Page 70 of Daddy By Design

“Is that a good, oh, God?”

She looked up, her eyes sparkling. “It’s not like I haven’t been pregnant before. I should know the signs. How dumb am I?” She straightened and pulled a few towels out of the dispenser. “It feels like a million years ago since I was pregnant with Berry.”

“Well, it kinda is. She’s what? Eleven?”

“She’ll be eleven next month. I don’t even know how.” She blotted her face with the damp towel. “But I didn’t really have morning sickness with Berry. Figures with Dex’s baby, I’d have all the inconveniences.” She laughed, but it quickly dissolved into tears.

“Oh, honey.” I rushed over to her and gathered her close. “Are these bad tears?”

Shelby gripped my arms. “No, just overwhelmed ones. I never really thought I’d want another baby after all the drama with David.”

I swayed with her side to side a little. “But it’s not David this time. It’s Dex, who loves you so much.”

“I know, but we didn’t even get through the wedding part. I’m supposed to go for my last fitting on the dress!” She eased back. “God, will I even fit in the dress?”

“Okay, you don’t even know if you’re pregnant yet.”

She just stared at me.

“I mean, the chances are pretty high. You guys are at each other like bunnies whenever you get the chance.”

Finally, a little color came back to Shelby’s face. “We’ve both been so busy with the wedding, it hasn’t been that much.”

I just arched a brow at her.

“Okay, so it’s still a few times a week minimum.”

“Don’t brag, girl.”

Shelby laughed. “Only you could make me laugh five minutes after I threw up.”

“Look, we have things handled here. Why don’t you go pick up a test or five—because you know Dex is going to make you take all of the different kinds to be sure—and go find that hunky lawyer of yours?”

She sniffled. “But this is a big client.”

“I got you. We got you. We always do.”A little sob bubbled up as Shelby threw herself at me again and my eyes went damp with empathy. “Now don’t get me going.” I patted her back.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you guys.” She stepped back and dashed away the tears. “Okay, I’m going to go see Dex. I’m definitely getting the tests first, though. He’s going to be a maniac.”

I laughed and dabbed at my eyes too. “You are in for it.”

Shelby groaned. “I really am.” She gripped my hand. “I’ll text you when I know something. Can you make sure everyone’s here tomorrow for our Friday meeting? I’ll tell everyone then.”

“You got it.”

Shelby went back to the mirror and thumbed away the mascara that had smudged. I went over to the do the same. I had to make sure my war makeup was good to go for Nolan.

Potentially, my job had just gotten a little harder without Shelby in the mix.

SIXTEEN

My attention was split between the contract I was halfheartedly skimming and watching for Dahlia’s return.

Finally, the two women came out of the room and the lighter-haired one—Shelby, I was pretty sure—split off to go to what I assumed was her office. Hellcat shook back her dark hair and damn that dress. She’d already tried to kill me on the sidewalk. Knowing what those legs felt like wrapped around me, then to see them again?

How the hell was I going to get through this project?

But seeing the even more involved drawings told me all I really needed to know. I’d made a halfhearted attempt to find someone else to run the renovation, but she was right. The other guy that I’d looked into was a blowhard. He’d marked up the materials and based on the few TJ had mentioned, Designing Women used superior products without the gouging.

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