Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls Book 4) Read online

  “Aw, I like him,” Elle announces as we watch him catch up to Sonia and open the door for her.

  “He’s sweet,” I agree.

  “Are you guys exclusive now?” she asks.

  I told the girls about Derrick earlier this year, but it was still very casual at the time.

  I shrug. “We haven’t talked about it, but we’ve definitely gotten closer this last semester. I guess we’ll just have to see how things work out this summer and go from there.”

  “He’s a handsome devil. I like his teeth,” she points out.

  “His teeth? I think you’ve had enough,” I say as I slide her martini glass away from her.

  Derrick and Sonia rejoin us ten minutes later, and she plops down in the stool beside me.

  “Everything okay?” I ask as she downs Elle’s confiscated drink.

  “Just dandy,” she says as she wipes her mouth.

  I raise my eyebrows at her—the universal girlfriend signal for spill—and she sighs.

  “Ricky was trying to make me feel guilty for being out, partying, while he is stuck at home, alone.”

  “Ignore him. Your best friend graduates from college only once. He’ll get over it.”

  “I know,” she says, but I can tell her mood has been ruined.

  “I know what you need. A pie!” I declare.

  “Pie?”

  “Deep dish!” Derrick and his buddies yell in unison.

  So, we finish our night at Pizano’s.

  The perfect ending to the perfect day with my favorite people.

  Bellamy

  Two Weeks Later

  “Thank you for picking us up. Myer refuses to let me drive right now,” Dallas says as she waddles down the porch steps.

  Beau has her hand and is carefully guiding her down to the driveway.

  “It’s no problem. Are you sure you feel up to this?” I ask.

  She looks like she is about to pop at any second.

  “Yes, ma’am. I couldn’t sit in that house for another minute. Nesting kicked in over a week ago, and I have cleaned out every single closet and drawer and rearranged the furniture in all the rooms. I’m going stir-crazy. Besides, I can’t miss Sophie’s shower,” she says as she hands me the wrapped box she is carrying.

  Sophia Lancaster Young is Dallas’s best friend, who happens to also be expecting. She is married to Elle’s brother, Braxton, and their bundle of joy is due in a few months in the fall. Her mother came into town this weekend to throw her the baby shower to end all baby showers. Elle called me last night and said that four trucks had pulled up to Rustic Peak—the ranch where she lives with her aunts and uncle—loaded down with party supplies.

  I place the box into the trunk of my 1966 cherry-red Mustang. It was a graduation gift from Momma and Pop. I’ve always loved muscle cars, and Pop had this beauty up on blocks under a tarp in the old barn for at least two decades. It was his dad’s car, and he had been in the process of restoring it to its original glory when he passed away. While I was in Chicago, Pop had it moved to Jackie’s Garage in town, and he and Jackie spent the last couple of years finishing it for me. I love it.

  “Can we take the top down?” Beau asks as he climbs into the backseat.

  “If it’s okay with your momma,” I answer.

  “Please, Mommy?” he begs Dallas.

  “Sure. I’m already sweating like a sinner in church. My hair is going up in a messy knot anyway.” She gives in as she plops down in the passenger seat next to me and shuts the door.

  I lower the convertible top, and we take off down the road as Beau throws his arms in the air and giggles.

  We pull up to Rustic Peak and are assaulted by a barrage of pink. Pink, white, and soft-gray balloons line the long driveway to the house. A large dark wood arch—woven with gorgeous pink, white, and sage-green-colored peonies—stands to the side of the house, leading guests into the backyard.

  “Wow, this is something else,” I say as I move into the parking spot indicated by the attendant.

  “Vivian has outdone herself,” Dallas muses as she shakes her head.

  Sophie’s mother tends to be extra in all things. She is a New York socialite, and she forgets—or rather ignores—the fact that Poplar Falls doesn’t really do extravagant.

  Momma and I along with Dallas’s mom—Dottie Henderson—threw Dallas’s baby shower in town. Dottie and Dallas own Bountiful Harvest Bread Company and they had purchased the space beside their bakery in January and expanded it to include a small café, where they serve breakfast and lunch sandwiches. We had the celebration there after hours one Saturday evening. Our mothers did all the cooking, and my girls and I decorated in neutral buttercup yellow and brown because Dallas and Myer had decided not to find out the sex of the baby and just to be surprised when the time came.

