Free Thankful by Shelley Shepard Gray Page B

honey. I’ll call you again very soon.”
    â€œOkay. Great. Thanks, Mom. Love you!”
    Melissa clicked off before Jana could tell her the same thing. Feeling a bit at loose ends, she stood up and stretched her arms. It was time to get back to work.
    But it was also past time to make a change. She needed to call Pippa and accept her offer.
    The sooner the better.

chapter seven
    Judith’s palms were damp. Hastily—and for about the tenth time in the last hour—she wiped them on the skirt of her raspberry-colored dress. “Ben, would you think me awful if I told ya I was scared to death?”
    â€œI’d feel relieved. I kind of feel like I’m about to throw up.”
    â€œYou feel that good?” she teased.
    He grinned. “I guess that sounded pretty bad. It’s just my stomach is a bundle of nerves. And I kind of feel like I’m in a daze, too. Almost like I’m in a dream and I’m about to wake up.”
    â€œThat’s how I feel. I’m scared and nervous and impatient and excited.”
    â€œI can’t believe we’re standing here on the porch waiting for Bernie and James to arrive.” Fingering the blue wool shawl she’d thrown over her shoulders, he looked at her with concern. “Are you sure you’re not too cold? It is January, you know.”
    â€œI’m not cold at all. The sun is out. It’s a beautiful day, especially for January. Besides, there was no way I could stay inside. I was practically wearing a hole on the rag rug in the front room!”
    â€œI’m glad we’re standing out here, too. I can’t seem to do anything but look out onto the street, and I sure didn’t want to stand inside with my nose pressed to the window.”
    Once again Judith couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have Ben for her husband. He’d been nothing but supportive during the past year. He’d celebrated with her when she’d discovered she was pregnant and had held her for hours and hours after she’d had the miscarriage. He’d vowed it didn’t matter to him after they discovered she couldn’t get pregnant again. It had been his idea to fill out the paperwork for adoption. And now he was as eager to be a foster parent as she was.
    â€œBen, have I told you that I love you today?”
    To her pleasure, he rested a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Only today?”
    â€œOh, I love you every day. But I love you especially today.”
    As she’d hoped, he grinned. “And what made you say that, dear wife?”
    â€œBecause I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else,” she said lightly.
    â€œI agree. I don’t think I could get through this with anyone else. You are a wonderful frau , Judith. And once more, you’re going to be a wonderful mother.”
    â€œI hope so.”
    â€œI know you will be.” He took a breath, obviously about to say something else, but then his expression froze.
    Feeling frozen herself, she turned her head and looked in the same direction. And saw that their big moment had indeed come. Bernie and James had arrived.
    The social worker barely had time to park her sedan before Judith scampered down the three steps to meet them. Ben followed, but at a much slower—and more hesitant—pace.
    The moment the social worker opened her door, Judith felt her eyes swim with tears. “Hi, Bernie.”
    â€œGood morning, you two. Are you ready for your big day?”
    â€œAs ready as we’ll ever be,” Ben said with a grin.
    Bernie’s blond hair was in a ponytail today and her ever-present reading glasses were perched on the top of her head. “You two look like you’re ready for Christmas Day,” she teased.
    â€œI feel like it is Christmas,” Judith remarked as she watched Bernie open the door and reach inside, unbuckle a small bundle from the car seat, and at last bring out a tiny baby. Baby