The Stillwater Bay Collection (Books 1-4): Stillwater Bay Series Boxed Set Read online

  Grace placed her hand over her stomach and gently rubbed. She couldn’t believe it.

  In the beginning, when she and John had decided to start actively trying to have a baby, it was all Grace could think about. She bought all the books, read all the latest parenting magazines, and subscribed to all the online Web sites. She thought for sure that it would happen right away . . . she even went as far as buying some booties and a bib.

  After a year had passed, it became an unspoken agreement between her and John to not talk about having a baby. Instead, Grace focused more on her kids at school, and John seemed to lose himself in his work projects as a video technician. Each time her period came, they would give each other a soft smile and go about their day.

  She walked from her bedroom to the living room, and the stillness in her home at this very moment was blissful—exactly what she needed. In less than half an hour, she would need to leave this oasis of peace and quiet and dive headfirst into chaos, otherwise known as her kindergarten classroom. She wasn’t sure how she was going to keep the news to herself without sharing it; John really should be the first one she told. For sure someone would be able to tell by the glow on her face, but she could say she had a hot date lined up with her sexy hubby tonight, right?

  Unless she didn’t see anyone right away. She was already leaving things close; normally she preferred to be there by now, have everything set up and enjoy a nice cup of tea before the kids lined up outside her classroom door.

  The phone rang, and without bothering to see who called, she answered.

  “What’s a three-letter word for good times?” her sister, Faith, asked on the other end.

  Grace smiled. “Stuck on your morning crossword puzzle?”

  “Just think of the answer.”

  Three letters. Good times.

  “Fun,” they both said at the same time. Grace could hear the smile in her sister’s voice.

  “Exactly. And that’s what we’re going to have today.”

  Grace glanced at the clock. “How so?”

  “’Cause I’m in the city for the day and I want you to come too.”

  Grace squealed like a little girl at the news. Her whole body vibrated with excitement and she jumped up from her chair and paced the kitchen floor. The temptation to drive into the city to see her sister, who lived on the East Coast, was overwhelming—and just about perfect. What better way to celebrate today than with Faith? It had been six months since they last saw each other, and it was six months too long. Faith had been offered a high-end marketing job in New York she couldn’t pass up, and being apart had been the hardest thing the two had ever done.

  But then reality hit and she sat back down in her chair.

  “I can’t just take the day off.” Saying those words hurt, because she wanted, more than anything, to see her sister today.

  “Sure you can. Call in sick.”

  “But I’m not.” The temptation was very strong, though, to do just that. She missed her sister more than she’d imagined possible. They spoke every few days, texted or e-mailed constantly throughout the day, but it wasn’t the same as being face-to-face.

  “Get Katie to cover for you.”

  Grace hadn’t thought about calling Katie Hansen, her best friend and coworker at the school. “As long as her husband is working from home for the day, that would probably work. I should call her first, though, to make sure she’ll be okay with it.”

  “Find out. I’m only here for the day. My flight just landed and I’m heading over to the office for a meeting, but I’ll be done in a few hours. That’ll give you time to get ready and drive in. I have a late flight, so make sure John’s okay with you not being home till late, or . . .” Faith’s voice trailed off.

  “Or I could just stay the night and have him come and meet me. We’ve been talking about getting away for a bit and doing some furniture shopping.” Grace was really starting to like the idea.

  “It won’t reflect on your year-end evaluations, right?”

  Grace smiled. So like Faith to worry about the consequences after the fact.

  “I should be okay. It’s very rare that I take any time off. It affects the kids too much when I do.” The kids in her class were more than just students to her; they were her family. It tore her heart every year to say goodbye, and it was really hard to take a day off from them when she knew how much they needed her. There were so many in her class who counted on her; in fact, there were some days she could literally see the relief on those kids’ faces in the mornings when she opened up the classroom door to them in.

  “Send me a text when you’re on your way then.”

  “Will do. This is such good timing . . . there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.” A soft smile graced her lips at the thought.

  “Oh, you know how much I love secrets,” Faith said.

  “You’re going to love this one then.” Grace rubbed her flat stomach with her thumb.

  “Should I guess or wait? I think I want to guess.”

  “No, wait. I want to tell you in person.” She wanted to see the look of joy in her sister’s eyes when she realized she was going to be an auntie. They used to lie in bed together and talk about what it would be like to have children, and who would spoil her nieces or nephews more.

  She felt a twinge of regret at the thought of not telling John first. Maybe she could let it slip somehow and then they could celebrate tonight.

  “Fine. Be that way. See you tonight!”

  “Love you!” Grace managed to get in before Faith disconnected.

  The first thing she did was call Katie.

  The other woman didn’t even bother with hello. “Why aren’t you at school yet?” She must have caught the fact Grace had called from home.

  “Well, um . . .” Grace hesitated. How much should she admit to her friend?