  It was simple and sweet, just what Dallas had wanted, which is the exact opposite of what we see when we round the house and walk through the flowery arch.

  “Is that a pony, Mommy?” Beau excitedly asks as I lead him by the hand into what can only be described as a princess garden party.

  Pink Chinese lanterns, softly glowing in the twilight sky, are strung on the trees. Underneath the trees are large tables, each one topped with a white tablecloth, a breathtaking centerpiece, and silver candlesticks along with white china and crystal wineglasses, and the chairs are covered in what looks to be pink silk. It’s magical.

  “Yeah, it sure looks like one,” Dallas tells him.

  He tugs his hand free of mine and races in the direction of the snow-white pony, wearing a huge pink bow around its neck.

  “She bought a newborn baby a pony?” I ask in disbelief.

  “Not a newborn. A not-yet-born baby,” Dallas points out.

  A waiter walks past us with a tray and offers us a glass of pink champagne. I take a flute, and Dallas eyes the tray as she balances our gift on her huge belly.

  “Really?” she asks him.

  He meets her glare and scurries off.

  We hear, “He probably thinks you’re just fat,” followed by laughter as Charlotte—Sophie’s friend and business partner from New York—comes sidling up next to us.

  Dallas’s glare moves to her.

  “Uh-oh, someone is testy,” Charlotte surmises.

  “No, someone is a hundred months pregnant, and her feet and ankles are the size of watermelons,” Dallas whines.

  “Well, come on, grumpy momma. Let’s get you off those swollen melons and get you something to eat,” Charlotte says as she takes the gift from Dallas and steers us to the table where Sophie is seated between her mother and Elle.

  “I hate you,” Dallas says in Sophie’s direction as she drops awkwardly into the seat.

  “Hate me? Why?” Sophie asks with her eyes wide.

  “Because you look all cute and chipper. And that dress looks great on you. If it wasn’t for the fact that it looks like you shoved a little basketball up under it, no one would ever know you were pregnant. I look like I’m wearing a freaking tent, and I had to come in my slippers because none of my shoes fit right now.”

  “You do not look like you’re wearing a tent, Dal. You look adorable,” Sophie replies.

  Dallas just rolls her eyes at her.

  We are served a delicious dinner before Sophie begins opening the insane amount of gifts. Half of which her mother brought from the city.

  “Can you believe she flew a pony in?” Elle asks as Vivian stands beside Sophie, handing her the gifts one by one.

  “Yep,” Dallas and Charlotte say at the same time.

  “We live on a ranch, and she flew a pony in from Upstate New York. That’s insane,” Elle exclaims.

  “That’s Viv. I knew she was going to do something to try to upstage whatever Madeline and Jefferson got them for the baby,” Dallas says.

  “Especially seeing as they gave them a home for a wedding gift,” Charlotte adds.

  Jefferson Lancaster is Sophie’s father. He and his second wife, Madeline, own
Rustic Peak. Madeline is Braxton and Elle’s aunt, and they have lived with them since their parents died in an accident when Elle was three years old. They gave a piece of land on the back side of the ranch that overlooks the river to Braxton and Sophie as a gift when they got engaged. Braxton spent the months before their wedding building their house on that land.

  “It’s still nuts. I thought Uncle Jefferson’s head was going to explode when the trailer pulled up with that animal on it,” Elle continues.

  “I wish I could have been here to see that,” Dallas says on a giggle.

  Then, she groans.

  “Are you okay?” I ask.

  “Yes, I think I might have just tinkled on myself a little though. Laughing always does that these days,” she says.

  “Ew,” Charlotte says and then thinks better as she reaches over and pats Dallas’s shoulder. “I mean, ah, that’s sweet.”

  “Yep, I’m adorable,” Dallas retorts as she pops another meatball in her mouth.

  Once Sophie opens all her gifts and everyone has eaten their fill, we get up and start mingling under the twinkling lights.

  Elle’s aunt Doreen and aunt Ria are fussing over the baskets at the party-favor table.

