Free Loving Tenderness by Gail Gaymer Martin Page B

concerned JJ and had nothing to do with her. Maybe that was the problem.
    Hannah had no idea where her feelings began and ended. Andrew had stepped out of the night and become her knight in shining armor, except her knight’s armor was a cream-colored sedan. Her thoughts faded when she realized she’d chased him away with her lack of enthusiasm for his invitation.
    Why hadn’t she agreed to go to the picnic? She didn’t like crowds, because she sensed she wasn’t as educated or as polished as other people, but she knew that money didn’t determine a person’s value. Andrew treated her like gold.
    The scent of chocolate signaled her senses, and she hurried across the room, fanning herself with potholders, to lift the chocolate from the huge double boiler. Hot water dripped on her foot as she moved the pan toward the molds. She set the pot in a hot-water bath, then worked quickly to stir in the macadamia nuts and dried Michigan cherries. As she began filling the molds, Jenni came through the doorway.
    “How’s it going?” Jenni asked, dropping her purse on a folding chair near the door.
    “Fine,” Hannah said, praying the nausea would vanish. “You can check the other double boiler if you would.”
    “Sure thing.” Jenni crossed to the range. “Not too long now.” She wandered back to Hannah’s side and lifted the finished molds and placed them on a large tray. “I hate to admit this, but hiring someone to help out in the kitchen was a difficult decision.”
    “Really?” Hannah said, glancing toward her to see if she were joking. “In this heat, I’d be happy to give it up if I were in your shoes.”
    Jenni chuckled and glanced down at her feet. “Not these shoes. My feet are swollen.”
    Hannah looked at Jenni’s ankles below the hems of her capri pants and saw a slight swelling. She lifted her gaze to Jenni’s smile.
    “I’m pregnant,” Jenni said. “I can’t believe it.”
    Hannah felt her face twist to puzzlement. “Why can’t you believe it? You already have one child.”
    “Cory’s my sister’s boy. She died when he was three.”
    Tenderness washed over Hannah as her heart gave a jolt. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about Cory.”
    Jenni stepped closer and pressed her hand against Hannah’s arm. “No problem. I love Cory like my own child.”
    “He seems like a great kid, and I’m really happy for you and Todd,” Hannah said, still curious about why Jenni had been surprised.
    “I have endometriosis,” Jenni said, answering her unspoken question, “and never thought I’d have a child. Learning I was expecting convinced me to hire you. I need to rest more than I had been.”
    “Congratulations.” Hannah sent her a genuine smile. “I remember when I was pregnant with JJ. I was so excited and amazed at all the changes in my body and my thinking. Being a mother is unspeakable joy, especially when you thought it was impossible.”
    Jenni put her arm around Hannah and gave her a hug. “Now before we ruin two pots of chocolate, we’d better get to work.”
    They both fell silent and concentrated on filling the molds and tapping them against the counter to dispel the air bubbles. After the chocolates cooled in the refrigerator, Hannah decorated the tops with a special mark to indicate the bonbons’ flavors.
    But the longer Hannah worked, the more queasy she became. When she finished the batch, she headed to the bathroom and turned on the tap, fearing Jenni would send her home. Hannah needed every penny she could get in order to live.
    She grasped a paper cup and swallowed some water, hoping to wash down the horrible feeling. Finally she drew up her shoulders and opened the door, determined to make it through the day.
    When she stepped back into the kitchen, Cory had come through the back door, his voice enthusiastic about something happening at their church.
    “It’s our congregational picnic,” Jenni said, noticing her bewildered look. “Cory’s getting