The Doctor's Baby(35)
“I could go with you.” Mary Karen’s voice grew stronger with each word.
“A girls’ night out? You and me?” July’s heart picked up speed but she wasn’t going to get too excited. Not yet anyway. “What about a babysitter?”#p#分页标题#e#
Bless Granny’s heart but watching four boys under the age of five would be asking too much.
Mary Karen’s smile faltered for a minute, then brightened. “Esther Wilkins from church is recently widowed. Her grandchildren live out of state. She’s told me more than once how much she’d love to watch the boys.”
“That takes care of your sons,” July said. “What about Adam?”
“She loves babies,” Mary Karen said. “You can trust her with him.”
Though July was excited about spending the evening with Mary Karen, Adam’s welfare came first. “Are you sure she can handle four little boys?”
Mary Karen chuckled. “I should hope so…she raised five of her own.”
July smiled. “What are we waiting for? Give her a call. Then you can show me the dress.”
Chapter Twelve
July resisted the urge to bolt. The lobby of the Spring Gulch Country Club had been decorated with hundreds of fresh flowers. But it was the men in tuxedos and women in evening attire that made July want to turn tail and run.
The atmosphere was so far removed from what she’d known most of her life, she felt as if she didn’t belong.
“Everyone looks so beautiful,” July whispered to Mary Karen as they stood in the doorway surveying the scene.
“They look beautiful,” Mary Karen said. “But you look stunning.”
July flushed with pleasure at the unexpected compliment. The kelly green cocktail sheath fit like it had been made for her. Mary Karen admitted she’d bought the dress several years ago at a closeout sale without trying it on. Not only was it too small, the color was all wrong for her.
Mary Karen’s black dress may have been simple but it hugged her curves in all the right places. And it wasn’t just the dress. July had been used to seeing the young mother fresh-faced with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She’d never have believed the difference makeup and some hot rollers could make if she hadn’t seen the transformation with her own eyes. When Mary Karen had walked out of the bedroom earlier in the evening and whirled around, even little Logan had started clapping.
“You’re the stunning one,” July said.
Mary Karen laughed. “I’d say we both clean up pretty good.”
July smiled and felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. “Dinner isn’t for almost a half hour. Shall we check out the silent auction?”
Mary Karen waved to some friends across the foyer. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
The tables with the silent auction items filled the perimeter of a large room just off the country club’s foyer. A huge rustic stone fireplace served as the focal point for the room. Chandeliers made out of antlers hung from the angled ceiling. Though the room teemed with people, because it was so open and airy July didn’t feel crowded.
She made her way down the tables, but nothing caught her eye until she saw the ring. The large heart-shaped moonstone held by two carved silver hands immediately jumped out at her. She paused and scanned the information on the item.
“Do you know there is a whole history tied to these Claddagh rings?” she said over her shoulder to Mary Karen. “How you wear it even has significance.”
“I didn’t know that.” The deep masculine voice reached her ears just as July caught a hint of familiar cologne.
Her heart rate skyrocketed and she whirled.
David—not his sister—now stood behind her. And he wasn’t alone.
“Hello, Rachel.” July smiled at the nurse. Just like Mary Karen, the nurse’s simple black dress accentuated her blond good looks. “You look lovely this evening.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Thank you, July.” Rachel glanced down at the dress and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “This is quite a change for me.”
At the hospital her hair had been pulled back. Tonight the honey blond curls fell loose to her shoulders. July wondered if David preferred blondes.
“What were you looking at?” David peered over her shoulder.
“A moonstone ring,” July shrugged. “Pretty, but way out of my price range.”
“I have a friend whose husband gave her one,” Rachel said. “It’s supposed to represent both love and friendship.”
“What should be at the core of most marriages,” David said lightly.
“I’m sure someone will be happy to get it,” July said, feeling very much the third wheel. Then she noticed that although David stood next to the nurse, he wasn’t touching her.