Angel's Rest(57)

“Why do you have keys to the chemistry lab?” Sage asked as Sarah fitted a key into the lock.

“I’m here so much doing such a variety of volunteer work that the principal figured it was more efficient just to give me a set of keys.” She opened the door and flipped the light switch.

Sage took hold of Nic’s arm and pulled her into the classroom, then froze. “Oh, my. This is frightening.”

Celeste clicked her tongue. “I’m glad I didn’t wander into this room alone.”

The note of alarm in her friends’ voices distracted Nic and made her smile. “This is part of the local wildlife collection Bear donated to the school. He’s a taxidermist.”

Celeste made a slow visual survey of the room. “Why do they keep the animals in the chemistry lab? Why not the biology lab?”

“They do keep them there,” Sarah explained. “This is the overflow.”

“Bear is one interesting man,” Sage observed, approaching the stuffed bear standing on its haunches.

“Yes,” Sarah agreed. “But I’m more interested in a polecat. Nic? You ready to talk?”

“Yes. No.” She grimaced. “I think I need to sit down.”

“Of course, dear.” Celeste took Nic’s arm and guided her over to a table with four chairs. “Can I get you some water?”

“No, thank you.”

Sage took the chair next to Nic, saying, “I’m gonna sit here where I can keep an eye on that bear.”

Nic recognized Sage’s comment as an attempt to lighten the mood and she appreciated the effort. Celeste sat catercorner to Nic, and Sarah took the opposite seat. She reached out, took Nic’s hand, and said, “Talk to us.”

“I’m gonna have a baby.”

“Gabe’s?” When Nic nodded, Sarah gave her hand a squeeze. “I didn’t know you were seeing him.”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘seeing.’ It was a onetime thing.”

As Sarah and Sage shared a look, the story poured out. Her friends, being her friends, punctuated the tale with comments throughout.

“I could tell he had his eyes on you.”

“You liked him from the first.”

“Christmas is tough under normal circumstances.”

“In the foyer!”

“I’ll bet you were worried, not knowing how to reach him after he left.”

“Dodging your calls? What a jerk!”

“My blood pressure pills? Oh, dear.”

Then, finally, all three of her friends spoke at once. “He said no?”

“That’s right. He doesn’t want to be part of my baby’s life.”

Sarah’s eyes flashed. “That sorry skunk. I thought better of him than that.”

Nic tugged a tissue from the box Celeste offered to her and dabbed at an escaped tear. “It’ll be okay. We will be okay.” After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Won’t we?”

“Absolutely,” Sarah declared. “And I ought to know because I speak from experience. I won’t lie and say it’s not a struggle being a single parent, but you’re a strong woman, Nicole Sullivan. You’ll do just fine.”

“If that’s how it shakes out,” Sage said. She drummed her fingers against the table. “I think he’ll come around.”

“He said—”

“I don’t care what he said.” Celeste gave the surface of the lab table a little slap. “The news was undoubtedly a shock to him. I agree with Sage. Don’t give up on him yet.”

“I don’t know. He seemed pretty certain.”

Celeste dismissed her argument with a wave. “You caught him off guard. Be fair to the man. I am certain he simply needed a little time to process the information. Gabe is a good man. Once he’s had time to think it through, he will do the right thing.”

Turning to Sarah and Sage, she continued, “Now, that puts us under the gun if we are going to make Nic’s wedding the thing of her dreams. Nic, you attend St. Stephen’s, don’t you? Such a lovely old church. I can see the altar decked out with wedding flowers now.”

“Whoa. Stop.” Nic shook her head. “Wait just one minute. No one said anything about a wedding.”

“Do you want your child to be illegitimate?”

“No, but it won’t be the end of the world. This isn’t the 1950s, you know.”