by Susan Hatler
An Unexpected Baby
by
Susan Hatler
An Unexpected Baby
Copyright © 2016 by Susan Hatler
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
License Notes
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Cover Design by Elaina Lee, For The Muse Design
www.forthemusedesign.com
Titles by Susan Hatler
Treasured Dreams Series
An Unexpected Date
An Unexpected Kiss
An Unexpected Love
An Unexpected Proposal
An Unexpected Wedding
An Unexpected Joy
An Unexpected Baby
Kissed by the Bay Series
Every Little Kiss
The Perfect Kiss
Just One Kiss
The Sweetest Kiss
Better Date than Never Series
Love at First Date
Truth or Date
My Last Blind Date
Save the Date
A Twist of Date
License to Date
Driven to Date
Up to Date
Déjà Date
Date and Dash
Young Adult Novels
Shaken
See Me
The Crush Dilemma
Praise
“It totally made me smile.”
-Getting Your Read On Reviews on An Unexpected Date
“An Unexpected Date is a wonderful and perfect release to a stressful or crazy day.”
-Cafè of Dreams Book Reviews
“Susan has a knack for light hearted dialogue and describing the zing in the connection between Holly and Dave….Be on the look out for this delightful morsel.”
-Tifferz Book Reviewz on An Unexpected Date
“Susan Hatler has a knack for writing books that draw me in from the very first page!”
-Books Are Sanity!!! on Love at First Date
“Ms. Hatler has a way of writing witty dialogue that makes you laugh-out-loud throughout her stories.”
-Night Owl Reviews on Truth or Date
An Unexpected Baby
by
Susan Hatler
I hung up from the most shocking phone call of my life, hurried to the bathroom, and splashed cold water on my face. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I dabbed my skin dry with a cheerful blue towel that contrasted the dark gray circles under my hazel eyes. Surely my lack of sleep was to blame for the blaring alarms ringing through my head, screaming that my husband Dave and I had just made a huge mistake.
Definitely had to be delirium. After all, I’d given birth to our beautiful baby boy three days ago. There was no possible way we could adopt another baby. Plus, we’d outgrown our two-bedroom condo and were going to an open house today. Since the home was in our same area on Big Mountain, we already knew we loved its location in our beloved small town of Whitefish, Montana. The exterior of the house was rustic and charming, so if we liked the interior and it was move-in ready, then hopefully we’d be transitioning into a bigger place within the month.
New baby. Moving. No sleep. Our plates were beyond full. Of course we couldn’t adopt a baby right now. We’d made the right decision.
Unfortunately, this rationality didn’t explain the gaping hole in my chest.
“Holly?” Dave asked, rapping his knuckles against the other side of the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”
“Just a minute,” I called back as nausea rolled through me. I wanted to blame pain meds for the sick feeling in my belly, only I hadn’t taken anything today. Needed deep breaths to center myself. Deep, deep breaths. Instead of feeling better, I now felt dizzy. Great, just great. A rap-rap-rap sounded against the door again. “Coming . . .”
I opened the bathroom door to find Dave standing in the hall, looking shell-shocked. His medium-length dark hair was disheveled instead of tucked neatly behind his ears like usual, as if he’d been thrusting a hand through his hair like he did when he was nervous.
His deep blue eyes locked with mine in an intense look. “I can’t believe Marian just asked us to adopt her niece’s newborn baby,” he said, then raked a hand through his thick, tousled hair. “Back when she and I’d worked together, I mentioned we might be interested in adoption. But then I told her it wasn’t the right time for us once we found out you were finally pregnant.”
“I remember.” I nodded, pressing a hand to my roiling belly, thinking back to the year-plus of monthly disappointments we’d endured until that joyful winter day in our mountain town when I’d discovered we were expecting. At about the same time, in a nearby town, another woman got similar news, which wasn’t nearly as joyful to her. My eyes watered. “Maybe we should head to the open house?”
“I’ll get little Joe.” Dave nodded, then disappeared down the hall.
I strode to the large picture window in our living room, crossing my arms over my stomach to hug myself, my thoughts swirling as I looked out at the picturesque view of the Flathead Valley below.
I grew up in San Francisco, but my dad had taken me camping in Glacier Park when I was ten years old, and I’d fallen in love with Montana on that special vacation. The majestic mountains, rustling rivers, and bald eagles soaring across the vast blue sky. . . All of nature’s amazing creations had soothed my soul in a way that made me dream of one day living in Whitefish, Montana.
After college, I returned to this lovely mountain town, and felt those same peaceful feelings wash over me. Even though I’d been scared to start a life for myself all alone here, I’d supported myself with my jewelry beading business, Treasured Creations, by selling my handmade items at craft shows, festivals, and through return customers. My modest income didn’t have me living the life of luxury by any means, but I was living the life of my heart, which was ten times better.
