She looked up to see Vance and Ginny busy washing up the few remaining pots and pans, getting ready to close the kitchen. As much as she hated to admit it, having Vance around nightly to help out was a Godsend. The more advanced her pregnancy became, the longer it took for her to complete the simplest of tasks.
Like tonight, a moderate sized crowd flowed in after the high school basketball game. Everyone seemed to be on edge because the home team lost a close contest. She had to set a few people straight and actually threatened to throw one person out if he didn’t pipe down. Luckily Vance stepped up to smooth things over, and by the time he finished talking, everyone’s mood had lightened and the place took on a cheery feel.
She should still be angry with him for running off like he did and not wanting to stay in contact. She shouldn’t be speaking with him, or anticipating his arrival every evening. But she was speaking to him and did sit on pins and needles until he walked through the door. This was not good.
What if he decided once again to hit the road? Yeah, she had his contact information now, but what if skipped town and changed his number? All sorts of scenarios crowded for space in her already frantic mind. She shook her head to rid herself of the maddening thoughts, knowing they weren’t good for the baby.
Summer lovingly rubbed her belly, loving the feel of the baby as he or she did a somersault. She’d gotten beyond thinking the movement as being weird and instead looked forward to it.
“What are you smiling about over there?” Vance strode toward her, a crooked grin on his face.
She’d never get enough of that look on his face; relaxed and oh so handsome. “Come over here,” she ordered. When he arrived, she took his hand and placed it on her belly. “Wait.”
The look on his face when the baby moved almost brought her to tears. His mouth dropped open and for a second, she thought he was about to cry.
“This is so, so—”
“Cool?” she supplied.
He shook his head and stooped down to place his cheek where his hand had been. “There are no words.”
Unable to stop herself, Summer allowed her hand to touch his head, drawing him closer. They stayed like that for quite a while, Vance murmuring to the baby and Summer stroking his hair. What she wouldn’t give for this to be something they could do every day. Maybe to be a real family.
Bam! Summer’s heart leaped to her throat at the sound while Vance jumped to his feet and began to look around. “What?”
Ginny looked out the window with a sheepish expression on her face. “Sorry guys. Dropped the big pot, that’s all.”
“You gave us quite a start,” Summer admitted as she patted her chest.
“You okay?” Vance asked, returning to her side and peering into her face.
“I’m fine, really.” She rose and went over to the door to lock it then peeked out the window. “Getting pretty bad out there. Maybe you should get on the road.”
“I’ll be fine. I want make sure you and Ginny get home safely.”
“We live in town,” Ginny said. “I’m concerned about you getting home.”
Vance waved her off and leaned against the counter. “Don’t worry about me. I grew up in Rochester, New York. Anything less than five feet of snow on the ground is child’s play.”
It didn’t take long for the three of them to put away all the kitchen supplies and ready the place for the morning shift. Ginny was the first to leave, slipping a couple times on the ice as she scurried to her car.
“Now, time for us to go,” Vance said as he buttoned up his coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck.
Summer took another look outside and shuddered. “I hate the cold. Sometime I wish I lived in Florida.”
“Really? I could have sworn you hated hot weather.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I guess I hate the extremes, you know, really hot and really cold weather.”
“Sounds like you’d enjoy living in a place like San Francisco.”
She scrunched up her nose and gave her head a vigorous shake. “Oh no! You couldn’t pay me to live out there with the earthquakes.” She smiled and gave him a week. “I guess when it comes down to it, Devinne is not really so bad.”
“It’ll be a good area to raise our child.”
“Sometimes I wonder about that, too. The schools are losing children like crazy and I wouldn’t be surprised if by the time our child is ready to start school, there won’t be open in town. Swallowed up by a neighboring school district.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that for a while,” Vance replied as he assisted her with her coat.
“As you can tell, I worry a lot. Can’t help myself.” Summer armed the alarm and opened the back door. The frigid air stole her breath away as she stepped outside.
“Well, from now on, you can count on me,” Vance said as he walked her to her car.
She didn’t reply, not sure what to say. Deep down she hoped he was telling her the truth. She was tired of being the strong one, the person others looked to when there were problems. She’d love to lean on someone else for a change.
“We’ll see,’ she replied.
When they arrived at her car, he helped her clear off the snow and scraped off the ice from the front and back windshields. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, warming the area.
As he walked toward his car, Summer yelled out, “I’m going to see the doctor in a couple days. Want to go?”
“Sure,” he said with a flash of a smile.
She waited in her warming car as he readied his car. He motioned her on and followed her home. Once she made it inside her house, she waved as he drove away. Maybe this thing, whatever they shared, will work out.
Chapter Nine
Vance held his breath as the doctor rolled the ultrasound wand over Summer’s belly. He reached out and grabbed her hand while the doctor pointed out various parts of the baby’s body. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing when the baby stuck a thumb into its mouth. “Wow!”
“Isn’t that cool?” the doctor asked. “Wanna picture of that?”
