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Falling for the Mom-to-Be
Jenna Mindel
The Widow's Surprise Baby When Annie Marshall discovers just weeks after her husband's death that she's carrying his baby, her sadness turns to hope. Scared of facing this all on her own, she reluctantly accepts the help of her husband's best friend, Matthew Zelinsky. The kiss they shared after the funeral was just two friends comforting each other–or so she tells herself. Yet spending time together makes them wonder if what they feel is more than friendship. When people in town start raising eyebrows and her business begins to suffer from the gossip, Annie must decide if loving Matthew is worth the risk.
The Widow’s Surprise Baby
When Annie Marshall discovers just weeks after her husband’s death that she’s carrying his baby, her sadness turns to hope. Scared of facing this all on her own, she reluctantly accepts the help of her husband’s best friend, Matthew Zelinsky. The kiss they shared after the funeral was just two friends comforting each other—or so she tells herself. Yet spending time together makes them wonder if what they feel is more than friendship. When people in town start raising eyebrows and her business begins to suffer from the gossip, Annie must decide if loving Matthew is worth the risk.
“You don’t have to worry about me, you know.”
“I know.” So why was he? Matthew thought about her a lot. Maybe too much. “But we both have to eat.”
She smiled. “I am hungry. Let me throw on a cover-up and we’ll go.”
“I’ll be right here.” He meant it, too. She could lean on him. “Always here for you. I hope you know that.”
This felt a lot like a date. Was he trying to date Annie Marshall? Surely, it was too soon to go there.
He glanced at the woman walking beside him. She was a few years older than him. Not that it mattered. Not to him. She’d always been beautiful.
Annie caught him staring. “What?”
“Nothing.” He really needed to cover this awkward awareness or they’d have an uncomfortable dinner together. “I was just picturing your feet.”
She rolled her eyes. “Real nice.”
It felt good to tease her. As if they were friends again and nothing had happened to change that. There was no reason to let one kiss change what they were. They were friends. He needed to remember that.
JENNA MINDEL lives in northwest Michigan with her husband and their three dogs. She enjoys a career in banking that has spanned over twenty-five years and several positions, but writing is her passion. A 2006 Romance Writers of America RITA® Award finalist, Jenna has answered her heart’s call to write inspirational romances set near the Great Lakes.
Falling for the
Mom-To-Be
Jenna Mindel
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
—Matthew 5:4
A huge thank-you to Doug LaLonde
for answering my many questions about
freighters and shipping on the Great Lakes.
You guys are rock stars out there!
Contents
Cover (#uba0b1ccc-51ff-579a-ad20-07b033cda834)
Back Cover Text (#u64194b28-5da1-5307-bf06-42fc7820895c)
Introduction (#ubf813f24-0ec4-5336-ad51-06587f41eb43)
About the Author (#uf090cebd-0be0-5535-8b25-3db8250d0395)
Title Page (#ufd32c029-2fc8-581e-a9a4-4aa392c25bf3)
Bible Verse (#u0b24a1af-97bd-5920-96e5-20c9f78ffa0e)
Dedication (#u3ce06161-425c-5dae-9ed0-61d627a73fb1)
Prologue (#u127a1bd9-e901-58b0-bfde-39b4aad0b936)
Chapter One (#uc24acf9f-1599-5719-9fb1-c4f390a2cb3c)
Chapter Two (#u8379adcd-38c3-55dd-9419-17f9fa2657cc)
Chapter Three (#u00ffbeda-0c31-55b2-a2c3-8ae727249486)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Dear Reader (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue (#ulink_3039bcea-2d59-5f11-ad1f-131203c80630)
March
Annie Marshall stood in the middle of the produce section of a big chain grocery store the next town over from her own. People passed by her without a nod or glance. They didn’t know her. And that was good. Too many knew her in Maple Springs. If she’d have gone to the corner IGA, she’d have been showered with words of sympathy and pitiful looks.
Tonight, she wasn’t in the mood.
Annie had broken free from her house that was shrouded with whispers and mourning and did something normal people do. She went grocery shopping. She wanted freedom from her sister and their aunt and their careless coddling. Freedom from their compulsive comfort given to compensate for the geographic and emotional distance between them.
Tonight, she was mad.