  “Do you need me to cover for you? Please say you do. I could use a day out of the house and the hubby is home. I just need ten minutes to get ready.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re going stir-crazy already.” Grace chuckled. She wouldn’t be surprised. She knew from the beginning that Katie’s taking half a year off to be home with her new baby wouldn’t work. She knew her friend too well. The woman wasn’t one to sit still for longer than a minute at best.

  “Only a little. I know everyone says to nap while Sophie is sleeping, but they obviously don’t know me. There’s only so much house I can clean or laundry I can do on a daily basis.”

  “How is Sophie?” Grace loved that little girl.

  “She’s good.” She could hear the smile in Katie’s voice. “She’s even starting to roll. Not quite all the way, but she’s got a good rocking movement going.”

  “Any day now she’ll be crawling.”

  Katie laughed. “Don’t make her grow up too soon. I’m quite happy with her being in one place. I think she might be teething, though. I know it’s a bit early, but she wants to chew on everything lately. She even grabbed onto Nathan’s chin last night.”

  “I miss my little girl. It’s been too long since I’ve snuggled with her.” All of a sudden, a deep longing to hold Sophie overwhelmed her.

  “You were just here the other day; she hasn’t changed all that much, I promise. But I’d love it if you could maybe watch her for a few hours tonight? Nathan and I could really use some alone time when we’re not interrupted by crying or smelly diapers.”

  “I’d love to, but not tonight. How about tomorrow?”

  “Nathan’s mom is coming over for dinner; otherwise I’d take you up on it.”

  Grace felt bad. She heard the disappointment in her friend’s voice. She was tempted to explain why she couldn’t take Sophie but didn’t want to put Katie in a position where she had to lie for her if anyone at school asked where she was.

  “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  “Deal. Are we still on for Sunday?”

  Grace had almost forgotten about their weekly date. Every Sunday, from spri
ng to fall, they took the day to travel to farmers’ markets along the island and on the mainland. There were also quite a few cute shops she knew Katie would want to visit; Grace could pick up some baby clothing and share her secret with her friend.

  “We were going to start in Freeland this time, right?” There was a local farmer who sold the best goat cheese there. Grace couldn't wait.

  “Why don’t we start in Oak Harbor and then make our way down to Freeland before coming back up?”

  “Sounds like a plan. And you don’t mind covering for me today? Everything’s already set up in the classroom, and there are parent volunteers coming in to help with crafts and reading.”

  “Perfect. What’s the plan for the day?” Before Katie had her baby, they used to share classroom time. Grace would cover the morning shift, and Katie the afternoon class. Now Grace covered both until the new school year, when Katie would come back.

  “The kids are working on their drawings for the summer fair.”

  “Easy-peasy then.”

  “I owe you big-time.”

  “I’ll let you buy a gift for Sophie. You always get her the cutest outfits!”

  After they hung up, Grace called the school and waited for Jordan to pick up his direct line.

  “Everything okay? I was just in your classroom and turned on the lights for you.” There was a note of concern in the principal’s voice.

  “Thanks.” Hers was the last classroom on Jordan’s route in the mornings as he greeted all the teachers and talked about their upcoming day. The kindergarten classroom was right beside the office as you walked into the school. “I know it’s very last minute, but I need to take a sick day. Katie can cover for me.”

  “Everything okay?” Jordan asked again.

  Grace winced. She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to tell the truth either. She knew he wouldn’t be happy knowing she’d taken the day off to play hooky in the city.

  “No, don’t answer,” he went on before she could reply. “You never take sick days unless it’s urgent, so get plenty of rest. I can have Charlotte bring over some soup if you need some later on?”

  “Oh, no, that’s okay. But thank you, Jordan. I really appreciate it.”

  She hung up as quickly as she could and quashed her anxiety over lying. She shouldn’t feel bad. It was a Friday, after all. Fridays were normally laid-back, especially since school got out earlier in the day. And it sounded like Katie could use the time out of the house, so really . . . Grace wasn’t hurting anyone.

  She headed down the hall to the bedroom and grabbed a small bag from the closet. She called John as she stood in her closet, trying to decide what to pack.

  “Hey, babe. What’s up? You okay?”

  Grace thought it was funny how everyone assumed something was wrong just because she was at home.

  “Faith called and she’s in the city.” She could barely keep the excitement out of her voice.

  “Nice. How long is she in for? Are you wanting to go see her?”

  Grace grabbed a top from her closet and tossed it on the bed.

  “Actually . . . I’m packing right now. She’s only in for the day, and I thought that if I leave now, I can spend time with her.”

  “What about school?” The disbelief in his voice came through loud and clear. “The kids? Every time I try to get you to take a day off, you refuse to. Your class comes first, I thought.”

  “I miss her, John.” That was all she said. All she needed to say.

  “I know you do. I know it’s been hard on you—harder than you thought, with her being so far away. I also know that you try to hide it from me, but you can’t. I see it in your smile. I notice the tears in your eyes when you look at the photos of you and her all over the house.”

  She hated that she hadn’t done a better job hiding her feelings from him. The first month she’d been a wreck, and it had been really hard on them.

  Most couples fought over money. They fought over Faith.

