Happily This Christmas (Happily Inc #6) - Susan Mallery Page 0,18
baby is due around Christmas?”
“The twenty-fifth is her due date. Alisha said Joylyn’s not happy to have her son’s birthday so close to the holiday, but there’s nothing to be done about it. Aren’t first babies usually late? Maybe he’ll be born in the new year.”
“Not a big difference, but maybe it will help,” she said. “Did Alisha mention how Joylyn feels about being away from home for the holidays? That might be hard for her.”
Something he hadn’t thought about. “You’re right. I’ll ask her when we talk. I should probably go all out with the decorating and stuff.”
“How much do you usually decorate?”
He thought about his empty house. “Not, you know, a lot.”
Her mouth curved up in a smile. “As in none?”
“Yeah. That. I mean I used to, when she was little. I still have all the ornaments we would put on our tree. But that’s about it.”
“I’ll help.”
“While I appreciate that, you’ve already done so much.”
“That’s what neighbors are for.”
“You’re going to have to let me build you a bigger back porch or something to make up for everything.”
“I think the porch is okay the way it is, but if I think of a good project for you, I’ll let you know.”
“Please do.” He thought about how he and Joylyn had celebrated the holidays. “I need to get some of those paper turkeys. Do they still make them?”
“They do. I put a couple in her room already. Maybe you could get some more gourds and the little pumpkins for a centerpiece. Hunter and I are having a few friends over for Thanksgiving. You and Joylyn are welcome to join us.” The amusement returned. “What with you not cooking and all, I honestly can’t see you pulling together Thanksgiving dinner. No offense meant.”
“None taken.” He lightly touched her arm. “Thank you. I mean it. Thank you for everything.”
For a second he would swear her gaze dropped to his mouth. He told himself he was imagining things—or getting caught up in wishful thinking—a theory proven when she said, “The holidays nearly always mean a plumbing emergency. If that happens here, you should expect me to remind you of what you owe me.”
“I will keep my toolbox handy.”
* * *
JOYLYN KABERLINE PULLED open the drawer and grabbed clothes by the armful. She carried them to the open suitcase on her bed and shoved them inside, pausing only to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“I understand you’re upset,” her mother said from her place in the doorway. “Please don’t be mad.”
There wasn’t a part of Joylyn that didn’t hurt. Her back ached constantly, her feet hurt because her ankles were swollen. Her butt hurt because she was getting hemorrhoids, her eyes were gritty because she wasn’t sleeping. But most of all, her heart was broken. Not only was she in her eighth month of her pregnancy, her husband was thousands of miles away, deployed. While he was supposed to get home before her Christmas due date, they weren’t sure that was going to happen. And because that wasn’t enough suckatude in her life, her very own mother had thrown her out of the house.
Joylyn sniffed. “Don’t be mad, but don’t let the door hit me in the ass on my way out.”
“Joylyn, please.”
“Please what? Stay? We wouldn’t want that. Why would you want your only daughter around in the final months of her pregnancy? Better that I go live with my father because that’s going to go well. I wonder if he’ll bother to look up from his life enough to notice that I’m even there.”
Her mother, a pretty blonde, sighed heavily. “Your father is very excited about having you stay with him.”
“None of us believe that, Mom. You don’t want me here. Just admit it.”
Joylyn brushed away more tears. All she did these days was cry and hurt. She loved Chandler, but maybe everyone had been right. Maybe they had gotten married too young. Even if that hadn’t been a mistake, she’d accidentally gotten pregnant. They’d wanted to wait, but the stick had turned blue and now she was going to have a baby. She was twenty-one years old—it was all too much.
“You know you’ve had a problem with the boys,” her mother said quietly. “They’re really bugging you.”
Joylyn ignored that. Yes, her half brothers were loud and messy and drove her crazy, but she’d never thought complaining about them would cause her to be banished.
“You’ll be here for Christmas,” her mother offered. “Chandler gets home from his deployment the week