The Baby Jackpot Read Free Page A

drifted toward her,
along with the chatter of children’s voices through an open window.
    “Quit dropping sprinkles on the floor!” That was Mia, a
take-charge little personality.
    “I missed my mouth, okay?” replied a boyish soprano.
    “Stop eating all the cupcakes!”
    “I only had two. Anyway, Aunt Stacy won’t care.”
    That must be Reggie Cavill. Although not really Stacy’s nephew,
he might as well be. His late mom, Vicki, had been best friends with Stacy and
Harper through high school, and they’d stayed by her side through her pregnancy
and birth. Since her death in a car crash a few months ago, Reggie lived nearby
with his real aunt, Dr. Adrienne Cavill, who also happened to be Stacy’s ob-gyn.
He often visited them and sometimes spent the night.
    Glad to arrive home to a happy, noisy household, Stacy opened
the door to a blast of yummy scents from the kitchen, to her right. Mia Anthony
was perched at the table, her honey-brown hair falling around her face as she
bent over a platter piled with cupcakes. Beside her, Reggie had managed to smear
chocolate not only on the tip of his nose but also in his hair. As usual, he
wore a solemn expression that made him seem older than five.
    “Did I hear somebody mention my birthday?” Stacy teased,
setting her purse aside.
    “We did!” Reggie said artlessly.
    “Are you ready for dessert?” Mia asked.
    “Absolutely.”
    Stacy took scant notice of the toys and picture books littering
the living room. It held a mishmash of furnishings, anyway, her delicate white
sideboard and floral armchair nearly lost beside Harper’s heavy, curved brown
sofa and dark-wood entertainment center. As old friends, they’d made the best of
things for the past few years, combining their meager budgets and housefuls of
furniture.
    Now that Harper had landed a better-paying job assisting Dr.
Nora Franco, she could probably afford a larger place. Stacy hoped they wouldn’t
move anytime soon, although that might be more comfortable for Harper and Mia,
who shared a bedroom.
    “Since you like both flavors, we made vanilla cupcakes with
chocolate icing,” said Harper, drying her hands at the sink. An athletic
five-foot-nine, she didn’t seem the least tired after working all day and then
picking up the kids at the hospital day care center. The woman was an
inspiration.
    “You are so thoughtful,” Stacy said. “Thank you so much, all of
you.”
    “Hold on.” Harper plucked a box of twisty birthday candles from
the counter. “Back off, kids. I’m gonna set these suckers on fire.”
    “Hurray!” Reggie hopped up, nearly overturning his chair.
    Stacy rushed to steady it, and planted a kiss atop his fuzzy
head. He’d had a rough time, this little kid, with an absent father and an
emotionally turbulent mom.
    Harper began sticking candles into the cupcakes. “Somebody
count.”
    “One, two, three!” shouted Mia.
    “Four, five, six!” cried Reggie.
    “That’s enough,” Harper said. “Right?”
    “Plenty.” Stacy didn’t care about the candles. She was simply
enjoying being there with her unconventional family. A duo of adorable handmade
teddy bears watched the proceedings from a corner table. One wore a white coat
and stethoscope, the other a pink nurse’s uniform and cap.
    They’d arrived yesterday from her mother and sister’s boutique
in Utah. Although Stacy had grown up in Orange County, her parents had moved to
Salt Lake City to be near their elder daughter, her husband and their four
children.
    As the candles caught fire, the children stared with
fascination at the tiny flames. “Don’t forget to make a wish,” Harper said. “I
bet I can guess what it is.”
    “That one already came true.” Stacy had leaned on Harper for
support during her sojourn into the egg donor experience. “Una’s expecting!”
    “Wonderful.” Harper nodded at the candles. “Well, wish for
something else, and get a move on before the wax drips.”
    Closing her eyes, Stacy wished