Kara Lennox - The Pregnancy Surprise

Once she could breathe the fresh air and see the sky, she felt better. She stood at the railing, oblivious to the hubbub around her as the Sapphire Princess pulled away from the dock.

“Are you seasick?” asked Reece, standing right beside her, his hands gripping the railing just as hers were.

“Unfortunately. Never expected this.”

He reached into his pocket and handed her a small bottle. “Take some Dramamine. It helps a little.”

“Maybe later.” After she read the label and found out whether pregnant ladies could take it.

Finally the reality of the situation sank in. Reece was here. He’d followed her here. “Did you buy a ticket?” she asked.

“I had to. But I’d have done anything to get to you. I couldn’t stand to be apart from you another minute.”

Was he really saying this? Was she dreaming?

He grasped her shoulders and swiveled her around to face him. “Sara, I’m so sorry I gave you the wrong impression.”

Her eyes filled with tears, remembering their last conversation at the hospital. “You acted like you were trying to get rid of me.”

“I was, but just for the moment. I didn’t want you to know what was really wrong with me.”

“What is wrong?” Oh, God, was he dying? Was her baby going to grow up without a father?

“Nothing, now.” He smiled. “Sara, I love you so much. It took me two planes, three cars and a motorcycle to get here so I could tell you that. I quit my job. They offered me the vice presidency, can you imagine? And I quit. Because I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to live in Port Clara with you.”

“But I don’t live there anymore!” she wailed, because she was so overwhelmed she didn’t know which way was up. He loved her. He’d clearly been through some kind of hell to get here, judging from the looks of things. He’d gotten on a cruise ship for her, and he hated boats.

“Then I’ll go wherever you go,” he declared. “If you want to live on a cruise ship, then I will, too. I’ll learn to eat strange food and I’ll try new things. I promise I will. And I’ll love you forever if you’ll marry me.”

He reached into his sad-looking, shrunken jacket and pulled something out. Then he took her left hand and slid a ring onto her third finger. “Sara Kaufman, will you marry me?”

That just made her cry harder, and he drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “Sara, please.”

Miss Greer must have told him. At the last minute, Sara had confessed to both Valerie and her grandmother about the baby. Sara couldn’t explain Reece’s odd behavior any other way.

“I’m sorry I’m crying so much, ruining a perfectly good moment,” she said, gathering herself together. “It’s my hormones. I’d always heard that pregnant ladies are weepy, but-”

Reece grasped her shoulders and pushed her away, just far enough that he could look into her face. “Pregnant ladies?”

“You…you didn’t know?”

“How would I know something like that? I’m not psychic. So are you?”

She nodded.

“Oh, baby!” He kissed her then, like he meant it, and for the first time Sara really understood what Allie meant when she said two people could become one.

She hugged Reece hard. “You’re okay with that?”

“Okay? I think it’s great.”

“But it’s so…unplanned.”

He stroked her tear-damp cheek with his knuckles. “I’m learning to roll with the punches.” His gaze flickered to the rapidly receding shoreline. “Holy cow, we’re stuck on this ship, aren’t we.”

“Yup. For a whole week.” She grinned impishly at him.

“Could be worse.”

“Could be a whole lot worse.”

“Does this ship have some place I can buy some clothes? And a toothbrush?”

“Let me get this straight. You rode a motorcycle across the country…with no toothbrush?”

“I left my bag in the trunk of a 1964 Nova, somewhere in the desert.”

With a grin Sara hooked her arm through his. “You can buy anything you need on this boat, including enough seasick medicine for an army. I’ll show you around.”

They started walking, but Reece stopped abruptly. “Sara, did you say yes? To the proposal, I mean.”

She held out her hand to admire her engagement ring. The enormous marquis diamond winked in the sun. “Of course I’ll marry you. I’ll learn how to cook food you love, and I’ll even open a retirement account.”

She turned to face him, serious now. “I love you, Reece.”

She knew their relationship would always provide challenges. But Sara loved a challenge.

Sara stood in the Sunsetter’s front yard, admiring the new sign. The bed-and-breakfast’s placard had been repainted to include two new shingles underneath: Reece Remington, CPA, and Sea Breeze Catering.

As soon as she and Reece had finished their cruise, they had returned to Port Clara and had a long meeting with a banker. It turned out she could afford to buy the B and B with a little help from Reece. He’d set up his office in a side parlor.

She wasn’t too sure about the catering thing, but Reece had urged her to at least give it a try. If it proved too much, she could scale back or hire a helper. She had already hired a part-time housekeeper.

Max was busy coming up with marketing plans for all three businesses.

It had been difficult to say goodbye to Miss Greer. But the woman Sara had come to think of as a grandmother had seemed so happy, off to start a new life with her new family. Sara thought of her often, surrounded by grandchildren, getting stronger on her new hip every day. They’d already made plans for a visit in the fall.

“I never thought I’d own a bed-and-breakfast.” Reece stood behind Sara, his arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder.

“I didn’t, either. But when you think about it, it suits me perfectly. I love being a hostess, meeting new people, cooking. It’s like a party every day. I can still travel-I just have to plan in advance.”

“You’re sure you want to have the wedding here?”

“Absolutely.” The wedding was in exactly one week. Allie, recently returned from her honeymoon, was horrified that they didn’t have more time to plan. But Sara didn’t care. So long as her friends and family were here to witness her and Reece exchange vows, and she had plenty of good food and drink on hand, everything would be fine.

In fact, everything was already fine. She’d gone to a doctor who had confirmed the pregnancy and pronounced her healthy as a horse; once she got off that blasted ship, she hadn’t been bothered by morning sickness. When they’d learned she was pregnant, the cruise line had been happy to let her resign.

She had everything she never even knew she wanted-a home and a mortgage, a child on the way, and a man to love for the rest of her life.

Texas native Kara Lennox has earned her living at various times as an art director, typesetter, textbook editor and reporter. She’s worked in a boutique, a health club and an ad agency. She’s been an antiques dealer and even a blackjack dealer. But no work has made her happier than writing romance novels. She has written more than fifty books.

When not writing, Kara indulges in an ever-changing array of hobbies. Her latest passions are bird-watching and long-distance bicycling. She loves to hear from readers; you can visit her Web page at www.karalennox.com.