When my dad passed away unexpectedly seven years ago, I hiked Glacier Park with hot tears streaming down my face until something magical happened. I stopped beside a huge cedar, touched its spiraling bark while fighting to catch my breath, and suddenly heard the echo of my dad’s laughter through the tree-lined mountains. Right now, I closed my eyes, straining to catch a remnant of my dad’s chuckle to comfort me.
“Holly?” Dave’s deep voice came from behind me.
I jerked out of my thoughts, swung around to face him, and dabbed the corner of my eye where a hot tear threatened to fall. Dave raised his brows as he adjusted the baby sling around him, and I caught a glimpse of our precious boy sleeping soundly.
Joseph David Martin.
We’d named little Joe after my dad, who had introduced me to this special mountain town where I’d met Dave, my soul mate. Now, I was about to take a walk on Big Mountain with my own son. Everything seemed to be coming full circle. If only I
knew what to do about that persistent pain in my chest from our on-the-spot answer to Marian’s unexpected question.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Dave asked, his voice laced with concern. “We’ve had a long night, plus the phone call, so we can—”
“I want to go,” I said, interrupting him so he wouldn’t mention Marian’s phone call anymore. I needed to push those thoughts out of my mind, and focus on finding a larger home for my family.
I hurried to Dave, peeked into the sling, and brushed my fingers over my sweet baby’s soft cheek. My heart filled with love, then suddenly squeezed, leaving a sharp ache in my chest as if something or rather someone were missing. Most likely an irrational thought from fatigue. Surely I’d feel whole again after touring the open house, and maybe taking a nap this afternoon.
“If you’re sure . . .” Dave opened the front door, giving me a questioning look.
“Yes.” Ducking my head, I pushed passed him and onto the front porch, inhaling the crisp autumn air, and willing that fresh breath to soothe the ache within me. Didn’t happen. The October weather felt cool, and not cold yet, but a sudden chill vibrated through me. I tightened my jacket around me, even though my discomfort had nothing to due with the day’s weather.
“Let me know if you change your mind, angel,” Dave said, putting one arm around me, and the other around little Joe in the sling. Our family trio.
Yellow and orange leaves waved against the greens in the trees, displaying the beauty of the changing seasons. Trudging along the walking path, a soft breeze blew my auburn curls away from my face, and rustled the leaves in the trees in a soothing melodic way that should’ve made me happy. Instead, that nagging feeling in my chest continued to pull at me. I needed some kind of diversion, anything.
“I’m glad my mom noticed the ‘open house’ sign for this place when she took that walk before her flight home yesterday,” I said, immediately wondering if I should call my mom to tell her about Marian’s phone call. My mom always had strong opinions and advice for me. Then I reminded myself that Dave and I had made our choice and there was no point in second-guessing a sensible decision. I cleared my throat. “Our Realtor must not have known about this ‘for sale by owner’ property since the retired couple mentioned they didn’t advertise anywhere.”
“I’m sure that’s why our Realtor didn’t tell us.” Dave nodded, patting little Joe in the sling in an endearing way as he strolled along. “The house is in our price range and on Big Mountain. Can’t beat that. Let’s hope no renovations are needed, since neither of us have time with our demanding careers and with little Joe here.”
At the tenderness in Dave’s voice, my gaze shot to his, and my belly fluttered. My love for him had only grown over the years. We were so incredibly lucky to have a healthy baby boy. My stomach knotted. Another baby nearby still needed a home. . . .
This reminder knocked the wind out of me.
I tripped over an exposed root, but managed to right my footing before I fell. Our tiny condo barely had room for the three of us. We couldn’t possibly handle another baby right now. Raging hormones must be causing the emptiness taking up residence in my chest. There was no other explanation.
I peeked in at little Joe, who breathed in and out peacefully. I inhaled his sweet baby scent, staring down at his adorable face. Little Joe had Dave’s nose, which seemed to be the cutest nose that had ever existed. My lids felt heavy. Even in my baby-blissed state, I was so tired I could hardly see straight—especially with Marian’s call circling my brain and wearing me out. I straightened, heading around the bend in the dirt path.
“How could we possible handle raising two babies at the same time?” Dave asked, out of the blue. His jaw tightened and he shook his head. “We’ve always said we want two children, but now isn’t the time. I think we made the right decision. Don’t you?”
“Yes,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It’s just . . .”
“What?” He turned my way, peering into my eyes.
“Nothing.” I stopped and rubbed my hands over my face, trying to get a grip, since I had the sinking feeling I might regret our decision for the rest of my life. But saying yes would’ve been crazy. “We have each other, adorable little Joe, and we live in the best place on Earth. We both have jobs we love, and we’re going to look at the house we might make our own. I have nothing to complain about. I’m just . . . exhausted.”
“I know what you mean,” he said, giving me a look with the same storming emotions that I felt reflected in his eyes. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as we stayed locked in that moment until little Joe started to fuss. The corners of Dave’s mouth curved upward. “I guess he wants me to keep moving.”
