Just For Christmas

To Hope she asked in a low voice, “So what about Drake? Does he know his nephew is with you?”

Slowly Hope stirred cream into her coffee. “Yes. Actually, he’s home now.”

“Really!” Katie’s dark green eyes popped wide. “Is he—did you two get things straightened out?”

Hope’s head swung briefly back and forth as she glanced at Stevie. She didn’t want the child to hear too much. “No. And I’m not holding my breath that we will.”

Katie groaned with frustration. “Hope, you’re an idiot if you don’t fight for the man. I know you still love him. This thing with him not wanting a baby might change.”

Hope looked grimly past the tables of diners to the busy street beyond. “I’m not as young as you, Katie. I don’t have time to sit around waiting for Drake to change his mind. I’m sick of waiting and hoping.”

“You must really want a baby,” Katie suggested cautiously. “More than anything.”

Before Hope could respond to her friend’s remark, Shelby stopped by their spot at the counter, her eyes zeroing in on Katie.

“Hello, stranger! Home for good now?”

Katie shook her head. “No. Three or four more weeks.”

“The diner isn’t the same without you popping in.”

Katie laughed. “There’s no diner this good in Houston, Shelby. I promise.”

Shelby’s face glowed with the compliment, then leaning closer, she asked in a lowered voice, “Have you two heard the latest news?”

Katie and Hope exchanged blank glances.

“What news?” Katie asked.

“About the Maitlands.”

Clearly, Shelby had heard another round of gossip she couldn’t wait to share with her friends.

Hope said drearily, “Don’t tell me. Tattle Today TV has reported baby Cody was dropped at the clinic by a spaceship and one of the Maitland men was having a relationship with an alien.”

Shelby laughed and her eyes twinkled with excitement. “No! It’s much better than that! Just about everyone has heard how Jake is coming back to Austin, right? Well, guess what? He’s back and he’s brought a pregnant woman home with him.”

Stunned, Katie and Hope stared at her, then at each other.

“A pregnant woman!” Katie exclaimed in a hushed tone. “Who told you this? Or is this something Chelsea Markum reported on Tattle Today? If it is, you know it’s probably not true.”

“No, no! I doubt even Chelsea Markum has come up with this scoop yet. Beth and Ellie told me about it this morning when they stopped by for breakfast.”

Finding the news difficult to digest, Hope shook her head. “Are you sure about this, Shelby? Abby hasn’t mentioned anything about Jake getting married or becoming a father.”

Shelby glanced toward the cash register to make sure no one was waiting to pay, then turned to her friends. “There wasn’t any mention of Jake being married. As for Abby not saying anything, she probably just found out. From what Beth and Ellie said, they don’t know much about her.”

Clearly caught up with this new development, Katie leaned forward and propped her chin on her fist. “Since last week, I haven’t heard much about the baby scandal or anything about Jake. Did Beth and Ellie say why he was back in Austin?”

Shelby shook her head. “Things got busy in here so I had to move on to another table. But they were concerned about what the media would do once they got hold of the news.”

Hope had to agree. She didn’t really know Abby’s brother all that well, but his showing up with a pregnant woman when there was one Maitland baby already causing a scandal was surely going to add fuel to the fire. “Do you think this woman is carrying Jake’s child?”

Shelby tapped a thoughtful finger against her chin. “Who knows. He rarely returns to Austin. And when he does, he’s pretty much of a closed book.”

“That’s the way Abby describes him,” Hope agreed.

Shelby nodded. “I know he’s always been close to Megan. But I doubt there’s a son alive who tells his mother everything.”

Katie considered Shelby’s words. “What about your brothers? Aren’t they supposed to be friends with Jake?”

Once again Shelby nodded. “They do see him from time to time, but from what they say he doesn’t speak of his personal life to them, either.”

“Hmm. Well, that rules out Jake being the father of Cody,” Katie mused as she straightened in her chair and reached for her coffee.

Hope darted a curious glance at her. “How can you be certain of that?”

Katie shrugged, then chuckled. “Me, certain? I just think it’s unlikely he would have a newborn with one woman and another woman pregnant.”

Shelby’s quiet laugh had both her friends turning their attention to her. “Girls, you’ve got to remember Jake is a Maitland. And they’re not exactly known for living like monks.”

A sly smile curved Katie’s lips. “You’re right about that, Shelby. And I’ll go a step further and say thank God for the Maitland family. Otherwise Austin might not have Maitland Maternity Clinic and a lot of babies and children wouldn’t get the wonderful care they need.”

“And I might not have a busy diner,” Shelby agreed with a little laugh, then, spying a customer headed to the cash register, she waved at her friends. “I’ll see you two later.”

As Shelby hurried away, Katie reached for her purse. “I hate to leave good company, Hope, but Papa will be calling out the hounds if I don’t get there soon.”