Page 58 of Hearts Like Hers

Kate tossed an embarrassed arm over her eyes.“I deserved that. Not that I’m complaining.” The phone buzzed again. “Is thatreal buzzing or just the fog I’m in?”

“Real, but—” The doorbell sounded. Autumnglanced behind her. “What the hell?” She grabbed her phone and checked thereadout. “No, no, no.”

“What’s wrong?”

Autumn looked down at Kate, still beneathher. “It’s Vicky. She’s outside.”

“Your mom?”

“My mom. And she’s not the type to go away.Ever. She’ll park herself on that doorstep until she gets whatever it is shecame here for.”

Kate’s eyes went wide. “I’m about to meetyour mother, seconds after you, her daughter, just…I don’t even have the rightword. Mind isn’t working yet.” She blinked several times. “How am I supposedto—”

Autumn leapt into action just as the doorbellsounded again. “Step one. Get dressed.” Autumn started the process. “And meetme out there.” She hopped into the living room on one leg, pulling on herjeans.

“Vicky, what in the world?” she asked uponanswering the door. “It’s after ten.”

Her mother looked wide-eyed and hurt. “You’repregnant? My daughter is pregnant and she didn’t even tell me?” Vicky didn’twait for an invitation and breezed into Autumn’s living room, depositing herdesigner handbag on the couch.

Autumn squinted and turned. “Not pregnant.Who told you that?”

“That quirky counter boy at the coffee shop.I stopped in to see you because I needed a favor.” She’d noticed several textsfrom Steve as she’d glanced at her phone. He’d probably been sending up warningflares.

“And he announced, inaccurately, that I waspregnant? Not really seeing how that happens on its own.” She glanced towardthe hallway and saw Kate standing there, looking hesitant.

“He mentioned you had a doctor’s appointmentand I pried it out of him. Do you have Chardonnay?” Vicky asked, taking a seat.Only she didn’t seem too steady and had probably already had one of those.

“Vicky, I want to introduce you to Kate.”

“What?” Vicky said, placing a hand over herchest. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Kate in the entryway.“You have late-night company. A booty call?”

Autumn cringed. “Not at all that.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Primm,” Kate saidpolitely.

“Sweetheart, call me Vicky.” She pointed atKate. “Your shirt is on inside out.”

Autumn watched Kate’s face shift to the colorof a ripe tomato.

Vicky waved it off. “Happens to the best ofus. About that Chardonnay?”

“All out, I’m afraid.” Autumn held up herpalms apologetically—anything to get her mother to go home and not say anythingelse too embarrassing.

“What about the pregnancy? My grandchild.”Vicky leaned forward. “Is it Steve’s?”

Autumn closed her eyes and pinched the bridgeof her nose. “No. That would be impossible. But while we’re on the topic,” sheglanced at Kate, who offered a supportive smile, “I am trying to get pregnant.That part is true.”

Vicky pointed at Kate. “I don’t really seeher getting the job done.”

Autumn wanted to die. “A donor, Vicky. I’musing a donor.”

She sat back, brow in a knit. “Isn’t thatexpensive?”

“I have a small savings, and this is animportant step in my life.”

“Seems like a waste of cash when you couldjust meet a nice man and spend a lovely afternoon together. Get that job donefor free.” She whistled and punched her fist in the air.

Autumn wasn’t shocked that Vicky missed themain idea or that she once again couldn’t understand how Autumn wouldn’t wantto hoodwink some poor guy into knocking her up. Par for the course, all of it.But couldn’t she at least be happy for Autumn? For once?

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