Free Hush by Nancy Bush

just don‘t want to tell me yet.‖

    ―Oh, I wanna be. I so wanna be.‖ Annette stared straight at Dave. ―I‘ve tried to be, actually.
    But somebody‘s not totally on board yet.‖

    Jean-Claude eyed his friend and partner and said to Dave, ―You‘re not getting any younger, my friend.‖

    ―Maybe for my next birthday?‖ Annette tilted up her chin and gazed at Dave pleadingly.

    ―I‘ll be fifty-four,‖ Dave protested.

    ―One more reason to start today! There. I‘ve said it. I want a baby and I want it now.‖ She turned to Coby. ―That‘s probably more than you ever wanted to know about us.‖

    Coby lifted her hands in surrender.

    ―Bug, are you sure?‖ Dave asked her seriously. ―I mean, really?‖

    So they were testing the waters with her, staring at her intently, and though she could tell her father was drag, drag, dragging his feet, it looked like the matter had already been decided. ―I don‘t need to tell you, this isn‘t about me,‖ Coby said. ―Or Faith. Or even Mom. It‘s about you two.‖

    ―Thanks for nothing,‖ Dave said with a faint smile.

    ―Hey, I‘m Switzerland. Totally neutral,‖ Coby responded.

    ―Sounds like Coby might really like a little brother or sister,‖ Annette suggested.

    ―I wouldn‘t go that far. Switzerland,‖ Coby reminded her.

    ―Don‘t push, my dear,‖ Jean-Claude told his daughter. ―I think you‘ve won this battle.‖

    ―More wine?‖ Coby asked, holding up her empty glass.

    ―I‘ll get it.‖ Annette scooped up Coby‘s glass and headed into the kitchen.

    ―You‘re sure it‘s over with Joe?‖ her father asked her again.

    ―Pretty sure.‖

    Coby heard Annette open the oven door, and the scent of warm bread and cheese and baking mushrooms wafted into the living room. There was a moment or two of awkward silence as they all tried to figure out what the conversation would be next.

    Finally, her father asked her, ―So, how‘s work?‖

    ―Fine. How‘s the hotel doing?‖

    Jean-Claude answered, ―Humming along. I would like to get rid of the tearoom completely and just have a wine bar, but people love it.‖

    Dave said with pride, ―Annette practically runs the place, though Juliet and Suzette do a nice job running the tearoom and wine bar.‖

    ―I‘ll have to stop by,‖ Coby said, wondering how long it had been. She had a tendency to avoid situations that put her together with her father and Annette.

    ―Any interesting cases?‖ Dave asked, looking toward the kitchen as if he already missed his wife. Coby embarked on a story about an acrimonious divorce—no names given—where the wife had run off with her lover and the husband was asking for full custody of the two elementary-school-age children. Coby‘s firm was representing the wife, and it was a sticky wicket, no doubt. Even Coby had trouble sympathizing with the woman, whose self-involvement was damn near record-breaking, even among Jacoby, Jacoby, and Rosenthal‘s wealthy and powerful clients.
    She finished with, ―The children want to stay with their dad. He wants the kids and the wife talks like she does, but I don‘t think her heart‘s really in it. He‘ll get the kids and she‘ll probably win in the alimony department.‖

    ―So the kids are merely a bargaining chip for more money. Too bad,‖ Dave said.

    Jean-Claude had wandered back to the den and now he returned to catch the last bit. ―I should not speak ill of my ex, but she did the same. Wanted my money more than our girls.‖ He shrugged. ―But they got the better parent: me.‖

    Annette brought Coby a new glass of wine, then headed toward the front door as they heard voices outside. But the door opened before she could reach it, letting in a cold rush of wind. A moment later Juliet and Yvette Deneuve and a boy of around twelve came into view: Yvette ‘s son.
    Benedict. Coby smiled a greeting at the sallow-skinned and dark-eyed youth who looked a lot like his mother.

    Yvette took one