The Good Wife(141)

Kit sat crouched in front of the ancient oven, keeping a close eye on the tray of nachos she’d placed beneath the temperamental broiler, Cass hulled the strawberries, and Meg put the fresh crab and shrimp on a plate. Sarah observed all from her perch on the rickety step stool in the corner, looking forward to the first cocktail.

“I’ve got some news,” Kit said casually as she rescued the nachos from the oven, the cheese bubbling and browning on top of the tortilla chips as she plunked the hot cookie sheet on top of the stove.

“What kind of news?” Brianna asked, dumping ice into the blender.

“Um . . . I think it’s good,” Kit said, pulling off her oven mitts and tossing them onto the counter. “I hope you will, too.”

Cass had been in the middle of dropping the basket of washed, hulled strawberries into the blender and looked up abruptly, missing the blender, dropping berries onto the floor.

“Cass!” Brianna scolded. “We need those.”

But even Brianna was looking at Kit, waiting to hear the news. Wondering.

At last year’s Brennan Girls’ Getaway their mom had news. It hadn’t been good. It had changed everything.

“Wait,” Brianna said, holding a finger up. She hit Puree on the blender. For a minute the only sound in the kitchen was the whine of the blender grinding ice.

While the blender whirred and chopped the ice, Sarah couldn’t stop thinking about last year’s Brennan Girls’ Getaway and how Mom had said there was nothing she could do this time. Nothing she would do. Mom was gone ten months later.

The blender turned off.

“So what is it? Is that why we’re here?” Sarah demanded. “It’s not because Boone thinks I’m having a breakdown?”

“You are having a breakdown,” Brianna said tartly, “and that is why we’re here. But apparently Kit has news of her own.” She looked at her twin. “You’re pregnant. Right?”

Kit laughed. “Yes. How did you know?”

Brianna rolled her eyes. “Because your boobs are huge, and you’re glowing.”

Kit laughed again and blushed. “I’ve had to buy all new bras.”

Sarah darted a glance in Cass’s direction but Cass looked surprisingly serene.

“Cass knows,” Kit added. “I told her a month ago. She was the first one I told.” Her expression was protective. “I . . . know . . . it can’t be easy for her.”

Cass’s blue eyes shimmered with tears but she smiled. “I’m thrilled for you, Kit. You will be an incredible mother.”

“Thank you.”

“So when is the baby due?” Meg asked, whipping out her iPhone to add the information to her calendar.

“He’s going to be a Christmas baby.” Kit, still blushing, was also beaming, radiating happiness. “December twenty-fifth.”

“He?” Meg repeated.

Kit nodded again. “They saw a little penis on the ultrasound.”

“Hopefully it’ll be a big penis one day,” Brianna deadpanned.

Everyone laughed, including Sarah. But then she thought of their father and how she’d missed his birthday just a few days ago. That was bad. She owed him a makeup dinner. She’d have to make a point of doing something with him soon.

“Have you told Dad yet?” Sarah asked.

“Yes,” Kit answered. “He knows.”

Meg and Sarah exchanged glances.

“And what did he say?” Sarah demanded.

Kit smiled. “He’s thrilled.”

Meg and Sarah exchanged another swift glance. “He didn’t have a problem with you . . . not being married?” Meg asked.

“No.” Kit’s cheeks were dark pink. “Because he was there with us at the courthouse when we got married.”

It was Brianna’s jaw that dropped this time, eyes enormous. “You’re married?”

“At the courthouse?” Cass squeaked, incredulous.

Kit nodded. “We didn’t want a big wedding. In fact, we didn’t want a wedding at all. We just wanted to get married, so we did. And Dad was our best man.”

“Whoa.” Sarah was grateful for her rickety old stool. “And you’re telling me Dad was cool with all of this?”

Kit couldn’t stop smiling. “Yep.” She reached into the pocket of her skirt, pulled out a sparkling diamond engagement ring, and slipped it onto her finger. “And Dad loves Jude. Loves him,” she repeated, wiggling her fingers, showing off the ring. “And you will, too, when you know everything.”

Meg frowned. Brianna’s eyebrows arched. Cass still looked stricken. And Sarah didn’t know what to think.

“What does that mean?” she demanded.