Page 21

Wednesday…

A knock sounded on Sara’s hotel room door, so she raced over and yanked it open.

She didn’t need to check to see who it was because she’d just gotten off the phone with the lobby.

Anastasia Dupont and Carla Bettencourt stood on the threshold.

Ana was a force when she swept inside and pulled Sara into her arms. Carla followed them and closed the door before flipping the lock.

Sara clung to Ana.

Ana was their rock and leader of their band of girlfriends and had been since college.

“Tell me who to have arrested,” Ana ordered, putting Sara at arm’s length.

Ana was one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the United States, and her words made Sara choke on a laugh.

“Nobody,” she said, her voice watery with tears when she gave a half-sobbing laugh.

“Then stop your crying,” Ana scolded.

Carla stepped up and Sara hugged her other friend tightly.

“How are you feeling?” Sara asked thickly.

Carla had gotten the flu and hadn’t been able to make it to Seattle during Lily’s nightmare. And even though Sara didn’t wish being sick on her friend, she was glad that Carla hadn’t been there during that time. Lily had been physically abused by her husband, plus had a stalker on top of it, and the whole ordeal had been hell on earth for a while.

“I’m all better. I did make it out there by New Year’s, but you were already gone,” Carla said.

Sara smiled regretfully. If she added up all the time between visits, it would be about two years since she’d last seen Carla, but the lovely blonde was still as beautiful and gracious as ever.

“Let’s not stand in the entryway.” Ana caught her arm and guided her farther into the suite.

“I didn’t even know you’d left Seattle until you called me,” Carla pouted, giving her a hug.

“Join the club,” Ana told their friend.

“Sorry, I just grabbed a suitcase and hit the road,” Sara said contritely, hugging both of her friends again. “I love you, and I did eventually call you both.”

“And that was your redemption.” Carla wrinkled her nose and smiled.

Ana snorted and guided Sara over to the sitting area and down onto the sofa located there.

“I’ll get us drinks,” Carla said, tossing her coat on the bed before making her way to the mini bar.

“No alcohol for me,” Sara called out.

Ana removed her bulky wool coat and sank down on the cream-colored cushion next to her. When her friend shot her a questioning look, Sara glanced away.

“Why can’t you drink?”

As always, Ana didn’t pull her punches, and it was one of the things that made her friend so successful at her job.

“Because I’m…pregnant,” Sara said and covered her face with both hands.

She wanted to say that their expressions were almost laughable, but that wouldn’t have been accurate. Still, though, their reactions were entertaining.

“Are you keeping it?” Ana asked and then added, “Of course you are.”

“Oh! I get godmother dibs,” Carla sing-songed and carried over two glasses filled with ice and a dark amber colored liquor, as well as a juice bottle under her arm.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Ana said. “I’m the godmother.”

“Why you and not me?” Carla held the glass up and out of Ana’s reach.

“Hold on, Lily will be the godmother,” Sara said.

“I think we should all be godmothers and then we can have a pecking order according to wealth,” Carla said.

“Well, that leaves me out since all of you are a bunch of blue bloods,” Ana grumbled, but she was smiling.

“Oh, come on,” Carla argued. “You can’t use that, you’re just as wealthy as us.”

As her friends argued, Sara smiled. For the first time in hours, she found herself feeling lighter. As if being pregnant was something to celebrate and not curse.

“Do you know what you’re having?” Carla relented and handed Ana one of the glasses and the juice to Sara.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen a doctor yet. I took a home test.” Sara cracked the lid of the juice and took a few sips. The orange juice tasted refreshing, and she took another sip.

“You can’t have a baby here,” Ana said, wrinkling her nose, gazing around the hotel suite.

“Why?”

“For one thing, San Francisco is expensive.”

“So is Seattle,” Sara pointed out.

“Try living in New York,” Carla added and they all shared a laugh.

“Anywhere you go is expensive unless you live way up north or down south,” Ana said.

“You mean like Montana or Texas?” Sara asked.

“Yes, and I can’t see you living anywhere other than Seattle,” Ana added firmly. “It’s your home. You have a business and the means to support the baby without your parents helping you…because God knows you won’t want that.”

“Agreed. I just…I’m having a hard time dealing with what happened in Seattle. How could I have been sleeping with a man who was stalking my best friend? A guy who killed her husband? And not even know it?” she wailed.

“First of all, her husband was an abusive son of a bitch and in my opinion got what he deserved. And secondly,” Ana stopped her with a raised hand when she wanted to interrupt. “None of us knew what Chris was.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t screwing him.” She shuddered, tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks, and she didn’t bother to wipe them away.

“Were you in love with Chris?” Ana asked flatly.

“No, not even a little bit. But I was dating him.”

“You just need to trust that your gut was keeping you from falling for him. Some part of you knew he wasn’t good, you just didn’t find out in time,” Ana said.

“Stop beating yourself up,” Carla whispered, brushing the tears from her own cheeks before taking a swallow of her drink. “He’s dead, he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

“That’s right. Levi killed him,” Ana said decisively.

Sara blinked at Ana. “What?” Her voice wobbled.

“You didn’t know, because you packed up and left Seattle without talking to anyone,” Ana said.

“But…I’ve talked to you, Michelle, Lily, and Carla since then and none of you mention a word of it…”

“I didn’t because I wasn’t going to open old wounds,” Carla said.

“I didn’t tell you because it never came up,” Ana said bluntly. “Now, it’s coming up and Chris is dead.”

“And Levi killed him,” Sara whispered.

“What’s the sudden interest in Levi?”

“Nothing, just surprised is all,” Sara said. She wasn’t ready to disclose the father of her baby yet.

Ana squinted at her for several long moments as if trying to figure out something, but then gave up and eyed her.

“I think we need to have a good meal tonight. Let’s find a restaurant that’s close by,” Ana said.

“My treat!” Carla said with a smile.

Sara nodded and was once again engulfed in hugs from both of her friends. She was glad they had forgiven her for running off.

Her friends were just what she needed to put her life in perspective.

And for the first time in a long time, she thought about returning to Seattle.