Mad at God for taking her husband of fifteen years with a sudden heart attack, out of the blue. Mad at her aunt and sister for treating her like spun glass, ready to break. Mad at Jack for not taking better care of himself.
He’d never come home again.
Jack...
Her throat tightened, so she closed her eyes and counted.
Annie always counted when on the edge of losing it. It had started when she was a kid because her mom refused to let her throw tantrums. It came in handy when she’d received word of her parents’ death while in college. Her sister, barely high-school-aged, went to live with their aunt. Life went on.
And Annie had been counting since Jack’s funeral. A week ago? It seemed like years.
She felt a touch to her shoulder and spun.
“Hey.” Matthew Zelinsky searched her face. His blue eyes were dark with concern. “What are you doing over here?”
Annie’s throat went dry. “Shopping. What about you?”
“Same.” He shrugged as he glanced at her empty cart save for a bunch of bananas. Jack had loved bananas.
Matthew placed his empty basket on the floor and then lifted her bundle of fruit and put it back on the shelf. He took her by the hand. “Come on.”
Annie didn’t argue. She followed him outside into the cold, damp night. Snow banks still loomed high in the parking lot but had melted some from the day’s rain. Dirt and silt covered their tops. Thin layers of ice shone in the overhead lights where puddles had been. The end of March wasn’t pretty in northern Michigan.
Her breath blew cold smoke in front of her. “I saw you at the funeral, but you were gone before I could even talk to you.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
He opened the passenger side of his pickup truck for her and she climbed in. The truck was big and loaded. Jack had gone with him at the end of January to pick it out. Off-season.
Matthew got in, started the engine and cranked up the heat.
She leaned back against the plush seats and sighed. “Nice truck. Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s great.” He turned toward her. “How are you?”
She shrugged, knowing she couldn’t put on a grand performance with Matthew. He knew her too well. “How am I supposed to be?”
“I don’t know.” He gave her a slanted smile. “If you figure it out, let me know.”
They sat in silence a moment. The only noise was the whirl of the heater. Matthew reached for her hand and she held on. There wasn’t anything either of them could say to make it better or worse. They both loved Jack. And now he was gone.
“I’m heading out in the morning.”
Annie felt another stab of loss.
Matthew was Jack’s best friend and first mate on a Great Lakes freighter where they’d worked together for years. Matthew had been the one to find Jack dead in his cabin after they’d been on the lakes only a week into the shipping season. Their freighter had loaded up at the calcite plant in Roger’s City around the time of Jack’s funeral, allowing some to attend.
Matthew had remained home a while longer, but his job wouldn’t wait forever. He had to go, catching ship at their next port.
“Have you got a new captain?” Her voice cracked on the last word. Jack’s title.
“An older guy, well experienced, has hired on for this season at least before retiring. So, we’ll see.”
Annie nodded. Maybe Matthew would move into Jack’s role in time. Jack had said he was ready.
Matthew flipped back the console between them and scooted over, gathering Annie into his arms. “I’m so sorry.”
She held him tight. “Me, too.”
He pulled back, his eyes watery and bright. “I let you down, Annie.”
“No, you didn’t.” She shook her head and cupped his dear face. Matthew was her friend, too. What could he have possibly done to change what had happened to Jack? “It’s only been a week, but I miss him.”
Matthew kneaded her shoulders. “I know.”
She welcomed the warmth of that rough massage. “Why did you leave right after the funeral?”
“I don’t know.” His voice softened. “I had to get away.”
Annie chuckled. She’d felt the same way. She would have bolted if she could have gotten away with it. But the whole town had been there. Many of Jack’s crew, too. And her mother-in-law would have tracked her down and dragged her back had she run.
“So, where’ve you been?” He hadn’t stopped by but once to drop off Jack’s things. She hadn’t been home at the time. Returning from a walk, she’d missed him.
He let his hands drop from her shoulders and shrugged, not looking at her. “I was in the UP for a few days.”
Annie nodded, wishing she could have escaped town for a while, too. A few times during the off-season, Jack had gone to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to snowmobile with Matthew and his brothers. Jack had loved it. She patted Matthew’s jeans-clad knee. “Well, be careful driving to catch ship.”
He glanced at her hand and then studied her face. “I will.”
