by Cindy Kirk
Even if the invitations hadn’t specified the backyard, the bursts of laughter floating on the air would have told them where to go.
Lindsay felt her spirits lift as the noise grew louder. “We’re going to eat, be merry and find out whether Baby Kendrick is a girl or a boy.”
Owen’s voice lowered. “Do you know?”
Lindsay shook her head. “I asked, but Eliza wants the big splash.”
“Is it true Kyle’s parents flew in just for the party?” Owen glanced at Lindsay, then added, “I heard some customers talking at the shop.”
“His parents and sister,” Lindsay confirmed. “Since they have a private jet, flying from Kentucky at the last minute wasn’t a big deal.”
“Is the nice weather the only reason Eliza got this together so quickly?”
Lindsay realized just how much she enjoyed talking with Owen about the day-to-day. Their conversations didn’t have to revolve around important news and events to feed her soul. Simply being together was enough.
“The forecast played a part, as did knowing the rest of the month is crazy busy. Next weekend is Hadley and David’s wedding. Then we’re into the Harvest Festival and homecoming.” Lindsay gave his hand a swing. “The bottom line is, they’re over the moon about this baby and want to share their joy.”
“With a few hundred of their closest friends.” They’d reached the back of the house, and Owen appeared startled by the sheer number of people milling around the large tables filled with food. “What’s on the menu?”
Lindsay glanced toward the grills manned by Jeremy and Ethan. “There will be burgers, because that’s expected. As well as grilled salmon collars and sambal chicken skewers.”
“What kind of skewers?”
“Sambal.” Lindsay considered how to best explain. “The chicken has a spicy, sticky glaze with an Asian flare. They’re very tasty.”
“I might have to give one a try.”
“Trust me, you’ll love ’em.” Lindsay slid her gaze to the long, rectangular tables covered in cloths with pink, white and blue stripes. Along with the expected potato salad and coleslaw, there were pretty bowls and plates with more unusual side dishes, such as spicy peach and avocado salad and sliced tomatoes with corn and feta. “Eliza never does anything halfway. They’re seriously excited about this baby.”
Owen pulled Lindsay to the side and lowered his voice. “I hope you know I’m equally excited about our baby. Once you give me the go-ahead, I’ll be shouting the news from the rooftops.”
“When Eliza announced this party, I didn’t want to steal any of her thunder by publicly announcing my pregnancy.” She looked into his soft, hazel eyes, and emotion swamped her. “Thank you for understanding.”
He smiled. “Just remember that when you see everyone congratulating Kyle and Eliza tonight, very soon everyone will be just as happy for you and me.”
Later, after Lindsay had enjoyed both the salmon and a hearty helping of the peach and avocado salad, Jeremy sauntered over to where she stood talking with Eliza and Kyle.
For tonight’s festivities, Eliza had eschewed her trademark black and given a nod to fall in a wrap dress the color of golden pumpkin seeds. Her husband had kept it casual, wearing khakis and a hunter green Henley.
Jeremy sauntered over and gave his brother a punch in the shoulder before brushing a kiss across Eliza’s cheek. He’d let his hair grow long again. Golden waves now brushed his collar, curling up in little tufts.
When Eliza narrowed her gaze, Jeremy held up a hand. “The grills are covered. Steve and Max are now in charge. They’re fully trustworthy. Most of the time, anyway.”
Jeremy flashed her a devilish smile.
“I wasn’t worried.” Eliza placed a hand on the arm of the man who everyone knew was one of her dearest friends. “You’ve been a great help today. Thank you.”
“I don’t ask much.” Jeremy grinned. “Just name the kid after me.”
Kyle chuckled. “Good try, but not happening.”
Lindsay’s gaze darted from Kyle to Eliza. “Is the baby a boy?”
“Jeremy is fishing for information.” Eliza shook her head, her smile indulgent. “Typical Rakes move.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” Jeremy rubbed his chin. “Though Jeremina also has a nice ring.”
Lindsay laughed along with the rest of them, the silly banter reminding her that she and Owen needed to revisit the name discussion.
