Softly at Sunrise Read Free Page A

over. I have As in everything else. Who would have thought that I would ever be an honor student!”
“You’re smarter than all of us,” Rachel said dryly. “It was always just a matter of focusing your efforts in a positive direction.”
“Sorry to interrupt, girls, but I’m going to head over to round up a crew to help move furniture. Sam has a delivery truck he’s borrowed, and we’re going to bring it over here to load up as much stuff as we can this evening.”
Rachel smiled up at her husband. “Okay. We’ll work on packing some of the smaller boxes while we wait for Marlene. I should probably put in a pizza order for later. Everyone will be starving.”
Ethan dropped a kiss on her lips. “Let us worry about the food. If I know Ma, she’s already prepared a feast, and she’ll probably come over loaded for bear.”
“True,” Rachel said ruefully. “Okay, off with you. I’ll see you and your brothers in a bit.”
Rusty also stood and motioned toward the boxes. “Is there any particular place you want me to start?”
Rachel rose, setting her glass down beside Ethan’s on the end table. She’d only had a sip, but her stomach was roiling, and a clammy sweat had broken out on her forehead.
Without saying a word to Rusty, she hurried past her and to the guest bathroom down from the kitchen. She barely made it to the toilet before her stomach heaved and ejected the contents.
A soothing hand rubbed up and down her back as Rusty’s anxious question was issued. “Rachel, are you all right? Should I call Ethan back?”
Rachel shook her head as she wiped at her mouth with a towel. “N-no,” she said shakily. “I’m fine. Really.”
When she lifted her head, she saw Rusty frowning at her.
“You aren’t fine. You were puking your guts up. What’s going on?”
Rachel swallowed nervously and then went to the sink to wash out her mouth. She gargled with mouthwash, praying it wouldn’t send her back to the toilet to vomit again. She leaned against the sink, her hands braced on the countertop, as she stared at herself in the mirror.
It was time to stop discounting the possibility. Having the wine had been irresponsible. She knew she could be. Even if she’d thought it unlikely that it would happen this soon.
“Rusty?” she said faintly. “Is there any way you could do me a favor?”
Rusty came up behind her and put her hand on her shoulder. “Of course. Just tell me what you need.”
Rachel turned, taking Rusty’s hand in hers. “I don’t want you to tell anyone about this, okay? Promise me.”
Rusty frowned but nodded.
“If you leave now, you could get back before everyone gets over here. But you’ll have to hurry.”
Rusty cocked her head to the side. “What are you wanting?”
Rachel took a deep breath. “Is there any way you could run to the pharmacy and buy an over-the-counter pregnancy test for me?”
     

Chapter 3

Rachel paced the confines of the living room, the wait for Rusty to return an eternity. She checked her watch and then looked anxiously out the window. She didn’t expect Ethan for a while yet. The compound was across the lake, and he’d no doubt get sidetracked talking to his brothers before they made their way back over. But Marlene could show up at any time, and while Rachel loved her dearly, she wasn’t ready to tell anyone of her suspicion yet. The last thing she wanted was to build anyone’s hopes only for it to be a false alarm.
And she didn’t want the inevitable questions and concerns that would surely accompany the knowledge that she and Ethan were trying for a baby. For now it was their own precious secret. Only now Rusty knew, and Rachel hoped that Rusty would keep it in confidence.
Her pulse bounded when she heard a vehicle in the drive. Her gaze jerked to the window, and she sagged in relief when she saw it was Rusty’s Jeep.
A moment later, Rusty hurried in the door with a plain, brown paper sack in her hand.
“I bought two,” she said as she began pulling