  “Hi, girls,” Aunt Doreen says before rounding the table and engulfing first Dallas and then me into a big hug.

  “It’s so good to see you. How long are you going to be home?” she asks me.

  “Through the summer. For now. I’m hoping to start a new job in a couple of months.”

  “That’s wonderful. I know the girls are happy to have you home for a while.” She beams.

  “You girls make sure to take a basket. It’s the only thing Vivian would let Ria and me handle.”

  I check out the small handwoven baskets that have a handwritten card attached that says, Tickled Pink You Came. Inside is a small terra-cotta flowerpot and seed packet that says, Let Love Grow; a bag of white chocolate–drizzled popcorn that says, She’s Ready to Pop; along with an assortment of baked goodies, a set of white-and-pink handmade goat’s milk soap bars, and a tiny bottle of pink champagne that says, Pop It When She Pops.

  “These are amazing,” I say as I snatch up two.

  “Take one for your momma too. I hate that she was feeling poorly and couldn’t make it. She and Miss Elaine helped us assemble the baskets after church last week. She made the popcorn, and Elaine made the soaps.”

  They helped Momma make the favor baskets for Dallas’s shower too.

  A basket full of their love.

  “These are charming. You guys outdid yourselves. And this shindig, woohoo,” I muse.

  “It is lovely. I know Viv can be a bit much, but the woman knows how to throw a party,” Aunt Doreen praises.

  We hear a whistle just as Braxton, Walker, and Jefferson round the house.

  Braxton beelines for Sophie, and Walker and Jefferson head our way.

  Walker picks Elle up off her feet, and she squirms in his grasp.

  “Yuck, you’re all sweaty,” she complains.

  He releases her. “That’s because we worked our asses off today. Now, I’m hungry. Where are those fancy sandwiches and cakes?” he asks as he looks around, and his eyes land on Dallas. “Did you eat them all?”

  She scowls at him. “No, I did not, asshat,” she spits at him.

  He throws his hands in the air. “All right, it’s nothing to get so blowed up about,” he says, and Jefferson can’t help but burst into laughter.

  Dallas throws a punch into Walker’s ribs.

  “Ow, you’re so sensitive,” he complains as he rubs his side.

  “Never mess with a pregnant woman past her due date,” Dallas warns.

  “How overdue are you, dear?” Aunt Ria asks.

  “Four days. The doctor says if I don’t go into labor by the weekend, he is going to induce me on Monday morning,” Dallas informs us.

  “I can’t believe it’s time already,” I squeal.

  I’m so looking forward to being an aunt. Our whole family has been bubbling with excitement awaiting our newest member’s arrival.

  Dallas cradles her stomach. “I know. I can’t wait to meet him or her either even if I do feel like a whale that has to pee every five minutes. Speaking of, I’ll be right back,” she says as she waddles off in the direction of the house.

  She almost makes it to the back door when she stops and turns around.

  “Bellamy!” she yells as she looks down.

  She is standing in a puddle.

  “Whoa. Couldn’t hold it, huh?” Walker shouts back.

  “Oh, that’s not what that is,” Doreen says before turning and calling for Braxton and pointing to Dallas.

  Braxton looks that direction and starts running toward her, as do I.

  Walker looks confused for a second, and then he falls in beside me.

  “Call Myer,” I tell him, and he snatches his phone from his pocket.

  I skid to a stop in front of her, and she is looking down at the mess.

  “My water broke,” she says shakily.

  Braxton gets to us, takes one look at Dallas, and says, “I’ll get my truck.”

  He heads to the driveway.

  “I’ve got Myer,” Walker says as he waves his phone in the air.

  “Tell him Dallas is in labor and to meet us at the hospital. And tell him to stop and grab her bags,” I instruct.

  “He doesn’t have to stop. We’ll do that,” Charlotte says as she and Sophie make it to us.

  “Beau?” Dallas says as she looks to Sophie.

  “We’ve got him too. We’ll stop and get your stuff and be right behind you guys,” Sophie assures her.

  “I’m sorry I ruined your shower,” Dallas whispers.

