Shake The Frost (Crystal Lake #6) - Juliana Stone Page 0,52

I know.” He sighed. “I called Helen and Charlie after you left this morning. There was no answer, so I’m assuming they’re still out of town, and the cell number I have for Helen only got me to a voicemail box that was full, so I couldn’t leave a message. Have you talked to them?”

She shook her head, that glow even dimmer, not liking the direction of their conversation. “No. Helen and I aren’t close. We haven’t been for a long time.” She saw the confusion on Ethan’s face, and truthfully, it was something she’d felt a few years ago, but learned to let go of. “I don’t know why. After the accident, things changed. She became cold and distant. At the time, I assumed it was because she was learning to deal with Rick in a coma. But as time passed, it only got worse. I asked her once if I’d done something, and she told me it was all in my head. But it’s not. She hardly talked to me at his funeral.”

“It’s got to be tough, losing a child.” His gaze dropped. “This baby isn’t even born yet, and already I’ve got this feeling for him. Like I’d move heaven and hell to make sure he’s safe. Helen and Charlie, well, their world revolved around Rick. Like most parents, in their eyes, he could do no wrong. I can’t imagine their pain.”

“I know.” She tried to lighten the mood. “So,” she said, pulling on thick pink mittens before patting her rounded belly. “A boy?”

He chuckled. “It’s just a feeling.”

“If you want,” Emily said as she followed him out into the crisp winter air, “we can find out at my next appointment.”

His head jerked up. “What?”

“The sex of the baby. My ultrasound is scheduled for Friday. We can find out together.”

He kissed the top of her head as she linked her arm through his. The night sky was blanketed with stars that shimmered like diamonds, and all the houses on her street, including her own, were lit up with lights and displays. Christmas was just around the corner, and for the first time in years, she was looking forward to it.

To spending Christmas Eve with someone who mattered and watching It’s a Wonderful Life, or sipping eggnog while wrapping last-minute gifts with that person.

Her person.

Ethan Caldwell.

The glow she felt was warm and big and covered her from head to toe. She clung to Ethan as they walked along the sidewalk, proud to be at his side and excited at the thought of their child growing inside her.

The glow would last as long as it was fed goodness and hope. But a storm was brewing over Crystal Lake, and it was a storm that would bring grief, reckoning, love, and resilience. The only question left on the table was…

Would Emily be able to weather it?

Chapter Eighteen

Ethan was feeling pretty damn good about things. The weather was perfect for a walk downtown, the air was brisk, cold enough for the snow not to melt, but it was the kind of cold that felt good. And with Emily at his side, he felt like he had the world by the balls and to hell with anyone who didn’t agree.

They took their time and wandered up and down several streets in her neighborhood, admiring the Christmas displays, before heading toward the bridge that led to the downtown core. By this time, the sidewalks were full of people walking in the same direction, and as they turned toward the bridge, he noticed Link Major’s truck parked in front of Elise Avery’s home. It was hard to miss a lime-green Land Rover.

A lightbulb went off. Son of a bitch. That’s who the Brit had mentioned weeks ago. Huh.

Elise was older than Link. He briefly wondered what Boone thought of his mother and the young footballer. But the thought disappeared as quickly as it had come, because in the grand scheme of things, Ethan didn’t care. It wasn’t his business. If Link and Elise were happy, he hoped Boone would feel the same way.

They met up with his parents and Georgianna, who’d brought along a date, some guy she’d met at the Coach House a few days earlier. He was new to town, having moved into one of the new condos across the lake, and he was 100% her type—tall, athletic, with the kind of shoulders and arms that could do damage, and kind of dumb. In the space of three sentences, the guy had