Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

seemed to her the bed rest made it worse, not better. She was so inactive, the last thing her body wanted to do at night was sleep.
    The baby rolled and shifted. Holly rubbed her belly. The muscles across the top of her stomach tightened, then relaxed. Doc told her these practice contractions weren’t anything to worry about, but they happened more and more often. She smiled as she stroked her abdomen again. Wish me luck, baby, because Ty and I are going to need it.
    She called the power company. She tried to time her bill-negotiating calls for when Tyler was out of the house. He didn’t need to hear her working deals for partial payments on their phone and electricity. She would pay the minimum and just hope the money she had left combined with what she could still earn would get them through. At least if Ty brought groceries one worry was off her mind.
    * * * *
    Jake locked his office and grabbed his cap and coat from the peg next to the door, realizing he didn’t have time to run home before he was supposed to be at Jenny’s house. He grimaced at the idea of going to her party in his uniform, but hell they all knew who and what he was anyway. Wasn’t like jeans and a shirt would make them any more comfortable.
    “Get in the car, Jake.”
    “Evan?” Jake started. “What are you doing here?”
    Evan straightened from where he’d been leaning against the side of his car and grabbed Jake’s elbow. “You forget. I know you too well. You were getting ready to go to Jenny’s in your uniform, weren’t you?”
    “Well…” Jake slid in the passenger side.
    “Fuck well,” Evan said as he buckled his seat belt. “I’m running you back to your house so you can change. Then we’ll go.”
    Jake glanced at Evan’s profile as his friend drove the few short blocks to where their homes stood side by side. “I still don’t get why you want to go.”
    “I’m a masochist.” Evan pulled into the drive. “Hurry up. I can’t wait for Dr. Owens to give me an eat-my-assectomy.”
    Jake sighed. Evan was right. They did know each other too well, and he knew Evan was up to something. He’d dropped hints all week until Jake invited him along. Jenny had said he could bring a friend, but Jake knew Evan was not who she’d had in mind. So why was he going along with it? Because he was a sucker. That was why. They might not remember, but Jake did. Evan and Jenny were supposed to be together.
    In just minutes, Jake climbed back into Evan’s car, uniform gone and jeans and a sweater in their place. Christmas music blared from the radio as Evan flicked his wrist to turn on the ignition.
    “I figure we can both use a little mood music.”
    Jake laughed. “Doesn’t feel like the holiday spirit’s infected anybody this year.”
    As they passed the road leading to the old Crawley place where he’d dropped off Tyler and met Holly, he frowned. He’d given Sam a heads-up about the Morgans so maybe he and his deputies could keep an eye on her. What would she do if she went into labor and couldn’t drive? Mistletoe Lane was little more than interconnected potholes. He doubted either of the county’s two ambulances could even negotiate the road.
    One thing was for sure, Mountain Meadow was small enough chances were good he’d see Holly and Tyler again. He grinned as he realized he wouldn’t mind at all. He’d liked the kid a lot, and if he could get past some of Holly’s wariness… Jake wasn’t quite sure how to finish that thought. Anyone could see she loved her brother and the baby she carried. He had to respect that kind of commitment.
    “What are you grinning about Allred? My imminent demise?”
    Jake snorted. “You were the one who invited yourself along. Don’t whine if you’re welcome’s less than you expect.”
    “So why the grin?”
    “Thinking of the woman and her brother who’ve rented the Crawley place.”
    Evan laughed. “You’re thinking about a woman? Careful, next thing you know, Sam’s prediction