JENNY EYED THE pink-frosted, heart-shaped cake in the magazine and studied her creation with dismay. Darn it. She’d followed the directions to a T. Why didn’t her cake look like that?
She sighed. Well, at least you could tell it was a heart. Sort of. The fact that it was Valentine’s Day would be a major hint. She shook her head, dropped the magazine in the recycling bin, then hid the cake in the oven.
Alex would be home at any moment. She smiled. He tended to come home earlier on days she didn’t work at the clinic. Two years ago when she’d returned to Cooper’s Corner she had never dreamed she could be happy living here again, much less being a part-time stay-at-home mom to Plato and Bagel. But there wasn’t a place on earth she’d rather be right now.
She heard Alex at the back door and took a deep breath. She’d waited three hours to tell him the news, and she was ready to burst.
“Hi.” He smiled, clearly surprised to see her waiting just a few feet away.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!”
His smile broadened. “Come here.”
She ducked away from him. She knew what would happen next, and it excluded any talking. “Wait. I have a surprise for you.”
He caught one of her hands and pulled her toward him. “Let’s see.” He frowned as if he were thinking hard. “You baked a cake.”
She gasped. “Plato told you.”
Alex chuckled and touched the tip of her nose. “Pink frosting.” He showed her his fingertip. “Dead giveaway.”
“Darn it.” She rubbed her nose. “Anyway, that’s not the surprise.”
“What is it?”
“Guess.”
“Jen, you know I hate that....”
She laughed. “I went to the doctor today.”
His expression tensed. “And?”
“You know how Phyllis and Maureen have been telling me I should do some part-time business consulting?” The fear on his face prompted her to cut the teasing. “Well, I won’t have time. The doctor gave his okay for us to start a family.”
Alex’s expression lightened by degrees as the news registered. “Ah, Jen.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up off the floor. “I love you.”
She choked back a sob. He was the most loving, patient, incredible man she’d ever met, and now she could give him something precious. “Tell me again after you try the cake.”
* * * * *
the new B and B in Cooper’s Corner, Massachusetts. Bed and breakfast will never be the same!
COOPER’S CORNER
a Harlequin continuity series
Continues with
HER STOLEN PAST
by Amanda Stevens
Librarian Beth Young was so quiet, she simply blended into the town of Cooper’s Corner. But Clint Cooper, co-owner of the Twin Oaks, couldn’t help but notice her as she played piano each evening at the B and B. Her music was haunting...and to Clint, so was her beauty. But Beth didn’t dare act on the attraction she felt for Clint.
Here’s a preview!