Cart Before The Horse

by Bernadette Marie

  Holly eventually made her way to each person in the room. They shook hands, touched her stomach, hugged her until she thought the breath had been squeezed from her body. And each time she looked around the room, Gabe’s eyes were on her, and

  his smile was grand. He was happy having his family together.

  Holly eventually headed to the bedroom. She was tired and just needed a moment to sit and relax without anyone hurrying to take care of her. Gabe had laid the bags on the bed, and for the first time she realized just how much her mother

  had bought.

  Gabe pushed open the door and stuck his head through. “Are you trying to escape?”

  “No. Just needed a second to catch my breath and kick my feet up.”

  He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “It gets a little loud with everyone.”

  Holly puckered her lips and did the calculation in her head of how many people she’d met. “I think I met twenty people, and we’re missing some, right?”

  “A lot of them.” He gave a nod to the bed. “Your mom promised to spoil you and she did, huh?”

  “She did. But I got her back.” Holly thought of her mother’s smile when they’d been at the doctor’s office. “I spoiled her. I asked them to show us the baby again and she got to see him.”

  “Her.”

  “Hmm.” Holly shook her head laughing at how he always made sure to call the baby her. “Anyway.” She turned to her purse, which lay in the center of the bed. “I got this.” She pulled the black-and-white photo of the ultrasound from her wallet and handed it to him. “This is for you. Your first picture of your baby.”

  He reached for the picture and his hands shook. He looked down at the image. “Our baby.”

  Pride swelled in her chest. “Our baby.”

  Gabe studied the photo, and his lips curled into that smile that melted her heart each time. “Thank you.”

  “I’m going to change and then I’ll be back out.”

  “Dad wants to take us all to dinner.” He slipped the picture into his shirt pocket and placed his hand over it as though he

  were protecting the baby.

  “All of us? That will be very expensive.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get everyone rounded up and down the stairs. Take your time. And Holly,” he said as he opened the door and turned back to her, his eyes hazed over with a desire even deeper than the lust that had led them to that moment in the first place. “I love you.”

  Holly dropped down onto the bed, surrounded by the many bags of clothes her mother had bought for her—not from a desire to control her, but from love and excitement about the baby. She was truly blessed.

  As the sounds of laughter and love and family faded from the apartment, she thought about the morning she’d cursed the pregnancy stick and how she was sure her life had been ruined by the one night of pleasure with a stranger. Instead, it had been a blessing. A blessing in a very strange disguise. She chuckled to herself. In nearly five very short months, she’d gained a new start, an open-eyed look at a new life, a fiancé, a new family, and a relationship with her mother. Furthermore, soon there would be a new life that wouldn’t judge her by her IQ or her age. This new life would love her simply because she loved him or her back. There was already an unconditional love, and it was so fulfilling that she thought she’d burst.

  Holly changed her clothes and ran a brush through her hair. She thought her eyes looked dark from lack of sleep, but she’d been given time off from work, so she’d take a nap tomorrow.

  She walked through the empty apartment and noticed the picture of Jasmine again. She wondered if the damn thing would haunt her forever. Only this time it was on the table facing away from the room. It had been pushed back, displaced by a glass of water and the television remote.

  Holly straightened it so that the smiling faces were looking out into the room again. And she thought of the conversation Gabe was having with his mother when she’d walked up the stairs. He was right. She hadn’t noticed that he’d had a

  nightmare, only that he’d held her tightly all night. Was that why? Had he been that scared by the fire? To her, now that it was over, it seemed trivial, but to him it was life or death of the woman he loved, again.

  She rested her hands on the small rise of her belly. “We have to take it easy on your daddy,” she said softly. “Let’s agree to make the next few months worry free. No drama, okay?”

  She smiled, realizing that although the room was empty, she wasn’t alone. What a wonderful feeling. She was certainly starting to enjoy being pregnant and being in love.

  While she dined with the Maguires, more and more of them arrived. By the end of the night, when she crawled into bed exhausted, she’d met all four of his sisters and their families. Aunt Anne had arrived as well. During dinner, Gladys had called Grandma Gertie, and the phone was passed around the room. When it had come to her, the room had grown silent. Holly smiled as she adjusted the pillow beneath her head. Grandma Gertie had personally invited her to have tea with her in Boston for her birthday, which, she also mentioned, would be before the baby was born so she’d have no excuses.

  Holly let out a sigh. She was happy with the way things were turning out. In four days she’d be a Maguire and, having met the others, she would be proud to be one.

  Gabe’s family had found refuge in nearby hotels. Holly had apologized over and over for not having room for everyone. Gladys had patted her hand and told her to never worry about them. They knew their way around.