“Fin and I are happy for you guys.” Jeremy shifted his gaze to Lindsay. “It’s also nice to see you and Owen back together.”
“He’s a good guy.” Lindsay glanced around. “Where’s your wife?”
“Actually, Fin is with your good guy, finalizing details for the opening of Mindy’s Closet.”
“How are the plans coming?” Lindsay realized she hadn’t heard an update since Owen had first given the project his blessing.
“Fin is hoping to open the doors next Saturday.”
“Next Saturday is the farmers’ market and Craft Beer Festival in the square.” Eliza jumped into the conversation, her tone clearly conveying her displeasure. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have any activity drawing attention away—”
“Mindy’s Closet isn’t an activity, it’s clothing for children in need,” Fin responded, obviously overhearing the last bit of the conversation as she and Owen strolled up.
Like Eliza, the always stylish Delphinium had embraced fall colors with formfitting black pants and a leopard-print button-back top.
Lindsay glanced down at her simple olive-colored tunic with underlying lace and leggings and immediately felt underdressed.
Owen slipped to her side. As if understanding her distress, he leaned close and whispered, “You look beautiful.”
The strange thing was, though Lindsay knew it wasn’t true, the compliment made her feel better.
“With winter just around the corner, there are many children who will need warm winter coats. They’ll also need scarves and gloves and boots.” Fin’s voice burned with a passion that surprised Lindsay.
The only other time she’d seen Ami’s sister so fired up was when she and Jeremy were performing on the community theater stage.
“Mindy’s Closet is a needed service here in Good Hope.” Owen spoke softly, but with equal fervor. Fin and Pastor Dan might be spearheading the project, but because this project carried his daughter’s name, Owen’s words carried weight. His gaze never left Eliza’s face. “Fin and I discussed other possible opening dates, but we don’t think we can wait. This is Wisconsin. We’re fortunate we don’t already have snow on the ground.”
“I don’t think it will affect any of the activities planned by the Cherries,” Lindsay added. “In fact, some people may come out for Mindy’s Closet and end up enjoying the festivities. A win-win.”
“Okaaay.” Eliza gave a melodramatic sigh, as if she was making a huge concession, but her smile gave her away. “You’ve convinced me.”
“We’d have done it without your approval,” Fin said with a cheeky smile.
Jeremy slung an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Shhh, give her the illusion of power.”
Eliza, who might have bristled at that in the past, was laughing as Katherine hurried up.
“Everything is in readiness for the big reveal,” the older woman informed Eliza.
“Is this one of those cake deals?” Jeremy asked. “Where the inside is pink or blue?”
“There will be cake, with a pink or blue center, but that will come after the reveal.” Eliza glanced over to a small round table.
The reserved sign had been replaced with a fortune-teller’s ball. Gladys stood beside the table, dressed as her alter ego, Madame Gitana.
“Why is she dressed like that?” Eliza demanded. “All she was asked to do is pluck the sorcerer’s hat off the table to reveal a pink or blue onesie.”
Katherine clucked and patted Eliza’s hand. “Oh, honey, Gladys would never do anything so mundane.”
Even without the jet-black hair striped boldly with silver and the scarf adorned with gold coins, Gladys’s commanding presence drew the eye. Chandelier earrings boasting an assortment of purple stones dangled from her ears. A half-dozen gold bracelets etched with symbols Lindsay couldn’t decipher encircled the woman’s bony wrists.
“I don’t want her going rogue.” Eliza’s brows slammed together, reminding Lindsay of two dark storm clouds colliding. “I need to speak with her before we get started.”
“Leave her be.” Katherine patted Eliza’s shoulder. “It will be magnificent. Trust me.”
“I trust you,” Eliza told her cousin, then inclined her head in Gladys’s direction. “It’s her I don’t trust.”
Katherine laughed as if Eliza had said something uproariously funny.
Eliza had taken only one step when Ami and Beck, along with their daughter, stepped from the crowd.
Ami gestured with one hand. “I didn’t know Madame Gitana would be here today.”