“Of course!” Summer cried. “I can’t wait until they’re sixteen and their date comes over. This will be one of the first pictures I show them.”
“I’m sure they’ll be pleased about that,” Vance said drolly.
“Guys, are you ready to learn the baby’s sex?” the doctor asked, the wand hovering just above the genitals.
Vance looked at Summer with a quizzical look on his face. “I’m going to let you make the decision, okay.”
She nodded once then turned her attention to the doctor. “Yes, I’d like to know.”
Vance grabbed onto Summer’s hand, his gaze locked onto the little screen. The doctor slowly guided the wand lower and within moments, pointed to what looked like a penis.
“You’re going to have a son, folks.”
Tears sprang to Vance’s eyes and he quickly blinked to keep them at bay. He was going to have a son!
Summer let out a little yelp and turned her head in Vance’s direction. “We’re going to have a little boy,” she said as her tears streamed down her face.
He reached over to the counter and pulled out a couple tissues to dry her eyes. “Are you happy about that? Did you want a girl?”
She shook her head. “Oh no, I’m quite happy. I was having nightmares about combing a little girl’s hair every day.”
Everyone burst out laughing at Summer’s remark, causing a couple nurses to look inside the room to see what was going on. They continued to chuckle while the doctor wiped away the gel on Summer’s belly and helped her to sit up.
“I’ve heard a lot of reasons why a mother wished for a son or daughter, but this is the first time I’ve heard it based on doing hair! Girl, yours must be a handful!”
“And a half,” Summer added. “I remember how my mother had to take a couple aspirin after washing me and my sister’s heads. I wouldn’t wish that ta
sk on my worst enemy.”
Vance raked his fingers through his straight, blond locks and made a face. “Now you know you won’t be able to do much with our son’s, if it’s anything like mine. We’ll have to keep it cut short so it’s not sticking straight up in the air.”
“I can live with that.” Summer held out her hand so he could assist her getting off the exam table. “One less battle in the morning.”
The doctor handed them the pictures and a DVD of the exam. Summer carefully slid them into her purse and they walked out to the reception area to make the next appointment.
“We’re getting close to the end, Summer, so I’ll need you to come in every two weeks from now, okay?” the doctor announced. Mr. Ryan, will you be accompanying Summer from here on out?”
He looked at Summer with a questioning look in his eyes. “May I?”
Summer hesitated for a second then gave a sharp nod of her head. “Sure, if you’d like to come.”
“I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be,” he said with a smile.
The sun beamed down on Devinne, melting the ice and snow that had blanketed the town for most of the winter. Folks complained that it had been the worst winter since some of them were kids. But with spring right around the corner, smiles were replacing the gloomy faces around town.
Vance pulled into one of the many empty spaces in the diner’s parking lot. He let out a sigh as he made his way to the front door. Just like every other day this past week, only one lone diner sat inside. How was the place going to survive like this?
“Hey there,” Ginny called out from her usual spot in the kitchen. “If you’re looking for the boss lady, she’s down at the bank.”
Just the mention of the bank caused Vance’s stomach to lurch. Although he knew he was not directly responsible for the possible foreclosure of the business, he still felt bad for what was going on. If only he had kept his distance. But then he wouldn’t have met the woman he now knew he couldn’t live without.
“Hey, Ginny,” he called out as he walked into the kitchen. “Can I ask you a couple questions?”
“Sure, shoot.” She set aside the pot she was drying and gave him her full attention.
“I’m planning something special for Summer and I’d like to take her out tomorrow night.”
Ginny’s face lit up with a smile and gave him a wink. “About time, young man.” Just as quickly though, that smile faded. “I like you, Vance, really like you. But I love Summer.”
“I understand.”
“Well, let me make myself clear nonetheless. Her mom and I were like sisters, and I promised her on her deathbed to look after the whole family.” She stepped up to Vance and poked him in the chest. “Don’t hurt her again.”
Vance took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. “I give you my word. I plan on spending the rest of my life making her happy.”
Instantly, Ginny’s smile returned and she grabbed Vance around the waist to give him a hug. “Thank you.”
At that moment, Summer chose to enter the diner and stopped in her tracks when she spied the pair in an embrace. “Hey, Ginny stop feeling up my man!”
“You claiming him, huh?” Ginny replied impishly.
Summer’s face flushed an adorable shade of red and she stuck her tongue out before escaping to the dining room. Vance gave Ginny a quick kiss on the cheek then turned to follow Summer.
“Jealous?”
“Of you and Ginny, sure,” Summer responded with a grin. “I have to be careful around her with men. She’s a man-eater.”
“I heard that!” Ginny yelled.
Vance came up behind Summer and wrapped his arms around her expanding middle. “Well, you don’t have anything to worry about, sweetheart.”
She turned in his arms and pinned him with a stare. “You promise?”
“Cross my heart,” he replied as he took a finger and traced a cross on his chest. Unable to help himself, he leaned in and kissed her lips, deepening it when she let out a little sigh.