I laughed for the first time since we got off the phone. “I think you’re right.”
We walked along in silence, leaves crunching beneath our feet, as we drew closer to the house. “How are things going with the new jewelry lines that Moxie’s owner ordered from you to sell in her shop?” Dave asked.
“Moxie put a lot of money into advertising the baby bracelet line, which is really taking off,” I said, thrilled that customers were enjoying the matching baby/mommy and baby/daddy bracelets I designed. My eyes flew to the leather daddy bracelet attached to Dave’s wrist, and I smiled knowing little Joe wore a tiny replica of the same design. I fingered the matching bracelet around my wrist. “I’m trying to decide whether or not I should hire Autumn, that college girl that I interviewed last week?”
“How’s she liking Whitefish?” he asked, yanking a leaf off a tree as we passed by. “This has to be a big change from Southern California.”
“She loves it,” I said, with a wistful sigh. “She reminds me of how I was when I came here after I graduated. So wide-eyed with everything new and exciting.”
“You mean I’m not new and exciting?” His mouth dropped open and his brows furrowed in a faux-shocked expression.
“You’re not new, but most definitely wonderful and exciting.” I squeezed his hand, then leaned toward him until he brushed his mouth over mine as we walked. Butterflies danced in my belly. Mmm. “I love you, Dave,” I whispered, holding his hand as I strolled beside him.
He smiled. “I love you, too, angel.”
“Autumn’s great, actually. She’s really energetic and found this amazing deal on lavender boxes with pink ribbons and bows for the baby girl bracelets instead of the plain white boxes I’d been using. She’s searching for something equally cool for the baby boy boxes, which I think shows real initiative.”
“Maybe you should hire her.” Dave stopped on the path to readjust the sling. “Since you’re getting all of the new orders, you could use the help.”
“Oh, I’d love the help. She’s perfectly sweet, too. But when will I have time to train her? Where would we work? What if sales slow down and I can’t afford her anymore? It’s just overwhelming to think about right now,” I said, thinking to Marian’s phone call again. A pang of regret slammed into me so hard that tears sprang into my eyes. “I-I want to say yes, but I’m scared . . .”
“I understand.” He glanced over at me, the corner of his mouth edging up a bit. “But I remember a hike we took, not so long ago, where you worried about signing the initial contract with Moxie and taking on all of that new business.”
I bit my lip. “True.”
“You’ve worked so hard to build Treasured Creations. I’m proud of your talent and I, for one, think the world deserves to have as many of your inspiring treasured creations as you can give them. If that means hiring part-time help to give you more time with the designing aspect? I believe you can handle the additional responsibility, if you want to expand more. I believe in you.”
“Your support means the world to me.” I smiled as we emerged from the woods into the bright sunshine. I turned my face toward the yellow rays, wishing the warmth on my skin would wipe away my worries. No such luck. If only I had a crystal ball that would tell me everything would be all right.
“We’re home,” Dave said, in a joking sing-song voice. “Assuming the interior is in as good of condition as the exterior, anyway.” He raised his brows at me, then raked his hand through his dark hair, which let me know he was feeling nervous. “Doesn’t seem like anyone else is here yet, huh?”
“That’s a good thing,” I said, my stomach buzzing from nerves. “Hopefully that means we won’t have any competition.”
My heart lurched in my chest. Had Marian called the other couple interested in adopting her niece’s baby yet? Were they signing the papers now?
“Let’s hope this one works out,” he said, probably referring to the three previous houses we’d put offers on and lost because other buyers had bid higher or paid all cash. We’d been crushed each and every time. We hadn’t given up, though. Our dream was to own a big enough house for our family here.
Immediately, my mind raced to our dream to have two children. I reminded myself that we hadn’t planned to have them both right now. But, sometimes, the unexpected occurrences in life end up being the ones we cherished the most.
My vision blurred. I needed a sign to tell me what to do.
“Here we go,” Dave said, then knocked on the front door.
An elderly man opened the door, and standing beside him was an elderly woman with shiny silver hair. They smiled warmly, making me like them immediately.
“I’m Clive,” he said, extending his arm first to Dave and then to me. He put his arm around the woman next to him. “This is my wife, Esther.”
“Hello.” Esther nodded, leaning forward to peer into the sling at little Joe. “Newborn, right? Such a happy time in life. I remember when each of our own children were born.” She gave me a look, her hazel eyes—strangely similar to my own—dancing as her mouth formed a knowing smile. “They don’t tell you about all of the sleep you lose, do they?”
“No.” I chuckled, immediately bonding with this woman. The sparkle in her eye reminded me of my own zest for life, and for everything that I loved. I leaned close to the sling, touching little Joe’s sweet pudgy cheek. “But losing sleep is a small price to pay for the most treasured gift . . .” My voice trailed off and my eyes suddenly burned at the truth in my words, and how they also applied to another baby.