Lisa assured her. “I think I need vitamins or something, though.”
After a frank conversation with Sydney, Lisa headed home with more than she’d expected.
Josiah met her at the door and took the car seat from her, unsnapping Nathan and taking off his winter coat. “Have a good morning?”
“Productive and educational,” Lisa offered, leaning over to pat Mason’s back. He’d wrapped himself around her leg like an octopus. Zoe looked up from where she sat on the couch, a pile of picture books at her side.
Ollie, their little terrier, sat at Lisa’s feet, tail wagging enthusiastically.
All her family in one place. It seemed fitting.
“Educational?” Her husband had Nathan cradled against his chest, one big hand holding the baby firmly in place. Nathan made teeny protest noises, and Josiah hummed softly as he swayed side to side without even being aware.
As usual, Zoe sang as she flipped pages in a book about talking trees. Even Mason, who clung like a limpet, was making sounds. Pops and clicks, happy now that momma had come home.
Noisy, heart filled.
She met Josiah’s eyes. “Hold onto your socks, baby. You want to guess why I’ve been so tired lately? You get three guesses—” She glanced at each of their children in turn before continuing. “No, wait. Four.”
He opened his mouth to say something jokey, but his jaw just hung there as her smarter-than-the-average-bear partner quickly put together the facts. “Are you… Are we…”
“We are. Damn you for being a sex fiend with extraordinary talents.” She grinned at him, stepping closer even though it meant dragging Mason with her. “It appears getting hot and heavy as quickly as possible after Nathan arrived means we’ve got another one on the way.”
Josiah’s arm went around her, Nathan nestled between them. Mason simply loosened one arm and grabbed his daddy so he had them both pinned.
Zoe, seeing she was missing out, abandoned her books and hurried over. “I want hugs too,” she said, wiggling into position so she could hold Mason as well as Josiah and Lisa.
Ollie wiggled until she sat on Lisa’s foot.
Amusement trembled in her belly. Amusement, a bit of what the hell, and a whole lot of happiness.
Josiah finally got his brain back in gear. “I’m excited. Are you excited? Oh, God, you must be exhausted. I’m going to help more, I promise.”
Before she could reply, he leaned in and kissed her sweetly.
She smiled against his lips.
He pulled back. “Um, if you want to answer, I’ll let you.”
Delight continued to grow, and Lisa nodded firmly. “I’m excited, and I’m glad you are too. I’m exhausted, but that’s fine, and you always help. We’ll do this together, like everything we do.”
“Yeah. That together bit—” He made a face. “It was probably too soon. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Didn’t you hear me? I loved what we did to get me pregnant, and I seem to remember I was the one who started it. I love that I’m pregnant. I love our babies. I love my life. I love you.”
His smile this time was to the core and brilliant. He nodded, thoughtful for a second before he spoke softly, holding all of them in his arms.
“Scene: a large bed set up for a relaxing massage. Hero: a veterinarian who sometimes sidelines as a sex fiend but is looking to give unconditionally to the woman who stole his heart. Heroine: a giving, beautiful woman who deserves to be treated like the precious gift that she is. Scene notes: massage during mini-superheroes naptime will lead to a nap by heroine, while hero makes supper.”
Lisa’s heart pounded. “That’s a good scene for today. Sometime soon, though, that massage will be followed by something other than a nap, got it?”
“Got it.” His smile softened, and love pooled in his eyes. “We’re having a baby.”
“We are.” Lisa leaned in tight then thought of something. Chuckling, she leaned down to glare at Ollie. “Thanks for nothing, pupper. Three other babies, and you lost your mind with every one of them. This time, nothing?”
Ollie wagged her tail and smiled.
The workload was getting silly, Sasha complained to herself. She liked school, even liked a lot of the homework assignments.
If they made sense.
She sighed as she exchanged her essay for the one Jinx had completed, ready to proofread it for mistakes.
With barely three months to go before graduation, if their classmates didn’t know how to write an essay yet, chances were slim they’d figure it out in time. Yet their Language Arts teacher kept assigning one or two per class.
Beside her, Jinx snickered as she pulled Sasha’s essay in front of her. “You’re not pulling any punches, are you?”
“Nope.” Sasha grinned as she watched Jinx’s smile grow bigger the farther down the page she read. “If they don’t want creative essay topics, they shouldn’t offer D. Topic of your own choice as an option.
“The Decline of Educational Expectations in Alberta. That’s toasty, all right.”
They had just finished their homework when Tansy marched into the room. “Time to shake it up. Grab your coats, girls. We have places to be and mischief to make.”
“What places?” Jinx asked, smoothing a hand over the top of her golden retriever’s head when Dixie bumped her thigh, asking for attention.
“Notice she didn’t ask what mischief was planned?” Jake, Tansy’s fiancé, stepped over to the stove to give a massive pot of chili a stir.
“Mischief is always a good idea,” Sasha informed him as she put her books away in her backpack. “What time will we be done? I need to call my mom if I’m not headed home for supper.”
“I already talked to your Mom, Sasha, so let’s get rolling. Chop, chop.”