“I’d say get a room, but it’s a little too late for that,” the lone diner cracked.
“Mind your own business,” Ginny shouted from the kitchen. Soon she and the man were involved in a spirited discourse, to the delight of Vance and Summer.
“Can we go back to your office and talk?” Vance asked.
“Sure.” Summer took him by the hand and led him to the back of the restaurant. Once seated, she sighed and shook her head.
“What’s wrong,” Vance asked, but when she picked up an envelope from the bank fear snaked through his body.
“I don’t know how much longer I can hang on,” she admitted with in a shaky voice. “I’m tired, Vance. I feel like handing them the keys and—”
“And what? This is your mother’s dream. You can’t give up.”
“But I can’t afford the mortgage payments any longer.” She motioned toward the dining room. “The only patrons we can count on every day are you and Henry out there.”
Vance stood and stood behind Summer, massaging her shoulders. “You need a break.”
“I can’t—”
“How about closing tomorrow evening and going out with me?” He held his breath while she nibbled her lower lip. “You don’t get much business, anyway …”
She gave him a tiny smile and nodded her head. “Alright. Where are we going?”
He kissed her on the tip of her nose and shook his head. “Not telling. But you should dress up.” His heart lifted as he witnessed her excitement. Now to make tomorrow magical.
“Stand still!” Summer held her arms over her head as Spring adjusted her dress once more. “You want to look nice tonight, right?”
“Of course I do,” Summer replied, “But there’s not much we can do to make that happen when I’m the size of a whale.”
Spring pinched her sister on the arm and made one last adjustment. “Stop talking down on yourself. You’re pregnant and you’re beautiful.”
Dubiously, Summer turned to face the mirror and let out a little gasp. She did look good! “Spring, the dress looks great.”
Her little sister gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “No, you look great.” The doorbell rang and Summer’s heartbeat sped up. Vance was here.
By the time she and Spring walked downstairs, Vance was immersed in a deep conversation with their father. He stopped talking mid-sentence when he spied her coming into the room. “Wow.”
Summer did a slow turn to show off Spring’s handiwork. “You like?”
“Yes I do.” He stood and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I do better when we’re in the car.”
“I heard that,” her father said, making all of them laugh. “Just get her home at a decent hour, alright?”
Vance shook his hand and led Summer out the door. “Will do, Walter. See you around, Spring.”
After all the farewells, they stepped out into the cold and rushed to his car parked at the curb. Vance put the heat on full blast. No way did he want Summer to catch a chill.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, bouncing in her seat.
“Never you mind. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.” He turned the satellite radio to a smooth jazz station and pulled out onto the street. Soon they were headed downtown and hopefully toward a happy future.
Traffic was very light on Sunday evening, and they were able to arrive at the restaurant in less than an hour. Vance had to call in a few favors for the reservation, but it was worth it. This would be a night he would be able to tell their children about, and he wanted it to be perfect.
A valet took his keys once he pulled up in front of Le Pierre’s, the premiere French restaurant in the area. Summer’s mouth dropped open as they stepped out of the car.
“We’re having dinner here?” she squealed. “How did you manage—”
“Don’t you worry about it. This is your night. Enjoy it.” Soon they were escorted inside and whisked onto a waiting elevator
that took them to the top of the GFK building. A maître de quickly seated them at a window table.
Summer’s eyes shown with excitement as she looked out onto all the lights of the city, twinkling back at her. “Oh my,” she gushed. “This is so beautiful, I want to cry.”
“Don’t cry yet,” Vance warned. “The best is yet to come.”
The waiter brought a chilled bottle of non-alcoholic champagne to the table and poured a glass for each of them. “To us,” Vance toasted.
“To us,” she repeated. While she took a sip of her drink, Vance got up from his seat, lowered himself onto one knee and pulled out a small box. Summer reared back and brought her hands to her mouth and the tears started to flow.
“Summer, you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, and I know this relationship has been a little unusual in the way it started, I don’t want it to end. Summer Hughes, I love you with all my heart. Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”
She nodded her head and he took the ring and slid it onto the finger of her outstretched hand. Soon the restaurant was filled with the sound of other diners clapping and cheering.
“I love you, Vance Ryan,” Summer said through her tears.
“Not as much as I love you,” Vance replied while drawing her into his arms.
Chapter Ten
Summer glanced down at her left hand and wiggled her fingers, still in shock. Vance actually proposed to her last night, and she said yes! It didn’t matter if they couldn’t get married before the baby was born. As long as they had an understanding about their future. And by the size of the rock on her finger, she was quite sure.
“You gonna sit there and stare at that ring all day?” Spring teased. She reached over and grabbed her sister’s right hand. “If I haven’t said it already, I’m so happy for both of you. You’re going to be great parents of my nephew.”
“And you’ll be a fantastic aunt. We need to go out and celebrate after we finish here. That is if we have any money after leaving the bank today.”
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