  Secretly, she blamed John for pushing Faith away. If his jealousy hadn’t become so evident, her sister would have stayed. Grace knew that, deep inside. But she tried very hard to keep him from knowing it.

  In their five years of marriage, life had been almost perfect. She and John both worked jobs they loved, they were crazy in love with each other, and they rarely fought about anything.

  Other than her close relationship with her twin.

  “I’m trying, John.”

  His sigh was unmistakable.

  “You can’t expect me not to go?” She wasn’t sure how she’d respond if he said he did. How could she not?

  “I’m just surprised you’re taking time off work. Why is Faith in the city? Meeting some fancy executive about his marketing plan or something?”

  She nodded, and then realized he couldn’t see her. Faith’s job was to give the white-glove treatment to her company’s important clients, literally make them feel special. She handled the crisis clients, and she was quite good at it, from what Grace understood.

  “She has meetings in the morning but then she’s free.”

  “So why not wait till after school ends? It’s a half day.”

  Was he really asking that?

  “It takes almost two hours to get to the city. If I waited till after lunch then we’d barely have any time together.”

  “How much time do you need?”

  She picked a pair of flats from the floor, threw them on the bed, and then yanked a top off a hanger. When had they made such a sharp turn in this conversation?

  “What’s the real issue here, John? Is it Faith?”

  “Yes.”

  Grace’s shoulders slumped and she rolled her neck to work out some kinks.

  “There’s no contest, you know.” She wasn’t sure how many times she needed to say this to him. Yes, her sister meant more than life to her, but John was her love, her soul mate. There was a difference. A big one.

  “Sometimes I wonder.”

  “Fine. Pick a day and I’ll take it off and we can do whatever it is you want.” She swallowed hard and let out a long breath. She was not going to get in a fight with him over this. She wasn’t. Nor was she going to allow his pettiness to ruin her day.

  “No. That’s not what I want, and you know it. Go, enjoy your time with your sister.”

  “What if you joined me, you know, later, after work?”

  “When does she leave?” he asked.

  “Sometime after dinner.”

  She knew by the way he hesitated that he was in. “So, stay till Sunday?”

  “We could. Maybe try out some of the new seafood places that you pointed out last time we were there? We could also do some furniture shopping like we talked about.” Right now she’d suggest anything to steer the topic to a happier place.

  “So you’re going to let me turn the basement into a man cave?” She heard the budding excitement in his voice. He’d been talking about it for months, forcing her to watch the latest home-renovation shows with him and then showing her pictures online of styles he liked. “Let’s do it.”

  “Well . . .” If she told him about the baby, maybe then he wouldn’t be so angry. She filled her lungs with air until she was sure she’d burst and then said it . . . except it didn’t come out the way she’d planned.

  “I thought maybe we could go look for a crib or changing table. . . .” She let her voice trail off, wishing she’d broken the news better, but the smile on her face grew until her cheeks began to hurt.

  There was dead silence over the phone. Did he understand? Was he upset?

  “Really?” There was a hint of hope mixed in with uncertainty.

  Grace waited for him to say something, anything, other than really.

  “Are you sure?” His voice was barely a whisper.

  “Positive.” She wanted to shout it out until their neighbors heard, but instead she whispered it back.

  When he let out a rush of air, she could almost see his reaction. His eyes wo
uld be tearing up but he’d be smiling.

  She wished she had waited until they were face-to-face so she could have seen it herself.

  “We did it.” His voice was hushed, and so full of emotion that it brought tears to her eyes. “We’re going to have a baby. Our own little one.”

  “So you’re happy then?” She already knew the answer to that.

  “So happy that we’ll have to celebrate tonight.”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking too.” Grace smiled. She looked at the pink lingerie he’d bought her for their anniversary this year, laying on their bed, waiting for her to pack.

  “What about that pink—”

  “Already ahead of you on that one,” she interrupted him.

  John whistled into the phone. “So, you’re seriously leaving right now, then?”

  “Right now.”

  There were a few moments of silence before John cleared his throat.

  “At least you told me first.” He hesitated. “You did, right?”

  She wasn’t sure whether she should be offended by his question. “Of course I did. I wouldn’t have told Faith about the baby before you.” Even as she said the words, she knew she was lying.

  “Okay.” He obviously knew it too. “Have fun.”

  She didn’t want things to end like this—not today, not now. “I miss her, John.” He needed to understand.

  “I know, love. Enjoy your day with your sister, okay? I’ll see you tonight at the hotel.” There was a note of resignation in his voice, and she didn’t like it.

  “You’ll join us for dinner, right?”

  “No. You need your time with her. Say hi for me, though.”

  “John. Don’t be like this.”

  He didn’t answer. She sat down on the bed, one hand touching the negligée he’d asked her to wear. She hated this. Hated how this always seemed to tear them apart.

  She’d once begged him to never make her choose. She couldn’t. Faith was the only family she had left. Their parents had died in a car accident years ago, and until John, Faith had been the only constant in Grace’s life.

  She would never choose. She’d told him that.

  One day you might have to, he’d warned.