  His sister Margaret had been the first to ask about a bridal shower and was appalled to find out that Holly hadn’t had one. Limited time was no excuse, Margaret had assured her, and by the end of dinner a party in Holly’s honor had been planned for Wednesday night. They had even finagled Tracy’s phone number from her, and of course, her boss was pleased to help and extend the invitations. Excitement buzzed in Holly’s head as

  she closed her eyes. Fusses were always made about how smart she was and how far ahead of the pack she’d gotten. But until today, no one had ever fussed over her being…well, just her. Happiness and pride swelled inside of her. It was a fantastic feeling

  Chapter Thirteen

  Holly closed the door to Gabe’s apartment Tuesday evening after returning from a day of shopping with her mother, again. They had spent the day making sure everything was in place for the wedding on Friday. The only thing Holly had to do was buy a new pair of shoes to go with her wedding dress. Luckily, the dress had been at the store during the fire, but the shoes had not fared as well, prompting the shopping trip.

  Her arms were laden with more bags, including a splurge of M·A·C makeup for her big day. She was headed to the bedroom to dump the load of bags on the bed, but as she passed Gabe’s recliner, she took a step back. That stupid frame that kept haunting her was there, but something was different.

  Holly dropped the bags and sat down in the chair. The picture of Gabe and Jasmine was gone. In its place he’d put the ultrasound picture. She lifted the frame and laid a hand on

  her chest.

  Tears stung her eyes again, and there was a bubble of pride in her chest. Those stupid emotions kept getting the better of her. Was she going to cry about everything for the rest of

  her life?

  She heard the footsteps on the stairs. She quickly replaced the frame on the table, picked up the bags, and hurried to the bedroom. It wasn’t but a moment later Gabe was in the doorway, looking at her with those admiring eyes.

  “Tell me you don’t shop like this usually.”

  “Your credit card is safe.”

  “I’m not worried. He strolled into the room and sat down next to her on the bed. “The restaurant is ready for your shower in the morning. My sisters are having the time of their life with this.”

  The bubble of pride disappeared and a ball of regret took its place in her stomach. “I don’t feel right about you closing the restaurant for three days just for our wedding.”

 
“We’re having Thanksgiving too.”

  Holly laughed. “The Maguire clan and the three Jacobs.

  It’s pathetic.”

  “Family is never pathetic.” He lifted his hand to her cheek. “You’ve been crying. Hormones again?”

  She nodded. “I saw the frame by your chair.”

  “It was exactly the right picture to put there.” He kissed her gently, and a warmth took over the regret. “I gave Chandra the night off, so I have to get back downstairs. Come down for dinner. My family is doing their own thing tonight, so it’s just you and me. I’ll reserve our special booth in the corner, and we can hide there and kiss all night long, or until someone has a crisis and needs me.”

  Holly laughed. “That sounds perfect.”

  The impromptu bridal shower, arranged by Holly’s soon-to-be sisters-in-law and her maid of honor, was to start promptly at ten in the morning at the restaurant, which had been closed just for the event. Holly, however, was not to leave the apartment until ten fifteen.

  She occupied herself by washing Gabe’s coffee mug and watering the one sad plant by the window. Gabe had left early with his father, her father, and his brothers-in-law for a day at the casinos in Black Hawk, and if she knew her father, he’d probably convince the other men to stop by the river for a few minutes of fishing.

  At ten fifteen Holly checked herself in the mirror. She’d

  pulled her hair into a tail low on the base of her neck and had picked out one of the dresses her mother had bought for her. It was a beautiful flowing cotton dress, which she could wear well into her pregnancy and after.

  When she stepped through the door from the kitchen, the restaurant was filled with women’s voices. Streamers and bells hung from the fixtures and were draped over the walls like a room decorated for a princess, and she covered her mouth with her hand. There was a beautiful sheet cake with real flowers atop it on the bar, and an ornate crystal punch bowl with a fountain. Mints sat on plates in the centers of the tables, along with beautiful floral bouquets.

  “There she is.” Meghan saw her first and moved right to her. She kissed her on both cheeks and then took her by the hand and led her to the party.

  Her mother was seated next to Gladys, their heads close together as they whispered, smiled, and stared at her with such admiration. There was a moment when Holly thought of turning back around to see what was behind her. She wasn’t used to her mother admiring her as she often had other fine things in a room. Tracy and all of her female coworkers sat close to each other, and the rest of Gabe’s family filled the other chairs.

  Meghan had a special seat for Holly. They’d decorated it with flowers, ribbons, and lace. It was absolutely precious, and she could feel the tears burning her eyes.

  The morning was as perfect as Holly could have imagined. The women spent the better part of an hour just talking and laughing.

  Any secrets Gabe might have thought were safe were shared by his sister.

  Meghan and Morgan enlightened Holly on Gabe’s enjoyment of stilettos.

  “Oh, when he was little, he could run the length of the backyard faster in those stupid shoes than he could in his tennis shoes.” Meghan laughed so hard, she snorted.

  “And he couldn’t figure out why we would laugh when he headed toward the baseball diamond with them on.” Morgan bent over with a laugh.

  “Girls, don’t humiliate him completely when he’s not here to defend himself.” But Gladys laughed along with the rest

  of them.

  When it was time for Holly to open her presents, she was overwhelmed. There were so many. There were dishes and cookware. Towels, sheets, and bathroom decor. She’d once owned all these things; now she was starting fresh. A new husband. A new house. A new life. And with that life, an entire house full of beautiful things.

