Nantucket Weddings - Pamela M. Kelley Page 0,61

Kate’s. It’s going to be a busy fall,” Lisa said.

As the party started to wind down, Mia ran into Izzy and she looked exhausted.

“I’m going to head home, I think. I’m beat.”

“Are you feeling okay?” Mia asked.

“I’m fine, just tired. I’ll see you a little later.”

By the time Mia left, it was almost midnight.

When she walked in the door, she expected Izzy to be in bed, but she was sitting on the living room sofa, with her legs crossed, Indian-style, and her eyes were red. She looked up when Mia walked in and smiled. And then she started to cry.

“What’s wrong?” Mia put her purse down and went to her sister. She looked like a mess, like she’d been crying for some time before Mia got home.

Izzy reached next to her and held up a pregnancy test stick. “Can you believe it?”

“You’re pregnant?” No wonder Izzy had been looking so tired lately.

“I’ve had the test for a few days. I put off taking it because I wasn’t ready for the news. But after the wedding, I couldn’t wait any longer. I’ve felt bone tired this past week, like all I want to do is crawl into bed and I’ve wanted to eat everything in sight, except watermelon. I can’t stand the thought of watermelon now, isn’t that strange? And my bras are suddenly too tight. That’s never happened before. I think I knew what the result was going to be before I took the test. I just had to prepare myself for it.”

“Oh, Izzy. How are you feeling about this? Besides not feeling well.”

“I dread having to tell Rick, of course. But I’m not upset about being pregnant. I’m actually excited to have this baby. I love it already. My emotions are just all over the place.”

“I’m going to be an aunt. And Izzy, you have to stay here now. Don’t even think of looking for a place until after the baby comes.”

Izzy smiled. “I hoped you’d say that.”

Chapter 26

To no one’s surprise, Rick didn’t take the news of his impending fatherhood all that well. He went through various stages beginning with rage, and more accusations that the baby wasn’t his to his most recent stage which was the most concerning to Mia. He was now in love with the idea of being a father and was determined that Izzy should come back to him, for the sake of the baby, so they could be a family. So far, Izzy was staying strong, but now and then, Mia knew she was wavering and considering the idea of going back to Rick. Rick claimed he was a changed man and that he was going to start going to anger management classes. To his credit, he did sign up for them and started going. It was a twelve-week program, so to appease him, Izzy said she’d reassess when he finished.

And that twelve weeks would be up just before Kate’s wedding, the first weekend in December, same time as the Nantucket Stroll. Mia reminded Izzy more than once that she didn’t have to give him an answer the minute he finished the course. It would be wiser to wait a few more weeks and see how he did after that.

In the meantime, Izzy wasn’t even showing yet, so she hadn’t told anyone the news. She wanted to wait until it was obvious and when ultrasounds had given her the all clear that everything was going well.

And Mia was excited to be going to a wedding that she wasn’t involved in coordinating. Sam was on his way over to pick her up and they were heading to Beth and Chase’s wedding. The service at the church was lovely, and Beth looked so beautiful in her lacy wedding dress. The church was walking distance to Mimi’s Place where they were having the reception, so they all walked over. It was Columbus Day weekend and as it often was in mid-October, it felt like Indian summer with unusually warm and lovely weather.

Mia said hello to Mandy and Emma when they arrived, and then she and Sam took their seats. They were seated with Angela and Philippe, and Izzy and Will. Will and Chase often passed projects to each other, and Izzy and Beth had become friendly through Kate’s get-togethers. Izzy and Will weren’t dating, they were just friends, but Beth figured it made sense to put them all at the same table. And Mia sensed if it was up to Will, that they would be dating.

He