Free Have Baby, Need Beau by Rita Herron Page A

noticed them and waved. Mimi felt like flipping that hand backward and watching it slap him in the face.
    She had no idea why. She and Seth were finished. Totally over. Especially now that she had the results of the pregnancy test.
    “His parents still hate me,” Hannah said. Mimi saw the look his father and mother shot them and realized that part of their animosity was also directed toward her because of the picture in the newspaper. More guilt assaulted her. Of course, Hannah didn’t know about the photograph.
    “I’m glad I left the hospital.” Hannah took a seat, oblivious to Mimi’s discomfort. “It was just too weird.”
    As it would be if Hannah knew that Mimi had spent the night with Seth. Mimi trusted Alison and her father not to tell Hannah, but what about Seth’s parents?
    “His parents won’t even speak to me,” Hannah said.
    Whew. Mimi breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Otherwise they might mention her.
    “I wouldn’t worry about Seth’s folks,” Alison said. “You did the right thing, Hannah. Seth knows that, too.”
    “Mrs. Broadhurst is such a society lady, and I embarrassed their son in public,” Hannah said softly. “I guess you can’t blame them for being upset.”
    Mimi shivered, her head suddenly feeling light as she settled at the table. Unfortunately, although their table was on the opposite side of the room, she still had a clear view of Seth and his parents. What would the Broadhursts think if she turned up pregnant?
    “That new doctor certainly is pretty,” Mimi said, praying Hannah didn’t hear the strain in her voice.
    “Yes, she is.” Hannah picked up her menu and scanned the entrées. “Maybe something will work out for her and Seth. I’m so happy with Jake I really want Seth to find the same kind of happiness.”
    “They look perfect for each other.” Mimi wrinkled her nose as the waiter walked by with a steaming platter of clams. The strong odor sent her stomach into somersaults.
    “Let’s forget about Seth,” Alison suggested. “We want to hear all about your honeymoon.”
    “And I want to hear about your date with that Ob-gyn,” Hannah said to Alison. Hannah winked at Mimi. “I set her up with the guy that joined our practice last week.”
    “Sounds good to me,” Mimi said. “I say we forget the whole Broadhurst family and focus on you two.”
    * * *
    Thirty minutes later though, Mimi hadn’t been able to forget Seth. The mere sight of the food sitting on the table made her queasy, the task of swallowing the chicken she’d ordered impossible. Hannah had been chattering away about Jake and their wonderful honeymoon, but Mimi had barely been listening—she needed to focus all her effort on controlling the urge to throw up.
    “Why don’t we split a hot fudge cake?” Alison suggested.
    The bright lights of the restaurant swirled in front of Mimi’s eyes, black spots dancing. “I … excuse me.” She jumped up, trotted to the bathroom, bumping into a waiter in her haste. He stumbled and lost his balance. The pot of coffee on his tray slid and landed in a fern by the mirrored wall. Mimi saw her pale reflection in the mirror, along with the curious stares of the diners. But she didn’t dare stop to apologize for fear of embarrassing herself even more by losing her lunch in the plant.
    Minutes later she sat hunched on the plush carpet of the ladies’ room, her head between her knees, the room spinning, her mind a jumbled mess.
    Hannah lay a cool, wet paper towel on the back of her neck. “Mimi, are you all right?”
    Alison knelt beside her. “Sis, what’s wrong?”
    She squeezed her eyes shut in misery. “I don’t know. Food poisoning, maybe.”
    “How long have you felt this way?” Hannah pressed her hand on Mimi’s forehead.
    “A few days.” Mimi opened one eye and saw Alison’s mouth form a worried O .
    “Have you been running a fever?” Hannah asked.
    “No.”
    “Diarrhea?”
    “No.”
    “Just nausea?”
    “And a little