  “Okay, now for the fun.” Gladys took Holly’s hand and escorted her to the table that Gabe referred to as theirs. It was draped with a white tablecloth, but obviously the table was covered with rectangular items under the cloth. “Close your eyes.”

  Holly did as she asked, and when Gladys told her to open them she did so, and someone had lifted the cloth. The emotional tears let go. The table was filled with photos. Some were loose on the table, others on scrapbook sheets. Then there were at least fifty pictures of her and Gabe in frames.

  “Where did all these come from?” she asked, wiping

  away tears.

  “We took most of them the other night at dinner. We knew you didn’t have any of the two of you. You needed some.”

  Holly looked down at the pictures of Gabe in his cowboy boots and superman underwear. There he was smiling that handsome smile with his high-school football team and again in his graduation photo. One photo in particular caught her attention. It had been taken the night of her birthday. She and Gabe were locked in a kiss that must have lasted all night. She’d find out who had taken it, but for now she’d just enjoy that they had a picture of their first date.

  “This is wonderful. I can’t believe you all did this.”

  Gladys laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I know all of your things are gone. Your mom brought the ones of you when you were little.”

  Holly turned to her mother. “Thank you.” Then she looked at everyone standing near her. “Thank you all. I never noticed our picture was taken so many times. I will cherish all of these.” Another burst of tears wanted to break free. She held her hand to her lips and did her best to stifle them.

  “There are a few empty frames.” Her mother put her hand on her shoulder and moved in close to her. “One for your wedding portrait and the other for a family portrait.”

  Holly laid her hand atop her mother’s. She’d waited her whole life for the little recognitions, like acknowledgement of her marriage and pending family as a blessing. Having them warmed her.

  Thanksgiving morning Gabe stood in the doorway from the bedroom looking at a wide-eyed Holly seated on the couch. She was grinning from ear to ear, and he could barely keep his eyes open.

  He scrubbed his hand over his unshaven jaw. “What are you doing?”

  “Watching the Thanksgiving Day parade.”

  He gave her a slow nod. “I need coffee.”

  “I’m sure whoever is down in the kitchen has some already brewing,” she said with her eyes glued to the television.

  “Downstairs. Who’s downstairs?” His eyes opened wide, and Holly smiled.

  “I would assume it’s your mother and your uncle. She said he was going to let her in so she could start dinner. We’re eating at noon.”

  “Noon? Is she crazy?”

  “Well I don’t know about you, but there’s a big wedding tomorrow so everyone thought it would be best to have dinner, mingle, enjoy, and then get set up for the wedding.”

  “Yeah, that wedding. I heard something about it.” He gave her a smile. “I’ll take it as a good sign that you’re still sitting on my couch in that oversized T-shirt, which means you’re not running out before the wedding.”

  Holly grunted. “I promise to show up at your wedding if you’ll go down and get your coffee and let me watch my parade.” She slid him a sideways glance. Her eyes shimmered. “I guess these are the little things that we need to explain to each other now. I watch this silly parade every year, and I don’t like to be interrupted.”

  “Fair enough. Super Bowl Sunday is all mine.”

  “It’s settled. Now go.” She turned her attention away from her rumpled fiancé and marveled at the Snoopy balloon making its way down the parade route.

  Gabe slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a clean T-shirt. He gave his teeth a quick brush and walked out of the apartment. He wasn’t even sure Holly noticed.

  Before he stepped foot into the kitchen, he could smell the coffee and hear the laughter. There were more people in there than just his mother and his uncle.

  “Gabe, did we wake you?” Trudy smiled as she unpacked bags of groceries onto one of the metal prep tables.

&n
bsp; “No. Holly did. She ran out of bed to turn on the TV.”

  “Parade?” He nodded. “It’s her one thing. Otherwise I don’t think she cares much for TV.”

  Gabe had noticed that. Most times at her condo the sound was off even if the TV was on.

  His uncle handed him a bag of potatoes. “If you’re not into the parade, you could help us out.”

  Gabe set them on the table. “Ya know, I should go bond with my bride-to-be. Big day tomorrow and all.”

  “I knew you’d back out on us.” His uncle gave him a slap on the back. “Next year you’re cooking for everyone.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Gabe walked over to the coffeepot, pulled down a coffee mug, and filled it. “What time is everyone getting here?”

  “Your sisters will start showing up by eleven,” his mother said as she started one of the big ovens.

  “We’ll be down by then and set the table,” he promised and then retreated back up the stairs to his beautiful fiancée still seated on the couch.

  Gabe walked around the back of the couch, careful not to block Holly’s view, and sat down next to her.

  “Are they cooking?” she asked without looking at him.

  “Yep. My parents, uncle, and your parents.”

  That had her head snapping up. “My mom is down there with your mom? I didn’t know she was helping cook.”

  “They seem to have created a little friendship.”

  “I noticed that yesterday. The word is full of miracles.”

  Gabe slid his hand over her stomach. “Yes, it is.”

  Though Thanksgiving always started for Holly with the parade on TV, it usually ended with her mother putting on an enormous spread for her and her father. No siblings, uncles, aunts, or cousins.