Page 46 of A Bride for Brodie

Maisie laughed. “Frank and I are, too.”

Lottie glanced at Ivy and Gwen. “Well, ladies? Are you expecting, too?”

“We are.” Gwen gazed at Clay.

He brought her hand up and kissed the knuckles.

“So are we,” said Ivy. “It’s going to be a madhouse around here then.”

“Is anyone planning on moving to their own house before the babies are born?” Lottie looked around the room. The women were wide-eyed, and she recognized fear when she saw it. The same look was probably on her face, too. “I’ll tell you now that I’m not. I want to have my first baby here and learn how to take care of one with all of you to help and guide me.” She looked at Fiona and Agatha. “You two the most because you’ve done this before.”

The other three ladies nodded.

“Me, too,” said Gwen. “I found out I can deliver babies, but I don’t know what to do with them after that.”

“And me,” said Maisie. “I’ve never had a child and I don’t know if taking care of Cody differs from taking care of our newborns. How do I nurse him or her? For how long? Do they sleep a lot? I know we’ll figure it out, but it would be nice to have someone to ask.” She turned her gaze to Fiona and then to Agatha.

Fiona looked around the table. “Looks like Lottie and Brodie brought up a current situation that needs solving, so I propose we stay together until the babies are about three months old. You’ll have figured out how to care for your infants and what they need by then. And if you need help, Agatha and I will both still be here, even after you go to your own homes.”

The talk of babies went on long after their normal bedtime. When they headed upstairs, Lottie’s head was spinning with ideas and questions. But that would wait until tomorrow. Or next week or next month.

The only thing she was in a hurry to do now was make love to her husband. The man who she’d married while blind, but now that they were together, they could both see.

See the future, and a glorious one it was.