Our Now and Forever(71)

“Isn’t standing out the idea?” Carrie rubbed her protruding belly while tilting her head to the side and sizing up the corner where the café would be. “Are you sure this is the right corner?”

Snow and Lorelei gave the pregnant woman a collective stare of disbelief. “Where else would we put it?” Snow asked. They’d sized up every corner in the place and determined that this particular area, visible from the entrance and the front desk, was the perfect spot.

“Maybe it should be up front.” She leaned forward and nearly fell off her stool.

At three weeks from her due date, Carrie was under strict orders to sit as much as possible. She was also supposed to have her feet up, but refused to follow that particular directive, claiming she had too much to do to lounge around with her feet in the air. Because her boss, Lorelei’s father, Mike, was afraid she’d go into labor while in the office alone, he’d insisted she cut back to half days, which was why she ended up hanging around Snow’s Curiosity Shop on a Wednesday afternoon.

“Are you trying to give us a heart attack?” Lorelei asked, righting her friend. “The idea is to get customers to check out the whole store and not just come in for a treat and leave. That’s why we all agreed the café should be in the back.”

“Oh yeah,” Carrie said. “I forgot that part.”

“You’re forgetting a lot of things these days.”

In her defense, Carrie said, “You carry a human being around for nine months and see how well your memory does.”

Lorelei looked at Snow. “Did she just curse me?”

Snow rolled her eyes. “Can we focus here? I think blue might be a good idea, but a pretty blue and only on the bottom along the front of the display case and counter. The wall behind should be white, and we’ll put the logo really big in the center, with the coffee menu on one side and the dessert menu on the other.”

“Yes,” Lorelei said. “I can see that working.”

Snow smiled as the plans fell into place. Sharing the good news with Lorelei on Saturday afternoon had been the highlight of her year. Though reuniting with her husband stood to take the lead in that race, provided the two of them could overcome the speed bump that was Vivien McGraw.

“Are we ready to break ground on this café or what?” Caleb asked, sneaking up on Snow and wrapping his arms around her.

Speak of the devil. Snow leaned into her husband, letting the rush of having him close fill her senses. “We’ve decided on the location and color scheme so far.”

“You mean you don’t have blueprints and a construction crew lined up yet?” he asked, squeezing her tight.

Snow wiggled out of his grasp. “We have a rough drawing and a good start on the menu.”

He slid his hands into the pockets of his khakis. “I still get to be taste-tester, right?”

As his exit date was still in question, Snow said, “We’ll see. Now, what are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?”

“Can’t I stop by to see my pretty fiancée?”

“You can, but I know you’re up to something, so spill.”

This time he couldn’t distract her with sex. She should have confronted him in public before now.

“You got me,” he said, taking her hand and twirling her around the floor. “I’m here to say hurry home this evening because you have a hot date.”

They didn’t make a habit of going out on weeknights. “On a Wednesday? I’ve got this café to plan and holiday displays and sales to figure out.”

“Business can wait. Tonight we celebrate your auction triumph.” Addressing the other two women, Caleb added, “Lorelei, you and Spencer will be joining us. And Carrie, if you’re up to it, Cooper has agreed to bring you.”

“I don’t think twirling around Brubaker’s is for me,” Carrie answered.

“Nope,” Caleb said. “Not Brubaker’s. The men know where we’re going, and you ladies will find out when we get there.”

“Look at the boys getting all take-charge-y,” Lorelei mumbled. “And what time should we obedient women be ready?”

“Seven thirty should do it.”

Carrie arched her back and said, “I hope Cooper has taken his vitamins because I can barely stay awake past nine these days. He’s going to be carrying me to the car before the night is over.”

Caleb grew serious. “This night is for Snow, and I promise, you ladies are going to want to be there.”

Lorelei and Carrie exchanged a look while Snow’s heart skipped a beat.

“You’ve reeled us in, hot stuff,” Lorelei said. “We’ll be there.”