grabbed it, flipping off the light as she followed Sherry out.
The smell of a juicy baked ham and au gratin potatoes hit Lauren and Sherry as soon as they reached the top of the stairs. Ken was just taking warm rolls out of the oven when they walked into the kitchen. Wes turned and looked at Lauren.
“Mimosa?” he asked, taking the glass out of her hand.
“It was.”
“Care for another?”
“Sure, thanks.”
He set her glass beside two others and made all three. He handed Lauren hers first. His mix was stronger than Sherry’s.
“Honey, where are the beans?” Sherry asked, looking at Ken.
“Already on the table.”
She turned and saw them. “Oh. Then I guess we’re all set.”
Wes set his and Ken’s glasses by their plates and glanced at his sister. “What can I get you to drink?”
“White wine.”
Wes gave her a ‘let’s be serious’ look, clearly not about to budge on the alcohol.
“Well, you asked.” She pouted. “Fine, I’ll have white grape juice. It’s in the fridge.”
“Just so you don’t feel left out, I’ll put it in a wine glass for you.” A minute later Wes set a stemmed wine glass in front of Sherry. Then he bent to kiss the top of her head.
“Thanks,” said Sherry, voice shaking with emotion.
“Hold it together.” Wes smiled and pulled out the chair across from Lauren.
“I’ve got it,” Sherry said impatiently, fanning herself briskly.
Wes leaned forward and winked at Lauren. “She cries at the drop of a hat.”
“I do not.”
“I beg to differ,” Ken said, placing the butter dish on the table and taking the last chair.
“These two like ganging up on me,” Sherry muttered.
The guys both protested that claim, and Lauren smiled at the comfortable give-and-take going around the table.
While Sherry told Ken what they’d accomplished in the nursery, Wes caught Lauren’s eye and asked, “So what’d you think of it?”
“I never realized Sherry was such a talented artist. I mean, I always knew she liked to doodle, I just didn’t know she could do so much more.”
“She kept her light under a bush.”
“She sure did.” Lauren smiled softly and lifted her glass, taking a sip to hide it.
“What did you say?” Sherry asked, looking over.
“Lauren was just telling me how much she loves your artwork in the nursery.”
“Thanks, I am pretty proud of it. I admit I wasn’t very confident at first. I mean it’s one thing to have a vision, but it’s a whole different story carrying it off. You know?”
“You weren’t sure?” Lauren asked.
She shrugged. “Not really. I did some sketches, made a few pencil marks on the walls, but it took a lot of guts to actually put a paintbrush to the walls. In the end I decided that if I mucked it up I’d just repaint.”
“Well, any kid would love it.”
“I was trying to bring the Hundred Acre Wood to life.”
“You and Pooh,” said Ken with a warm chuckle.
“He’s the cutest thing ever. Just think of him stuck in Rabbit’s hole or hanging onto a bunch of balloons while trying to reach the beehive.”
Ken held up his hands defensively. “You’re right, he is adorable. Just don’t ask me to name the kid Winnie the Pooh.”
Sherry blew him a raspberry and everyone laughed.
“Do you have any names picked out?” Lauren asked as she buttered a soft bun.
“I wanted Clancy,” said Sherry.
Ken groaned. “Not that again.”
Her eyes narrowed on her husband. “But that suggestion was met with strong resistance, so at this time we’re still tossing around boy’s names.”
“What about girls?”
“I don’t think I’m carrying a girl.”
“But you can’t be sure.” Lauren tore a piece off her bun and popped it into her mouth.
“I don’t know. The baby just has a boy feel about him.” Sherry turned to Ken. “Honey, can I have a few more beans? I shorted myself.”
“Maybe you’re carrying a tomboy,” Lauren persisted.
Ken spooned more beans onto his wife’s plate and
The smell of a juicy baked ham and au gratin potatoes hit Lauren and Sherry as soon as they reached the top of the stairs. Ken was just taking warm rolls out of the oven when they walked into the kitchen. Wes turned and looked at Lauren.
“Mimosa?” he asked, taking the glass out of her hand.
“It was.”
“Care for another?”
“Sure, thanks.”
He set her glass beside two others and made all three. He handed Lauren hers first. His mix was stronger than Sherry’s.
“Honey, where are the beans?” Sherry asked, looking at Ken.
“Already on the table.”
She turned and saw them. “Oh. Then I guess we’re all set.”
Wes set his and Ken’s glasses by their plates and glanced at his sister. “What can I get you to drink?”
“White wine.”
Wes gave her a ‘let’s be serious’ look, clearly not about to budge on the alcohol.
“Well, you asked.” She pouted. “Fine, I’ll have white grape juice. It’s in the fridge.”
“Just so you don’t feel left out, I’ll put it in a wine glass for you.” A minute later Wes set a stemmed wine glass in front of Sherry. Then he bent to kiss the top of her head.
“Thanks,” said Sherry, voice shaking with emotion.
“Hold it together.” Wes smiled and pulled out the chair across from Lauren.
“I’ve got it,” Sherry said impatiently, fanning herself briskly.
Wes leaned forward and winked at Lauren. “She cries at the drop of a hat.”
“I do not.”
“I beg to differ,” Ken said, placing the butter dish on the table and taking the last chair.
“These two like ganging up on me,” Sherry muttered.
The guys both protested that claim, and Lauren smiled at the comfortable give-and-take going around the table.
While Sherry told Ken what they’d accomplished in the nursery, Wes caught Lauren’s eye and asked, “So what’d you think of it?”
“I never realized Sherry was such a talented artist. I mean, I always knew she liked to doodle, I just didn’t know she could do so much more.”
“She kept her light under a bush.”
“She sure did.” Lauren smiled softly and lifted her glass, taking a sip to hide it.
“What did you say?” Sherry asked, looking over.
“Lauren was just telling me how much she loves your artwork in the nursery.”
“Thanks, I am pretty proud of it. I admit I wasn’t very confident at first. I mean it’s one thing to have a vision, but it’s a whole different story carrying it off. You know?”
“You weren’t sure?” Lauren asked.
She shrugged. “Not really. I did some sketches, made a few pencil marks on the walls, but it took a lot of guts to actually put a paintbrush to the walls. In the end I decided that if I mucked it up I’d just repaint.”
“Well, any kid would love it.”
“I was trying to bring the Hundred Acre Wood to life.”
“You and Pooh,” said Ken with a warm chuckle.
“He’s the cutest thing ever. Just think of him stuck in Rabbit’s hole or hanging onto a bunch of balloons while trying to reach the beehive.”
Ken held up his hands defensively. “You’re right, he is adorable. Just don’t ask me to name the kid Winnie the Pooh.”
Sherry blew him a raspberry and everyone laughed.
“Do you have any names picked out?” Lauren asked as she buttered a soft bun.
“I wanted Clancy,” said Sherry.
Ken groaned. “Not that again.”
Her eyes narrowed on her husband. “But that suggestion was met with strong resistance, so at this time we’re still tossing around boy’s names.”
“What about girls?”
“I don’t think I’m carrying a girl.”
“But you can’t be sure.” Lauren tore a piece off her bun and popped it into her mouth.
“I don’t know. The baby just has a boy feel about him.” Sherry turned to Ken. “Honey, can I have a few more beans? I shorted myself.”
“Maybe you’re carrying a tomboy,” Lauren persisted.
Ken spooned more beans onto his wife’s plate and
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