door opening
and closing. Mind if I work tomorrow?"
"Not at all." Kendall went upstairs and laid out her
clothes. Her selection included a pencil-thin black skirt, a Bolero jacket,
sheer black stockings, and high-heeled shoes. The sooner she dressed the sooner
she could get to work on her Jackie White story. Brett felt the story would
play out quickly. But she wasn't so sure. She'd backed off talking to Phil
White yesterday, but today she'd do her best to get hold of him.
Nicole
appeared in the doorway as Kendall pulled a silk blouse from her closet.
Freshly blown-dry hair brushed Nicole's shoulders and an aqua empire shirt
covered her belly and grazed a pair of maternity jeans. "That the contractor I
hear moving around downstairs?"
"The one and only. I hope he gets the job done
quickly. I'm so over contractors."
Nicole
nodded. "Big day planned?"
"No
bigger than usual." Kendall took a second glance at Nicole. "You're all dressed
up."
She
exhaled a deep breath and smoothed her hand over her belly. "I'm headed to the
adoption agency today. I have an appointment with a counselor."
Kendall
directed her full attention at Nicole. "How are you doing with that?"
Nicole's
eyes watered. "Honestly? I'm scared."
Kendall
dropped the blouse in her hand onto the bed. She had a million things she
wanted to get done today and yet she heard herself saying, "Do you want me to
come with you?"
Nicole's
face brightened. "Would you? God, that would help a
lot."
"When's
your appointment?"
"An hour."
"I'll
be ready in thirty minutes."
"You're
the best."
Kendall
crossed the room and hugged her. "Just don't let it get around that I can be
nice. I've a reputation to uphold."
Nicole
laughed and swiped a tear. "I promise."
Thirty
minutes later, Kendall headed down the main staircase dressed and ready to go.
Drop cloths now covered the kitchen floor and partway into the hallway.
Sporadic bursts of banging hammers sounded from the kitchen. She sighed. She
didn't like people in her house. She valued privacy. But if she wanted a new
kitchen, sacrifices were required.
She
found Nicole in the living room. She had her coat on and was tapping her foot.
Seeing Nicole like this turned Kendall's mind to the woman who'd given her up. Had
her own birth mother been this nervous when Kendall had kicked in her belly and
she'd thought about giving her up?
A
jolt of sadness rocketed through Kendall and it took an effort to shake it off.
She was starting to believe that her reasons for helping Nicole weren't as pure
as she'd first thought. Maybe understanding and knowing Nicole would help her
understand her own birth mother.
Kendall
grabbed her coat and slipped it on. Between hammer strikes, she shouted, "Todd,
we're outta here!"
"Will
do, Ms. Shaw!" he shouted without even looking out of the kitchen. "I'll see
you tomorrow!"
Kendall
and Nicole exited the front door and moved down the narrow alleyway beside the
house to the garage in back. They each got in their own cars and soon Kendall
was following Nicole toward Monument Avenue. Minutes later they walked together
toward a nondescript stone building with a wrought-iron railing around a small
grassy yard. Five steps led to a covered porch and a black lacquered door that
had a tarnished brass knocker in the center. A brass sign by the front door
read SERENITY
FAMILY SERVICES .
Nicole
swallowed as she stared up the steps toward the door. "They've come highly
recommended."
"I
know." Kendall smiled. "I checked."
"You
did?"
"I've
got lots of connections. They come in handy."
"And
you heard all good things, like I did?" Hope and fear wove around the words.
Kendall
met her gaze head-on. "All good. I would have told you
if I'd heard anything squirrelly." She hooked her arm into Nicole's. "Let's see
what they have to say."
Nicole
pressed her hand to her belly. "Okay."
They
climbed the steps.
The
adoption counselor's office was designed for comfort, Nicole noted. Shag
carpet, pale blue walls, pictures
and closing. Mind if I work tomorrow?"
"Not at all." Kendall went upstairs and laid out her
clothes. Her selection included a pencil-thin black skirt, a Bolero jacket,
sheer black stockings, and high-heeled shoes. The sooner she dressed the sooner
she could get to work on her Jackie White story. Brett felt the story would
play out quickly. But she wasn't so sure. She'd backed off talking to Phil
White yesterday, but today she'd do her best to get hold of him.
Nicole
appeared in the doorway as Kendall pulled a silk blouse from her closet.
Freshly blown-dry hair brushed Nicole's shoulders and an aqua empire shirt
covered her belly and grazed a pair of maternity jeans. "That the contractor I
hear moving around downstairs?"
"The one and only. I hope he gets the job done
quickly. I'm so over contractors."
Nicole
nodded. "Big day planned?"
"No
bigger than usual." Kendall took a second glance at Nicole. "You're all dressed
up."
She
exhaled a deep breath and smoothed her hand over her belly. "I'm headed to the
adoption agency today. I have an appointment with a counselor."
Kendall
directed her full attention at Nicole. "How are you doing with that?"
Nicole's
eyes watered. "Honestly? I'm scared."
Kendall
dropped the blouse in her hand onto the bed. She had a million things she
wanted to get done today and yet she heard herself saying, "Do you want me to
come with you?"
Nicole's
face brightened. "Would you? God, that would help a
lot."
"When's
your appointment?"
"An hour."
"I'll
be ready in thirty minutes."
"You're
the best."
Kendall
crossed the room and hugged her. "Just don't let it get around that I can be
nice. I've a reputation to uphold."
Nicole
laughed and swiped a tear. "I promise."
Thirty
minutes later, Kendall headed down the main staircase dressed and ready to go.
Drop cloths now covered the kitchen floor and partway into the hallway.
Sporadic bursts of banging hammers sounded from the kitchen. She sighed. She
didn't like people in her house. She valued privacy. But if she wanted a new
kitchen, sacrifices were required.
She
found Nicole in the living room. She had her coat on and was tapping her foot.
Seeing Nicole like this turned Kendall's mind to the woman who'd given her up. Had
her own birth mother been this nervous when Kendall had kicked in her belly and
she'd thought about giving her up?
A
jolt of sadness rocketed through Kendall and it took an effort to shake it off.
She was starting to believe that her reasons for helping Nicole weren't as pure
as she'd first thought. Maybe understanding and knowing Nicole would help her
understand her own birth mother.
Kendall
grabbed her coat and slipped it on. Between hammer strikes, she shouted, "Todd,
we're outta here!"
"Will
do, Ms. Shaw!" he shouted without even looking out of the kitchen. "I'll see
you tomorrow!"
Kendall
and Nicole exited the front door and moved down the narrow alleyway beside the
house to the garage in back. They each got in their own cars and soon Kendall
was following Nicole toward Monument Avenue. Minutes later they walked together
toward a nondescript stone building with a wrought-iron railing around a small
grassy yard. Five steps led to a covered porch and a black lacquered door that
had a tarnished brass knocker in the center. A brass sign by the front door
read SERENITY
FAMILY SERVICES .
Nicole
swallowed as she stared up the steps toward the door. "They've come highly
recommended."
"I
know." Kendall smiled. "I checked."
"You
did?"
"I've
got lots of connections. They come in handy."
"And
you heard all good things, like I did?" Hope and fear wove around the words.
Kendall
met her gaze head-on. "All good. I would have told you
if I'd heard anything squirrelly." She hooked her arm into Nicole's. "Let's see
what they have to say."
Nicole
pressed her hand to her belly. "Okay."
They
climbed the steps.
The
adoption counselor's office was designed for comfort, Nicole noted. Shag
carpet, pale blue walls, pictures
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