by Maya Banks
laughter ringing in his ears.
He nearly groaned aloud when he stepped from the showers and met up with Mike in the locker room.
“Hey, dude,” Mike called out.
“Hey,” he said without enthusiasm.
“How’s it going?”
“Fine.”
Mike studied him a moment. “You aren’t very talkative today.”
Simon shrugged. He was plagued by irritation at the very sight of Mike, and the only explanation he could offer was because Toni had gone out with him. Not an answer he was happy with. Why should he care who Toni went out with?
Mike grinned. “Say hi to Toni for me, will ya? Tell her I’ll call her when I get the chance.”
“Why are you so interested in Toni all of a sudden anyway?” Simon demanded, staring holes through him.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “What red-blooded man wouldn’t be? She’s the bomb.”
Hoping Toni would forgive him for imparting her news, he decided to say the one thing he knew would scare Mike away. “She’s pregnant.”
“I know,” Mike said calmly.
He knew? She’d told him? He frowned and looked away. And he was still interested? He glanced back at Mike who was wearing a serene expression. “What the hell is your game, Mike?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t act all innocent with me. I know you too well for that. Pregnant women are definitely not your thing. For that matter, women like Toni aren’t your thing.”
“Maybe my thing has changed. That ever occur to you?”
“Stay away from her,” Simon growled. “You’ll only hurt her.”
“Don’t you think it should be her decision who she hangs with?”
“If you don’t stay away from her I’ll rearrange that pretty face of yours.”
To his surprise, Mike chuckled then turned and exited the locker room.
Chapter Eight
Tuesday morning, Toni got up bright and early to get ready for work. She dressed with care in one of her new tops and went into the kitchen to fix breakfast for the guys who would be coming home shortly. She wanted to get into Simon’s head first thing this morning because she wouldn’t see him again until the evening.
She hummed as she poked around the kitchen, keeping a close watch on the clock the entire time. Maybe this second trimester stuff she’d read about was true. She certainly felt like a new woman. And she was positively glowing. Her skin was radiant, her curves softer, and her breasts, to her delight, had graduated an entire cup size. Of course moving from a B to a C was no huge feat, but it was progress. She suddenly frowned, wondering if she’d have to give them back after she gave birth.
The front door rattled then opened as she heard the guys come in. Matt was first through the kitchen doorway. “Smells good, sis.”
A.J. and Simon came in close behind, and Simon scooted to the far end of the kitchen, sliding into the barstool that was the farthest away from Toni.
“Rough night?” she asked to no one in particular. “Simon looks like hell.”
His gaze shot up, and he frowned.
“He was a grumpy Gus the entire shift,” Matt said with a shrug.
“Well, here’s your breakfast. I have to leave or I’ll be late for work. I’ll see you guys this afternoon.” She set out the platter of eggs, biscuits and bacon on the bar and blew them a kiss. She made a point of leaning over in Simon’s direction one last time before backing out of the kitchen.
She slid behind the wheel of her Jeep and took a deep breath. Today marked the first time she wore maternity clothes in public. While she in no way carried an obvious bulge in front of her, the shirt was unmistakably for a pregnant woman.
Small town talk would filter through the community of Cypress like an out of control fire. Before sundown, she’d be relegated to fallen woman, brazen hussy, and that “poor girl.”
Thank goodness she’d already told Doc Johnson so she could at least be at ease with him and Marnie. The patients would be another matter unfortunately.
When she glanced over the schedule for the morning she groaned aloud.
“What’s wrong?” Marnie asked.
Toni slumped in the chair behind the reception desk and held a finger to her head in a mock pistol style.
The older woman laughed. “It can’t be that bad.”
Toni flipped the schedule toward her.
Marnie took the paper and quickly scanned over it. “Oh. Dear.”
“Yeah. Of all days to wear my maternity clothes. It just had to be when Mrs. Hauffrey had an appointment for her poodles’ check up.”
Marnie gave her a sympathetic look. “Want me to man the front when it’s time for her to come in so you can hide out in the back?”
She sighed deeply. “No, I may as well get it over with. I knew when I left this morning that I’d be all over town by tonight. This will just facilitate things a bit.”
Marnie smiled and patted her shoulder as she walked past with a stack of papers to file.
Toni twirled on the swivel chair, closing her eyes in disgust. When she heard the door open, she opened one eye and made contact with Mrs. Hauffrey.
“Good morning, Antonia,” she sang out.
Toni gritted her teeth. Mrs. Hauffrey was the only person who insisted on calling her by her full name. Even her mother had given up by the time Toni reached Junior High.
“Good morning,” she said in resignation.
She hopped off the chair and reached over to scratch the ears of Fritz and Fifi. She was rewarded by a lick from each.
“If you’ll have a seat, I’ll go tell Doc you’re here.”
As Toni turned, Mrs. Hauffrey let out a gasp. “Antonia! Dear, are you pregnant?”
She froze and rolled her eyes heavenward. Slowly, she turned back to face the excited gleam in Mrs. Hauffrey’s eyes. “Yes,” she said with calm that belied her inner angst.
“Oh my. Well, congratulations, of course.”
“Thank you.” She turned and strode down the hallway not wanting to give the old windbag any opportunity to ask further questions.
The looks of surprise were all the same. The traffic had never been so high through the downtown veterinarian practice. People wondered in to ask a variety of questions, but their purpose was all the same. To see the pregnant woman.
At first, Toni was amused, but by the afternoon, she was downright pissed. The subtle speculative stares. The overt open mouths. A few didn’t even make a pretense of their presence. They walked in, took a look, and stalked out.
Hadn’t anyone in this town ever gotten pregnant out of wedlock? Well, there was Amanda Jo Haney in high school. But come to think of it, she’d basically been run out of town on a rail. Not that anyone had demanded it. Far from it. Everyone made a pretense of supporting her, but made her life hell behind their hands.
She was stronger than that though. She wasn’t a shrinking violet. Shy, yes. Doormat, no. They could all take their sanctimonious BS and stick it where the sun didn’t shine.