Eliza huffed out a breath. “Gladys was assigned one task. When cued, she was supposed to lift the tall pointed hat off the table to reveal a pink or blue onesie beneath. But Katherine informed me that task is too mundane for Gladys.”
“I agree with Katherine.” Beck’s soft Southern drawl might have become less pronounced over the past few years, but it was evident this afternoon.
Eliza’s gaze narrowed on Beck. “Why do you agree?”
Beck didn’t hesitate. “Gladys has never been a woman who does ordinary.”
“He’s right.” Ami lowered her voice. “What were you thinking, Eliza? You know Gladys’s proclivity for the dramatic.”
“That isn’t always a bad thing,” Lindsay offered. “Mundane can be boring.”
“I see your point.” Eliza tapped a finger against her red lips. “A little drama might add a nice touch of spice to the reveal.”
“Madame Gitana told me I was having a boy before I even knew I was pregnant,” Ami reminded Eliza and Kyle. “We won’t know until this spring if that prediction is accurate, so I’m eager to hear what she tells you.”
Eliza’s lips lifted in a wry smile. “The fact that the onesie is under the hat, which I’m certain she’s already seen, makes this prediction a slam dunk.”
“Oh, no, dear, Gladys hasn’t peeked. I made sure of it.” Katherine swiped a cross over her breast. “There will be no skullduggery on my watch.”
“It’s show time, E.” Kyle took his wife’s hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.
Kyle’s parents, Scott and Erin, stood with his sister near the wooden table, chatting with Eliza’s parents, who’d arrived in Good Hope that morning. Jeremy’s parents had arrived last night from Florida.
Though Ed and Cheryl Rakes held back, obviously not wanting to intrude, Kyle motioned them forward. Most in attendance were by now aware that Ed was Kyle’s biological father. It spoke to the kind of man Scott Kendrick was that he not only made room for Ed and Cheryl, but welcomed them warmly.
“I want you two up close for this.” Eliza took Lindsay’s and Ami’s arms and led them to the front, with Beck and Owen following behind.
Lindsay stood next to Ethan. “Ready for the big reveal?”
Ethan’s gray eyes twinkled. “Ten says it’s a boy.”
Lindsay bumped her fist against his. “You’ve got a bet.”
Donald Shaw shot Lindsay and his son a censuring glance.
Accustomed to such looks from her own mother, Lindsay only smiled.
Lolo appeared and held out her arms for Sarah Rose. Seconds later, the toddler’s chubby fingers were wrapped around the beads of Lolo’s brightly colored necklace.
Lindsay studied Kyle’s sister. Curls that had been long and crazy wild when she’d arrived in Good Hope last spring now barely brushed her shoulders. “I love your hair.”
With her free hand, Lolo patted her head. “Marigold cut it yesterday. I don’t trust anyone but her.”
It struck Lindsay she hadn’t seen Marigold or Cade. She turned to Ami. “Is Marigold here?”
Ami shook her head. “She was completely booked today and didn’t feel right about canceling.”
As Saturdays tended to be a big day for hairstylists, Lindsay didn’t doubt that in the least. But something in Ami’s green eyes told her that wasn’t the entire story.
“She’s happy for Eliza and Kyle,” Ami insisted, appearing relieved when Hadley and David strode up. “Hey, you two. Where have you been?”
Hadley rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Rock-climbing class at the Y.”
David rocked back on his heels. “Looks like Madame Gitana is getting ready to free that third eye.”
Hadley jabbed him in the ribs. “When she did that reading for me, it was spot-on.”
“The jury is still out if her baby-boy prediction is accurate.” Ami’s hand dropped to her baby bump.
“If I were you, I’d start coming up with boy names.” Hadley lifted her hands. “I was as much a doubter as anyone, but she—”
“Is K.T. here?” The question from Lolo drew Lindsay’s attention.
“’Fraid not. He’s at the high school working on a homecoming display.”
Lolo and Lindsay’s nephew had formed a friendship based on their mutual love of art. “Will you be in town for David and Hadley’s wedding next week?”
The girl’s gaze shifted to Hadley. “You’re getting married?”
