Breeze off the Ocean Read Online Free PDF Page A

long boardwalk ended. From Cindy’s letters Micki knew it was a double unit building fronting the beach and ocean. The reason the young couple decided to buy a double unit was the obvious one: the increasing cost of real estate. The summer rental on the apartment made up more than half of the yearly mortgage payments. The cost of the building had been exorbitant but, Cindy had written, for a place of their own, it had been worth it.
    Cindy was waiting at the door, and as soon as Micki drove onto the crushed-stone driveway, she pushed the car door open and ran to meet her.
    After incoherent greetings and fierce hugs were exchanged, the two women stood back to examine each other, identical smiles of pleasure on their faces. Extending a slim hand, Micki placed it gently on the bulge that was Cindy’s belly.
    “I’m so happy for you,” she said softly. “But, why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I wanted to surprise you.” Cindy laughed. “If you remember, you wrote that you were thinking of spending your vacation at home this year and, well, I just wanted to see your face when you saw me.”
    “You nit.” Micki shook her head in mock reproach. “Was my expression worth keeping the secret all this time?”
    “Well worth it,” Cindy affirmed, taking her arm and leading her to the house. “You looked absolutely stunned.”
    A mental picture of how she’d reacted to the news a short time ago allowed Micki to answer with complete honesty. “I assure you I was. When is the big event slated to happen?”
    “Around Christmastime,” Cindy replied happily. “Oh, Micki, don’t you think that’s exciting? I mean, a baby for Christmas.”
    ‘Very exciting,” Micki murmured. She stepped over the threshold directly into a large, airy living room, resplendent with plants of all kinds, a half dozen of which hung from the ceiling.
    The apartment was larger than Micki would have expected. In addition to the living room there was a tiny dining room, a roomy kitchen, one and a half baths, and three bedrooms, one of which was in the process of redecoration.
    “The baby’s room,” Cindy explained needlessly.
    “I love it,” Micki enthused honestly. “All of it. And the fact that it’s practically right on the beach makes it worth whatever you paid for it”
    ‘That’s what we thought,” Cindy nodded. “Of course we don’t know what it will be like in the winter, but we’re delighted with it just the same.”
    They wandered back into the kitchen and from there onto the wide, awning-covered deck.
    “I thought since it’s so hot already this morning, we’d have lunch out here.”
    “Wonderful.” Micki stared entranced at the view of the beach and sun-sparkled ocean the deck afforded. “Oh, Cindy,” she breathed softly, “this place was worth almost any amount of money, just for the view.”
    “I know—it’s super.” Cindy laughed. “Benny and I have breakfast out here every nice morning.”
    “How is Benny?” Micki asked belatedly. “And how does he feel about becoming a father?”
    “He’s fine.” Cindy smiled softly. “And he’s so excited about the baby he can hardly wait.” The smile grew into a grin. “We were shopping last week and would you believe I had to drag him out of the sports department? He wanted to buy the baby a football, for heaven’s sake.”
    “Knowing Benny, I can believe it.” Micki grinned back. “Do you think most men get a little soft in the head about their first child?”
    Micki didn’t even hear Cindy’s answer, for suddenly she felt like a large hand was squeezing all the air from her chest. Dear God, why did the most innocent remarks still have the power to hurt her like this?
    Cindy laughed and pulling herself together, Micki managed to laugh with her. The sudden explosion of air eased the constriction of her lungs, and as the conversation switched to the more immediate subject of lunch, Micki felt her emotional gear shift back into normal.
    By the time they had