Benediction (Diversion #9) - Eden Winters Page 0,1

The Dimple in his cheek making an appearance.

The couple who’d accosted Lucky murmured to each other. Yeah, Bo and Rett did make an odd couple.

Genuine happiness blossomed to life on Lucky’s face. Rett bent at the waist and left a sticky, red lip smear on his cheek, which Bo removed with a thumb. Lucky wrapped his arms around both, careful not to tip his coffee. “Hey, y’all,” he addressed the couple he’d been speaking with. “I’d like you to meet my partner and my other partner.” He flipped his head toward Rett. “She’s the one who knocked up my sister.” A potion she’d brought over in a thermos took Charlotte from “I’m never going to get pregnant!” to long morning sessions spent worshipping the porcelain god. Something about easing Charlotte’s anxiety enough for nature to take its course.

Whatever the case, he’d gotten a lot of mileage out of accusing Johnson of getting Charlotte pregnant. Some jokes never got old.

Watching the blood drain from the couple’s face amused him for a full minute and a half. The woman’s mouth did the twitchy thing most people’s did when they weren’t sure if he was joking, and hung suspended in that moment between humor and horror.

Rett extended her hand. “I’m Loretta Johnson. Pleased to meet you.” She nodded at the woman’s prominent belly. “I see you have no need of my services.”

Somehow the couple materialized on the other side of the room. Like magic. Dang, they’d run fast.

Lucky and Rett stared at each other and waited a full ten seconds to guffaw.

Bo elbowed Lucky and glared at them both. “I can’t take you two anywhere, can I? I swear, you grow more alike by the second.” His lip twitch betrayed his amusement.

A slender woman stepped into the room from a side door. “Oh no, she didn’t,” Rett hissed. “The last thing a bunch of women who haven’t seen their feet in a month need is advice from a skinny woman in yoga pants with zero cellulite.” She exaggerated panicked eyes. “If one of these pregnant women attack her, get Charlotte to safety.”

“Charlotte will probably be the one attacking,” came from behind them. They all turned and pretended not to notice the slight waddle in Charlotte’s walk. “Oh, to have a lap again. Cat Lucky is taking the loss personally.”

The prospective parents each chose a mat, the mothers-to-be twisting, turning, and using their partners to get into a sitting position, partner in the back. How had the other mats gotten so far away? The Lucklighter-Schollenberger party scored half the room. Oh, well. More space for them.

Bo raised an eyebrow at the seen-better-days carpet, sighed, and lowered himself down.

Charlotte sat on the mat, Bo, Lucky, and Rett gathered behind her. A quick once-over of the room showed no other foursomes, but one threesome. Interesting.

The instructor sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. Charlotte glanced back over her shoulder to roll her eyes for a sympathetic audience. “Like I could fold myself up like a human pretzel with this one in the way.” She patted her belly.

Between his sister’s size and Loretta Johnson’s brew-in-a-thermos, he’d swear the affectionately named “Bump” held twins, if not for the doctor saying otherwise.

The woman on the closest mat said, “I couldn’t cross my legs like that even before I got pregnant.”

The instructor either ignored the griping and sarcasm or had fine-tuned her selective hearing. She probably heard the same snide remarks in each class. “I’d like to start with introductions. Now, introduce yourselves and tell us a little about yourself and why you’re here.”

Rett groused, “Um… because they’re knocked up and want to figure how to get Junior out without permanent damage?” The instructor continued to ignore comments, but several other mothers grumbled agreement.

“Hi, I’m Mike,” the man who’d accosted Lucky earlier said without giving anyone else a chance to speak.

“And I’m Laura,” his wife said, patting her belly and smiling the inanely proud smile only mothers seemed capable of. Lucky had seen the look often enough on his own mother’s face. Or on Charlotte’s. Or Rett’s.

Come to think of it, Bo managed a pretty good imitation while playing with their son Alejandro.

Umm… Not Lucky. Someone please tell him he’d never looked that sappy.

“This is our first baby,” the woman continued, adding, “together. Little Kyle Martin already has a half-brother and a half-sister. Mike’s in marketing and I’m a stay-at-home mom.”

Some others made polite noises. Lucky stayed quiet—okay, he may have grumbled a little—and managed to avoid Bo’s elbow.