“The wedding is next week.” Brynn clapped Sarah Rose’s cowboy boots together, making the toddler chortle. “You should come. I’m the flower girl.”
Beside Lindsay, Owen tensed.
Lolo scuffed the toe of her shoe in the grass, the gesture making her look much younger than thirteen. “I don’t know if we’re invited.”
David glanced at Hadley and received a little nod. “We’d love to have you attend.”
“K.T. will be there,” Lindsay informed Lolo, which had been the whole point in mentioning the event in the first place.
A spark flared in Lolo’s eyes.
“I’m going to ask—” The girl stopped and inhaled sharply. “Madame Gitana is ready to speak.”
Owen watched Gladys hold up the purple ball that had been resting on the obsidian stand. “I thought crystal balls were supposed to be clear.”
“Not necessarily.” David’s voice remained low. “Gladys told me the ball is merely a tool for freeing her third eye.”
“Third eye?” Owen scoffed. “Seriously?”
“She was amazingly accurate with some things she knew about me,” Hadley told him. “I’m a believer.”
“Since Eliza and Kyle already know the sex, we’ll be able to assess the accuracy of Gladys’s prediction.” David brought Hadley’s hand to his lips. “We may have to give her predictive talents a shot when we decide to add to our family.”
Brynn’s gaze swiveled to her father, proving that simply because her eyes had been glued on Gladys didn’t mean she hadn’t been listening. “I want a baby sister or brother.”
Babies, Owen realized, were a hot topic among their friends. Considering most of them were in their thirties, it was to be expected.
“After the wedding, we’ll talk babies.” David’s expression softened when disappointment flooded his daughter’s face. “We won’t make you wait too long.”
Brynn met his gaze. “Promise?”
David slung an arm around Hadley’s shoulders. “Let’s just say I’ll do my best.”
Owen covered his laugh with a cough. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gladys, who’d been staring unblinkingly at the ball for nearly two minutes, place it back on the stand.
Once she had everyone’s attention, Gladys flung out both arms in a gesture worthy of any stage thespian. “In the spring, Kyle and Eliza will welcome a baby girl.”
Without missing a beat, the older woman grasped the pointed tip of the sorcerer’s cap. “For the naysayers among you—and you know who you are
—this will confirm my vision.”
In one fluid movement, Gladys lifted the hat to reveal a bright pink onesie.
A cheer rose from the crowd. Everyone clapped, including Owen. It had been quite a show.
Kyle enfolded Eliza in his arms and kissed her before they separated, grinning, to accept pats on the back and handshakes from family and friends.
Lindsay gave Eliza a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Our daughters will be besties,” Eliza whispered before releasing Lindsay.
By the time the lights came on and Lindsay mentioned she was ready to leave, the barbecue had turned into a full-fledged party.
Owen caught Lindsay enviously eyeing Eliza chattering happily with her in-laws, Kyle at her side, while friends continued to come up and offer their congratulations.
“This gender reveal ended up being a big deal,” Owen commented.
“Eliza never does anything by half measures.” Lindsay took his arm as they strolled around the house. “Next Saturday will be David and Hadley’s wedding. That will be fun, too.”
As they reached the front, Lindsay’s gaze strayed. “I love porch swings.”
Owen took her hand and gave it a tug. “Let’s check this one out.”
As they climbed the steps side by side, Lindsay gestured with her free hand. “In the South, they painted porch ceilings blue to ward off troubled spirits or ghosts.”
“I’m not a big believer in ghosts, troubled or otherwise,” Owen admitted. “But I like the color.”
“Eliza’s grandmother did, too.” Lindsay took a seat on the swing. “When the ceiling needed repainting, Eliza considered going with white, but decided to stay with blue because of her grandmother. They were very close.”
“I’ve left Mindy’s room untouched.” With great effort, Owen kept his tone even. “Fin asked me again tonight if there’s anything of Mindy’s I want to donate.”
Lindsay patted the spot beside her. “What did you tell her?”
“That I’m not ready to part with any of her things.” Owen dropped down next to Lindsay, but kept his eyes focused straight ahead. “Do you think I should?”