Chapter Eighteen – Lilibeth #2
Fifteen minutes later, I was pulling into Mrs. Harper’s. I grabbed the bag of bread and stepped out of the car onto a driveway that had been shoveled and completely cleared of snow. It was nice to know someone thought enough of her to come clean off her drive.
I walked up and rang the doorbell. It didn’t take her long to get to the door and answer.
“Lilibeth! What in the world are you doing here this morning?”
Holding up the bag, I said, “I made some bread last night and wanted to bring it by before I headed into the shop. I was hoping maybe you had some of your plum preserves to go along with it.”
A wide grin appeared on her face. “I made a fresh batch just yesterday, so this is perfect timing. Come on in, sweetheart.”
I followed her in, took off my jacket, and hung it on the coat rack. I stuffed my hat and gloves into the pockets and followed her through the house and to the kitchen. The smell of bacon filled the air—and I immediately put a hand over my mouth. Why is everyone eating bacon today?
“Caden came by earlier to shovel my driveway, so I made him breakfast.”
Surprised, I asked, “Caden was here? At what time?”
Mrs. Harper winked. “He knows I get up with the crows. He was here right at sunrise, so he could get the drive done and get back to the ranch. I was still able to talk him into breakfast, though. He would have loved your bread with the preserves.”
“Caden was here early this morning?” I clarified again.
With a quizzical expression, she asked, “Why does that surprise you?”
I shrugged. “He told me that he was going out to get drunk last night.”
She tossed her head back and laughed. “Well, he was clear-eyed this morning. Said his brother had a poker game at his place last night, with him and a few of the ranch hands.”
“Maybe the snow changed his mind.”
It was her turn to shrug. “He seemed to have a lot on his mind, though.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “He’s not the only one.”
She moved the pan of bacon grease off the stove and onto the island, right near me. The wave of sickness hit me so fast, I hardly had time to get to the bathroom.
Ten minutes of dry heaves later and I was exhausted. When I walked back into the kitchen, Mrs. Harper handed me a glass of water.
“I put some peppermint in it. Peppermint water was the only thing that kept morning sickness at bay for me.”
Taking the glass, I rasped, “Thank you.” After taking a few sips, I set it down on the counter.
“Was it the bacon?” Mrs. Harper asked, as she moved the pan to the sink. It was only then that her words registered.
“Did you say you drank peppermint water to help with morning sickness?”
She glanced back and winked. “I knew the moment I saw you.”
I blinked a few times. “Did Caden tell you?”
Turning fully, she leaned against the sink and dried her hands on a kitchen towel. “Ahhh…is Caden the father? No, he didn’t tell me. My grandmother used to tell me that I had the gift of knowing when a woman is carrying a baby. There’s a certain…look about an expectant mother.”
“That’s a pretty neat gift.”
She chuckled. “I’m going to guess that’s why Caden seemed distracted this morning?”
“Probably. I found out less than a week ago, and told him two days ago. We went to the first OB appointment yesterday.” I smiled. “We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat.”
Clapping her hands, she said, “A wee little one! I’ll have to get to knitting a blanket. Will you find out if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“I’d like to find out. I think it would be easier that way. Then I don’t have to have all yellow and green things.”
“Let me heat up this bread. Preserves?”
I shook my head. “If you have crackers, I think I’d rather have that.”
She pointed to the pantry. “Help yourself, and let me get this pan cleaned. Then we can have some tea if you have time.”
Glancing at the clock, I nodded. “I’ve got time.”
Soon we were sitting in Mrs. Harper’s enclosed sunroom, looking out the clear glass at the light snow falling.
“Snowing again. That’s good. We need it for this summer. We haven’t gotten very much, just a storm here and there.”
Sipping the peppermint tea, I nodded.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Glancing at her, I smiled. “How can you tell something’s bothering me?”
“You’re very much like Caden in the sense that you wear your heart on your sleeve. You’re normally so upbeat and happy. This morning, your mind is somewhere else.”