  “Ruin? Are you kidding me? It’s the perfect ending! You saved the best gift for last,” Sophie squeals as Braxton arrives, pulling his truck to a stop right in front of us.

  “Come on. Let’s go have a baby,” I say as I open the truck door, and Walker gently helps Dallas up into the passenger seat.

  I close her in.

  “I’ll be right behind you in my car,” I tell her before they peel out.

  Cheers and whistles go up as I walk around the side of the house and watch the truck pull out of the gate.

  I turn to look at everyone. They all have tears in their eyes.

  “Let’s go have a niece or nephew!”

  Bellamy

  Dallas’s parents and her brother, Payne, are at the hospital when we arrive.

  Her mother follows her into the delivery room while her daddy, Payne, Braxton, and I set up in the waiting room across the hall.

  Ten minutes later, I peek my head out the door and see my brother frantically making his way down the hall, headed for the nurses’ station.

  I step out to greet him.

  “Where is she?” A breathless Myer skids to a stop in front of me with Momma and Pop in tow.

  “In room 314. Relax. You have time.”

  “Thanks for getting her here safely,” he says before he takes off toward the rooms.

  “Dottie is already in there, and she wants you in there too,” Mr. Henderson, who has walked up behind me, tells Momma.

  Tears immediately fill her eyes, and she nods, hands her bag off to our dad and follows Myer.

  I loop my arm through his as he watches Myer and Momma disappear into Dallas’s room.

  “Come on, Gramps. Let’s go wait,” I tell him, and his wet eyes are smiling as he lets me lead him into the waiting room.

  One by one, our friends trickle in, and before you know it, the waiting room is running over with Dallas and Myer’s thrilled family and friends—Walker and Elle, Madeline, Doreen, Ria, and Sonia. Finally, Sophie and Charlotte come in with Beau, carrying boxes.

  “We brought the baby some cupcakes,” Beau says as he bounces into the room and to his uncle Payne.

  “Yeah, we had lots left over from the shower, so we thought we’d bring them for everyone to snack on while they waited,�
� Sophie says as she hands off the boxes to Braxton.

  “We’ll run down to the cafeteria and grab coffees and sodas. Come on, Walk,” Braxton offers after setting the treats on the table under the television.

  “I’ll be right back. I’m going to check on them,” I tell the room at large before pacing down to the nurses’ station.

  “Any word on Dallas Wilson?” I ask the nurse who has answered this question for me several times.

  She gives me a patient smile. “Not yet, dear. Last time we checked in, she was dilated to an eight.”

  “Okay, thank you. This is our first baby in the family. We’re a little excited,” I explain.

  “I promise, as soon as the doctor is called in and she starts pushing, I’ll come to give you guys an update,” she offers.

  “I appreciate that.”

  I head back down to the waiting room, and I hear Charlotte’s voice fussing at someone.

  “Seriously? That’s what you wear to the hospital? You know that’s what you’re going to be wearing in every picture the day your niece or nephew was born, right?”

  I see Payne grinning up at her with Beau sitting in his lap.

  “What does it say?” Beau asks curiously.

  “Nothing,” Charlotte gets out just as Payne says proudly, “Beavers love wood.”

  “Payne!” Charlotte scolds.

  Beau looks up at her, confused. “Beavers do love wood. They build dams in the river,” he helpfully replies.

  “They sure do, buddy,” Payne agrees as he grins up at Charlotte.

  “You’re a pig,” Charlotte says.

  “No, he’s not. He’s a boy,” Beau defends, and Payne’s grin gets wider.

  Charlotte rolls her eyes and sits down in the chair beside them.

  I join Elle and Sonia in the chairs on the opposite wall.

  Braxton and Walker return with trays of beverages and start passing them out to everyone.

  “Hey, guys. Thanks for coming,” I tell my best friends.

  “Like we’d miss it. This baby is going to be calling us Auntie too,” Sonia says.

  “Where’s Ricky?” I ask.

  She sighs. “At home. He told me babies are chick territory. I texted him when we got here and told him that Walker, Braxton, and Payne were all here, but he didn’t respond. Maybe I should try him again,” she says as she fishes her phone from her bag. “I’m going to step outside and give him a call, see if I can convince him to ride over.”