Page 67 of Mountain Rescue

Peyton laughed. “Of course you will.”

Taking her mimosa with her, she followed Nichole to the living room.

“How’s Bella doing?” Nichole said after they were seated, she and Nichole on the sofa and Peyton on a chair. “That poor girl was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen when Jack brought her to the kennels.”

“You wouldn’t recognize her compared to how she was when Dallas got her. She has a kitten now, and it’s the sweetest thing to see.”

“The dog has a kitten?” Peyton said.

Rachel told them about Bella finding a kitten in a cave and carrying her home. How Bella wouldn’t let Blue out of her sight.

“That’s so sweet,” Nichole said. She glanced at the kitchen, then leaned forward. “I might be pregnant.”

“What?” both Rachel and Peyton exclaimed.

“Shhh. We’re not even hinting that I might be to Lizzy. Not until we’re sure. We stopped on the way here this morning and bought a pregnancy test.”

“Let’s go do it now,” Peyton said.

“No, I want Jack with me when I do.”

“Oh, well, I guess that’s only right.”

Rachel laughed at how crestfallen Peyton looked. “If you are, Lizzy’s going to be over the moon.”

“For real.” Nichole glanced over at the kitchen again. “She’s given us all kinds of potions and crystals that are supposed to enhance the chance of getting pregnant, so she’s going to take credit for it happening.”

“I’m going to be an honorary auntie,” Rachel said. And over two thousand miles away. She’d miss everything. Seeing her best friend’s baby smile, take her first steps...all of it.

“Can I be an honorary auntie, too?” Peyton pressed her hands together as if in prayer.

Nichole grinned. “If there is one, the more aunties my baby has the better.”

Rachel couldn’t be happier for Nichole. She wouldn’t say anything to ruin Nichole and Jack’s excitement at reading together what the stick said, but she knew Nichole was pregnant. She’d never felt a life growing from a pregnant woman before, but she did from Nichole. A curtain of sadness fell over her. She wouldn’t be here for the friend who’d stood by her since third grade.

She downed the rest of her mimosa, then forced a smile she didn’t feel. “Call me as soon as you know.”

Nichole grabbed her hand. “You know I will.”

It was so hard not to tell her that there would be an excited phone call.

Dallas walked into the living room. When he was standing next to her, he put his hand on her shoulder. “You ready to go, wildcat?”

“In a few minutes, cowboy.”

“Wildcat and cowboy?” Nichole’s gaze darted between them. “Girlfriend, you’ve been holding out on me.”

She had been. Their bond hadn’t lessened after Rachel had moved to LA. They talked often and told each other everything, but for the first time whatever it was going on between her and Dallas felt private, even from besties.

“It’s just that with hiding from Robert, and now you having to stay with your brother, we haven’t had much of a chance to talk.” That sounded excusable, right? “You are still staying with Mark?”

“Yeah, and I don’t like it. I miss sleeping in the same bed as my guy. When he picked me up this morning to bring me here, I almost jumped his bones, but then we never would have made it to breakfast.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop it, Rach. That man is to blame, not you.”

It was impossible not to blame herself, but Nichole wouldn’t want to hear it. “I can’t wait to find out if I’m going to be an auntie.” When she stood, she realized she was a little buzzed from the mimosas.