Blossom Street Brides Read Free

good time to remind Elisa that at age twenty-two Dietrich was an adult and, from what Lauren had seen, a responsible, kindhearted one.
    “He took advantage of Katie,” Elisa insisted, straightening now.
    “Is that what Katie said?”
    “Oh, no, she wouldn’t admit to anything like that. Instead, she defended him and insisted they were equally responsible.”
    Personally, Lauren felt that this was a matter betweenKatie and Dietrich and that Elisa would be well advised to let them decide how best to deal with the situation.
    “I insisted Katie come home right away, but she refused.” Elisa took another taste of the coffee and made a gulping sound as though it was difficult to swallow.
    “I wish I knew what to say,” Lauren confessed. She felt at a loss and wasn’t certain she had anything of value to contribute.
    “This is history repeating itself,” Elisa whispered, and wiped away a tear that had spilled out from the corner of her eye. “Garry and I … I was pregnant at nineteen, too.”
    Naturally, Lauren realized Elisa and Garry had married young. They must have, in order to have a daughter in college. Identical twin boys had followed three years later. Tim and Tom were high school sophomores and played varsity on the high school soccer and baseball teams. Lauren had attended their games with Elisa and Garry. Because of their connection, Todd had done a human-interest story on the boys that played on the local evening news.
    “It turned out fine between you and Garry,” Lauren reminded Elisa.
    “Well, yes, but my family always liked Garry. I agree we were young and foolish. Dad wasn’t happy with me—Mom, either, for that matter—but Dad took Garry under his wing, taught him the business. Dad saw to it that when it came time for him and Mom to retire, Garry and I were capable of taking over the store.” Elisa hung her head. “I can’t imagine what my parents will say when they hear about this.” Right away she straightened. “They will never know.I’ll make sure of that. If Katie won’t come to me, then she gives me no other option but to go to her.”
    Lauren resisted the urge to advise her friend not to act on impulse.
    “I’m booking a flight right this minute.” With a look of determination, Elisa reached for her cell.
    “Do you want me to contact Garry?” Lauren asked.
    Elisa looked aghast. “Why would you do that?”
    “To cover for you while you’re away.”
    “Oh.” Elisa set down her phone and exhaled a long, slow breath. She brushed the hair off her forehead while she thought matters through. “I’d better wait and talk to him about this. I swear, if he knew before me I’ll shoot the man for keeping it a secret.”
    “Did Katie tell you how far along she is?” Lauren asked.
    “No. When I asked, she refused to answer.”
    Lauren suspected Katie might have been pregnant when she was in Seattle for spring break the previous month. No wonder she’d brought Dietrich home with her. Lauren had met the young man only once and had immediately liked him. He was polite and respectful and seemed intelligent. She remembered watching him with Katie and feeling a pinch of envy at the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
    All at once it hit Lauren. A double whammy. Her younger sister was pregnant, and now her dearest friend, who was only a few years older than Lauren, was about to become a grandmother.
    Without weighing the decision, she retrieved her cell and called Todd. Generally, she avoided contacting him duringwork hours, but he wasn’t on the set until right before noon. As best she could figure, he would be sitting in a chair in the makeup room.
    He answered on the third ring. “Hey, honey, what’s up?” Todd sounded rushed and a bit distracted. She half expected him to remind her that it wasn’t good practice to contact him while he was at work.
    “Can you meet me tonight?”
    “Tonight?” he repeated. “Can’t. I’m taping a story for the eleven-o’clock