Free LOST AND FOUND HUSBAND by Sheri Whitefeather Page A

lost.
    She answered with a smiley face. She was touched that he’d included the baby. She actually pressed the phone against her heart.
    Refusing to make a fuss over her reaction, she lowered the phone. She had a right to be happy that Eric was starting to take an interest in their child. It made her feel better about bringing him the framed photo.
    And it made her feel better about her decision to marry him, too. A bit more certain. A tad more convinced. A scooch more ready.
    Lord, she was scared. But she wasn’t going to back out. It would be far scarier to raise the baby by herself. Besides, now her family would be proud of her, the way Kaley would be proud of Eric. They would have everyone’s blessing.
    Dana reached for her phone again, only this time, to text Candy. The other woman wouldn’t receive the message until after her classes ended, but Dana wanted to share her news just the same.
    She wrote: Going to Eric’s tonight. Going to accept. Think good thoughts for me. Will call Mom and Grandma tomorrow.
    Around five o’clock, Dana got ready to go. Determined to look pretty for her acceptance speech, she blushed her cheeks, applied lipstick and fluffed her hair. Next she brightened up her outfit with a colorful scarf that she used for a belt, looping it through her jeans. Since it was a chilly day, she slipped on a pair of suede boots and an old fringed jacket she’d bought at a garage sale.
    As she stood in front of the mirror, she thought about what Eric had called her on their date. The bohemian bride. Only when he’d said it, he’d been referring to her as someone else’s future wife.
    What kind of wedding would they have? How many guests would they invite? Would Mom and Grandma fly out to attend? Surely, they would find a way to afford the trip. Dana couldn’t imagine them missing her nuptials.
    Then, of course there was the matter of a dress. She would definitely shop for something vintage. Something wild and free. Something that reflected her style.
    She was going to suggest that they get married sooner rather than later. She didn’t want to have a swollen belly when she walked down the aisle. The bohemian bride didn’t want to look like a pregnant bride, even if that was what she was.
    At five-forty-five, she left for Eric’s house. She hit a bit of traffic on the way, arriving late. But not too late, she surmised. He’d said six or so, and she was still within the “or so” range. Plus, she hadn’t gotten lost. His directions were spot on.
    His single-story dwelling was located in a properly maintained, typically suburban tract-housing neighborhood. The lack of individualism disappointed her, but she wasn’t surprised by it. She’d pictured him in an area like this. What she hadn’t pictured, up until this strangely reflective moment, was living here with him. But the white-and-gray house with its brick planter and neatly mowed lawn was going to be her home, too.
    Dana rang the bell. She’d put Sweet Pea’s photo in a previously used gift bag. She recycled ribbons and bows, too.
    Eric answered the door, and her heart fluttered, like little feet bumping at her chest. Was that how it was going to feel when the baby was bigger and kicking against her belly?
    “Come in,” he said.
    The house was painfully quiet. She would’ve preferred background noise, radio or a TV. But it was just the two of them, their voices echoing amid the silence.
    Immediately, she glanced around, taking note of the polished oak furniture, surrounded by beige and blue accents. She suspected that a woman had originally decorated it, a woman who was neat and tidy and traditional.
    “Is this the house you had with Corrine?”
    “Yes. We bought it a few years after we were married.”
    “So this is where Kaley was raised?”
    He nodded. “She still has a room here. There are four bedrooms altogether. One of them is my studio. I’ve always done a little freelance art on the side. Illustrations, logos, that sort of