Free Waking Up in Charleston by Sherryl Woods Page B

for the backyard. And the women had immediately congregated in the kitchen, which had been turned into a sewing room and was now covered with yards and yards of pink eyelet fabric.
    “I had curtains made out of material just like this when I was six,” Dinah said, her expression nostalgic. “It was the prettiest room I ever had. When I have a little girl, I’m going to do her room exactly the same way.” She scowled as the needle she was using to sew a hem pricked her finger. “Of course, someone else is going to make the damn curtains.”
    Maggie regarded her with interest. “Any timetable for the arrival of this girl?” she inquired.
    To everyone’s surprise, Dinah blushed. “Could be sooner rather than later.”
    “You’re pregnant?” Maggie asked delightedly. “Does Cord know?” She shook her head. “Of course he does. You’d tell him first, wouldn’t you? When’s the baby due? How soon will you know if it’s a boy or agirl? Oh, Lord, this is going to give Josh ideas.” She sat back, looking stunned.
    Amanda laughed. “I have never heard one woman’s good news cause such commotion for someone else before.”
    “Then you haven’t spent nearly enough time around Maggie,” Dinah said dryly. “Trust me, she is not worried about this giving Josh ideas. She’s the one who’s always had to do everything I do and twice as fast.” She grinned at Maggie. “Sorry, sweetie. Not this time. I’ve got an insurmountable head start.”
    Maggie’s gaze instantly narrowed. “How much of a head start?”
    Nadine draped an arm around her daughter-in-law’s shoulders. “Maggie, honey, when it comes to babies, it’s all but impossible to make up any kind of a head start. Nine months is pretty much the rule. You can’t set out to have your baby in eight, though I for one would certainly like to see you try. I’m ready to be a grandmama.”
    “But with those early pregnancy tests, Dinah could be only a few days pregnant,” Maggie argued. “If I take Josh home right this minute—”
    “Give it up, Magnolia,” Dinah said. “This is one contest I’m going to win. Do you think I’m stupid enough to tell you news like this when you might have time to catch up?”
    “So when is the baby due?” Maggie asked. “It’s November now.”
    “I’m not telling,” Dinah said, her lips twitching with amusement.
    Maggie headed for the door. “Cord will tell me. I always could wrap that man around my finger.”
    “Not this time,” Dinah retorted. “I’ve put him on notice that he is not to tell you a blessed thing about this baby’s due date.”
    Amanda listened to the two of them sparring as only best friends could and regretted that she’d never had a friendship that ran that deep. Her father had been her best friend, and then Bobby had taken his place. Now with both of them out of her life, she recognized the foolhardiness of not making more of an effort to surround herself with women like these.
    “Hey, you okay?” Nadine asked, studying her worriedly.
    Amanda nodded. “Just feeling a little envious, I guess.”
    “Because of the baby?” Dinah asked. “Would you like to have another one someday?”
    “Sure,” Amanda said without hesitation. “I loved every second of being pregnant, even the morning sickness. I loved it when the baby started to move inside me. I can’t say I was crazy about the pain of getting those little monsters into this world, but holding them in my arms for the first time was amazing. When they call it one of God’s greatest miracles, they get it exactly right.”
    No sooner had she spoken than she looked up and spotted Caleb standing on the other side of the screen door. He looked as if someone had just delivered devastating news.
    “Caleb?” Amanda asked, regarding him with concern. “Are you okay?”
    He smiled, but she knew him well enough now to recognize that it was forced.
    “I’m great. Just loaded down with all this food,” hesaid, juggling several bags.