“I am not.”
Lauryn turned her attention to Valerie. She was glowing in her pregnancy. A
twinge of jealousy traveled through her. Not only was Valerie part of a wonderful
family, she was creating her own.
“How far along are you?”
Valerie rubbed her stomach. “Six months and counting.”
Lauryn‘s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding me. You‘re hardly showing.
Steve‘s friend Johanna just reached her sixth month and she looks like she is way
farther along than you are, but then again she‘s shorter than you.”
Valerie shook her head. “Well, the baby is healthy. Not to mention I eat like a
horse. I don‘t know where it goes.”
Bethany laughed. “Well, I can vouch for her eating like a barnyard animal. She
wolfed down two and a half sandwiches at lunch that were just an appetizer.”
Valerie turned and gave Bethany an evil look. “Just wait until it‘s your turn,
little sister.”
Sabrina laughed. “You guys stop before you scare Lauryn.”
“Too late,” Lauryn replied jokingly.
All eyes went to her as the women began to laugh. Bethany shifted to look at
her. “I really like you. I can see why my cousin is attracted to you.”
Valerie studied her closely before speaking. “So what attracted you to Steve?”
Lauryn paused to think about what she should say when answering the
question. She knew they wouldn‘t want to hear about Steve‘s butt and chest, but she
could tell them the other reasons. She would definitely stick with the G-rated answer.
“Well, he‘s intelligent, nice, and very good looking.”
Sabrina leaned closer to her. “What about his financial status?”
Lauryn shrugged. “Well, he probably has a little more money than most
because of the business he has, but it doesn‘t matter to me. No matter how poor or
rich Steve is, his personality is the reason I‘m attracted to him.”
The women shared a look that Lauryn couldn‘t decipher. Had she said
something wrong? If so, what? The last thing she wanted to do was leave Steve‘s sister
and cousins with a bad impression. There was no way it wouldn‘t get back to Steve if
she did.
After a few seconds of awkward silence Valerie yawned and stood up. “I think
I‘m going to follow in Hannah‘s footsteps and take a nap myself. I‘m tired.”
They watched as Valerie made her way up the stairs. Gail stood up next. “If I
thought I could sleep, I‘d take a nap as well, but I can‘t, so I‘ll just go see if I can find
my husband. Maybe I can talk him into joining me for some afternoon fun.”
Lauryn struggled to keep her expression from revealing every ounce of the
shock she felt. Steve‘s family dynamic could only be described as interesting. Bethany
laughed. “I‘m sure it won‘t be too hard for you to do. Just make sure you two keep it
down.”
Gail didn‘t seem to be at all bothered by the statement for she gave them a
saucy wink. “We‘ll try.”
Bethany turned to Sabrina. “What‘s the scoop on Will? I thought the two of
you were broken up?”
“We were, but I took him back.” Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Or rather he took me
back.”
Bethany giggled. “Well, pretty soon we‘re going to be hearing wedding bells.”
Sabrina made a gagging sound before agreeing with Bethany. “I know, but
they‘ll be yours.”
Bethany groaned before looking over at Lauryn. “If a man asks you to marry him
say no. Planning a wedding isn‘t fun.”
Lauryn laughed. “Well then, elope.”
Sabrina and Bethany looked at Lauryn as if she had lost her mind. Bethany
shook her head. “I would get disowned from the family.”
Sabrina nodded in agreement. “Yeah, our parents and grandparents make such a
big deal about it. It‘s the reason why I make sure I only get involved with people that
are non-marriage material.”
Bethany laughed. “Hence she‘s trying to get rid of Will. He‘s a good guy, most
definitely the marrying kind, therefore he makes her
Lauryn turned her attention to Valerie. She was glowing in her pregnancy. A
twinge of jealousy traveled through her. Not only was Valerie part of a wonderful
family, she was creating her own.
“How far along are you?”
Valerie rubbed her stomach. “Six months and counting.”
Lauryn‘s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding me. You‘re hardly showing.
Steve‘s friend Johanna just reached her sixth month and she looks like she is way
farther along than you are, but then again she‘s shorter than you.”
Valerie shook her head. “Well, the baby is healthy. Not to mention I eat like a
horse. I don‘t know where it goes.”
Bethany laughed. “Well, I can vouch for her eating like a barnyard animal. She
wolfed down two and a half sandwiches at lunch that were just an appetizer.”
Valerie turned and gave Bethany an evil look. “Just wait until it‘s your turn,
little sister.”
Sabrina laughed. “You guys stop before you scare Lauryn.”
“Too late,” Lauryn replied jokingly.
All eyes went to her as the women began to laugh. Bethany shifted to look at
her. “I really like you. I can see why my cousin is attracted to you.”
Valerie studied her closely before speaking. “So what attracted you to Steve?”
Lauryn paused to think about what she should say when answering the
question. She knew they wouldn‘t want to hear about Steve‘s butt and chest, but she
could tell them the other reasons. She would definitely stick with the G-rated answer.
“Well, he‘s intelligent, nice, and very good looking.”
Sabrina leaned closer to her. “What about his financial status?”
Lauryn shrugged. “Well, he probably has a little more money than most
because of the business he has, but it doesn‘t matter to me. No matter how poor or
rich Steve is, his personality is the reason I‘m attracted to him.”
The women shared a look that Lauryn couldn‘t decipher. Had she said
something wrong? If so, what? The last thing she wanted to do was leave Steve‘s sister
and cousins with a bad impression. There was no way it wouldn‘t get back to Steve if
she did.
After a few seconds of awkward silence Valerie yawned and stood up. “I think
I‘m going to follow in Hannah‘s footsteps and take a nap myself. I‘m tired.”
They watched as Valerie made her way up the stairs. Gail stood up next. “If I
thought I could sleep, I‘d take a nap as well, but I can‘t, so I‘ll just go see if I can find
my husband. Maybe I can talk him into joining me for some afternoon fun.”
Lauryn struggled to keep her expression from revealing every ounce of the
shock she felt. Steve‘s family dynamic could only be described as interesting. Bethany
laughed. “I‘m sure it won‘t be too hard for you to do. Just make sure you two keep it
down.”
Gail didn‘t seem to be at all bothered by the statement for she gave them a
saucy wink. “We‘ll try.”
Bethany turned to Sabrina. “What‘s the scoop on Will? I thought the two of
you were broken up?”
“We were, but I took him back.” Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Or rather he took me
back.”
Bethany giggled. “Well, pretty soon we‘re going to be hearing wedding bells.”
Sabrina made a gagging sound before agreeing with Bethany. “I know, but
they‘ll be yours.”
Bethany groaned before looking over at Lauryn. “If a man asks you to marry him
say no. Planning a wedding isn‘t fun.”
Lauryn laughed. “Well then, elope.”
Sabrina and Bethany looked at Lauryn as if she had lost her mind. Bethany
shook her head. “I would get disowned from the family.”
Sabrina nodded in agreement. “Yeah, our parents and grandparents make such a
big deal about it. It‘s the reason why I make sure I only get involved with people that
are non-marriage material.”
Bethany laughed. “Hence she‘s trying to get rid of Will. He‘s a good guy, most
definitely the marrying kind, therefore he makes her
Similar Books
