What's Life Without the Sprinkles - By Misty Simon Page 0,51

from his chair to hug her. Claudia looked away for a moment, knowing that she might not make it through seeing such happiness when her own expecting news had been met only with anger almost eleven years ago. While this wouldn’t be Roger’s first grandchild, it would be the first to be a happy blessing from day one. As much as Roger now loved Justin, it wasn’t going to be the same situation. Everyone had been hoping May would get pregnant soon. And now she was.

Brad finally put May down when she threatened to throw up on him. Justin was yelling that this was fantastic because now they could all ruffle someone else’s hair, since there would be a new baby in the family. Zoe said something about not needing a dog now, and Claudia’s gaze caught on Peter’s.

That’s how it should have happened for her, too, all those years ago. Pregnancy was a wonderful thing. Bringing another life into the world was fantastic. But at eighteen and barely out of high school, she had known it wasn’t quite what her parents hoped for her. And then Peter turned away from her and continued to make his plans for college as if nothing earth-shattering had happened. She looked down at her shoes and swallowed back unexpected tears. She was so happy for May and Brad. They’d been trying for the last three years for a baby. No way was she going to ruin this for them by wishing anyone would have been this excited for her when she got pregnant.

Something drew her gaze back to Peter at that moment, and it was as if eleven years evaporated and left them able to read each other’s minds again, finish each other’s sentences. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was regretting it, too.

Chapter Seven

“May, that was delicious. Thank you.” Claudia got up and started clearing paper plates and used plastic ware after they’d had cake and mimosas to celebrate the great news. May had just had a flute of orange juice.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Peter got up from the table and gathered his father’s plate, his own, and Brad’s.

Before she could protest, he led the way into the kitchen. Left with plates in her hands and a sinking feeling in her heart, she didn’t have much choice but to follow unless she wanted to look like an idiot by putting the plates back down and sitting in her chair like a petulant child.

But walking across the dining room and into the kitchen was the second hardest walk of the day. Zoe was caught in conversation with May and neither seemed to realize what had happened. Which left her to walk on her own.

Once inside the kitchen with the door gently swinging shut behind her, she placed the plates in the trash can and turned to go back out as quickly as she could. Peter caught her arm before she made it two steps from the trash.

“Claudia.”

She stared down at his hand on her arm. His tanned flesh looked odd against her winter-white skin. And yet that used to make them laugh. They’d compare how she never tanned to how he could be a burnished gold within days of summer starting.

The moment lasted too long with her continuing not to look up, but keeping her eyes on his hand.

He backed up. “Sorry.”

Finally she looked up at him and struggled to find some trace of the boy who had taken her virginity in the back of the Mustang he’d received from his dad before he went off to college and a career in business.

She waited for him to say more. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood as still as she could and tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever it was he needed to say.

“That should have been how it was for you, and I should have been more mature.”

She didn’t move a muscle. Peter didn’t say he was sorry, and he certainly didn’t admit he’d done something wrong. “Should” didn’t mean shit to her. “What does that do for me?”

He dropped his gaze and seemed to have a great fascination with the tiles on the floor.

She hadn’t wanted to bring Justin up again. They’d talked enough earlier. As much time as she’d been willing to give the subject. She’d be just as happy if Peter decided not to try to see Justin again at all while he was here. And now she had to deal with the fact