I set the mug down and sighed. “I’m eight weeks along, so we decided not to tell anyone until I made it to the twelve-week mark.
Besides our parents, that is. Caden wants me to move in with him.
At first, I said no, but then he made some really good points.
He’d be able to be there and experience things with the pregnancy.
There’s more room at his house, and the baby will have their own room. ”
“I hear a but coming.”
“It’s complicated, because when we started this…thing that we started…Caden was very upfront with me. He told me he wasn’t looking for anything serious. It was a fling.”
“A fling?” she asked, her brows raised.
“I’m sure you think less of me now.”
Waving her hand and laughing, she said, “I had my fair share of flings before I got married. There’s no judgment coming from me.”
I giggled as I pictured Mrs. Harper having one-night stands.
“Anyway, we spent a lovely few days together, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to Caden even before that.
I know we fought like cats and dogs, but I still liked him.
Not enough that I was worried about deeper feelings.
Then we spent those days together…and I really got to know him more.
We became friends, and then we had another shared evening.
I knew then that I couldn’t keep doing it.
I was starting to fall for him, and I told him that. So we agreed to just be friends.”
“Then you found out you were pregnant.”
Nodding, I replied, “But that didn’t change anything. I know Caden can’t commit to anyone. He was very honest about that.”
She leaned forward and set her mug on the table. “You think by moving in with him you’ll fall in love with him.”
It was something I hadn’t been able to admit to my parents, or to myself.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I can’t stay in the garage apartment, and moving in with my mother and father is out of the question. I made the mistake of telling my parents about my feelings for Caden, and now they think I shouldn’t move in with him. And the worst part of all of this…”
She raised her brows. “What’s the worst part?”
“They now want to buy me a house! Down the street from them. I love my parents dearly, Mrs. Harper. I followed them here to River Falls. But I can’t live four doors down from them for the foreseeable future. And I refuse to let them buy me a house.”
“Goodness,” she said softly, as she leaned back in her rocking chair. “You are in a pickle.”
“I know.”
“May I offer you some advice?”
I nodded. “Please! Offer it up.”
“First, I can see how you might be hesitant to move in with Caden, but I think that’s the right course of action.
You’re about to be a mother, Lilibeth, and you own your own store.
I’m not saying you couldn’t handle it alone, but your life is about to become unbelievably busy.
Do you really want to deal with owning a home, having a newborn, and running a store?
If you move in with Caden, he’ll be there to help. You can help one another.”
Chewing on my lip, I thought about a dream I’d had of him just last night. I woke up so freaking horny, and I couldn’t imagine having him just a flight of stairs away would make me feel any less so. “I think I should wait until the second trimester.”
“Oh no,” she said, picking up her mug once again and taking a sip before going on. “In the first trimester, you can get tired pretty quickly. And you don’t want the stress of moving hanging over your head. If it were me, I’d move in as soon as possible.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Wait a minute. Are you playing matchmaker?”
Laughing and waving off my question, she replied, “Don’t be silly.
Once you get settled in, you’ll feel more at ease and less stressed.
Your parents have good intentions, but sometimes they don’t know how to step back and let their kids live their lives.
Trust me, I’ve seen it time and time again.
I even did it with my own daughter, and I’m sure you’ll do it with your child someday, as well. ”
“So you think I should move in with Caden sooner rather than later? What do we tell people as the reason I’m moving in?”
She paused. “I didn’t think of that. The truth? It’s just family, correct? No one else needs to know.”
I bit my lip. “You’re technically right. And it would be less stressful. And Caden’s house is lovely. I could stay there for a little while after the baby’s born and maybe save up to buy my own place.”
“I’m sure once Vivianne Wilde finds out she’s about to be a grandmother, she’ll be planning a nursery in her house, as well.”
I sighed. “Thank you for listening.”
She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Always here for you, my dear. Always.”
Feeling better than I had in the last three days, I cupped my mug of peppermint tea and smiled.