Free Larkspur by Claudia Hall Christian Page B

to
start her day.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Friday morning — 6:42 a.m. PST (7:42 a.m.
MST)
Malibu, California
     
    “ You have a text,” Seth’s
oldest daughter Lizzy said, as she walked through the kitchen of
the Malibu house. “Came in a couple hours ago.”
    Valerie was sitting at the counter
breastfeeding Jackie.
    “ I do?” Valerie asked.
“Would you mind reading it to me?”
    Lizzie picked up Valerie’s phone from the
counter where it was charging.
    “ Check with Celia. See
something black when pregnant,” Lizzie read. “Mean anything to
you?”
    “ Not a thing,” Valerie
smiled at Lizzie. “How are you feeling?”
    “ Really good,” Lizzie
smiled. “This whole ‘hang out at Dad’s rental on the beach’ thing
is pretty awesome.”
    Nodding, Valerie smiled.
    “ Can I ask you something?”
Lizzie looked away in case Valerie said no.
    “ Sure.”
    “ How did you know that
Mike was . . . you know, the one?” Lizzie
asked.
    Valerie smiled.
    “ Ok,” Lizzie said. “I’m
supposed to personalize my statements. How will I know if Schmidty
is the one? For me, I mean.”
    “ I know exactly what you
mean,” Valerie said. “Because you’ve had bad experiences, you don’t
want something so good to become bad.”
    “ So it’s better to keep
looking,” Lizzie nodded.
    “ Better? Seems a little
psycho,” Valerie said.
    Lizzie nodded.
    “ I think in the end you
have to trust yourself,” Valerie said. “If things get bad with
Schmidty, you can always leave. You’re not alone anymore. Your
sister and dad are in your life again.”
    “ But things were good
with . . . you know, my mom’s husband.” Lizzie
looked heartbroken.
    “ There weren’t really,
were they?”
    Lizzie’s eyes filled with tears, and she
shook her head.
    “ I’m not going to do that
again.” Lizzie balled up her hand and hit her leg. “Never
again.”
    Lizzie pounded the side of her thigh.
    “ It doesn’t really seem
like you had a chance to choose . . .”
    “ That’s what everyone
says,” Lizzie said. “It wasn’t really your fault. It was his fault.
He was the grownup . . . but I did it! I chose to be
with him! I . . .”
    “ Why would you do it
again?” Valerie’s voice was mild and low. Lizzie was so surprised
by her words that she jumped.
    “ I wouldn’t,” Lizzie
said.
    “ There’s your answer,”
Valerie said.
    Lizzie scowled. Remembering the phone in her
hand, she said, “Do you want me to text her back?”
    “ Can you read it
again?”
    Lizzie read Delphie’s cryptic message.
    “ I’ll call her,” Valerie
said.
    Lizzie set the phone down on the counter.
She was about to leave when she spun in place.
    “ Thanks,” Lizzie
said.
    Valerie smiled. Lizzie nodded.
    “ Tell him to make it
really big and sparkly,” Valerie said. “He can afford
it.”
    Lizzie laughed and went out to the beach.
Valerie looked down to see that Jackie was sound asleep. She
carried her to their bedroom and changed her diaper. She was
changing her into a cute onesie when Mike came in from the
shower.
    “ What’s up with Lizzie?”
Mike asked.
    “ She’s getting serious
with Schmidty,” Valerie smiled.
    “ Mmm,” Mike
nodded.
    “ Delphie sent me this
weird text about Mom seeing something,” Valerie said. “The only
thing I could think was that it related to Jill and the boys. You
know how she’s obsessed. Any ideas?”
    “ Jill thinks some feral
black cats are living at the Castle.” Mike shrugged and went back
into the bathroom.
    “ Black cats,” Valerie said
under her breath.
    She carried Jackie to her bassinette.
Valerie fussed for a minute before setting her precious baby
down.
    “ Black cats,” Valerie said
again. “Mom . . . pregnant . . .
cats.”
    She gasped.
    “ What?” Mike ran in from
the bathroom. “What is it?”
    “ Those aren’t cats ,” Valerie
said.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Friday morning — 10:02 a.m. MST
    Denver, CO
     
    Jill braced herself and opened the door to
the doctor’s