The Calamity Janes Read online

  He stood up then. “Well, it looks to me as if Emma has something on her mind, so I’ll get out of here and leave you two alone.”

  She frowned at him. “You can’t read my mind.”

  “Of course, I can. Always could,” he said, then leaned in close. “Congratulations, by the way.”

  She shot a startled look at him, but he merely winked. “If it’s a boy, Ryan’s a nice name.”

  “Get out of here before you spoil my surprise.”

  After he’d gone, Ford studied her intently. “Okay, spill it. What surprise?”

  “We’re going to have a baby,” she said, watching his face to gauge his reaction. It had only been a couple of weeks since they’d stopped using birth control. Apparently they’d slipped up before that, because the doctor estimated she was at least six weeks’ pregnant.

  “A baby,” he echoed, looking stunned. “Already? Are you sure?”

  “Very sure. I took a home pregnancy test, then because I couldn’t believe it had happened so fast, I had the doctor check it out, too.”

  “How long have you known?”

  “For sure, since I saw the doctor this afternoon.”

  “How did Ryan know?”

  “Lucky guess. He knew I wouldn’t cry over the thought of him leaving. It had to be my hormones acting up.”

  “Oh, I suspect a few of those tears were for him, but it’s not like you’ll never see him again,” Ford said. “People from Winding River have a way of coming home again.”

  Emma gave him a watery smile. “They do, don’t they?” she said happily, already anticipating Lauren’s permanent return the following week. Then all of the Calamity Janes would be close by.

  “When will we know if this baby’s a boy or a girl?” Ford asked.

  “Not for quite a while yet. Do you want to know ahead of time?” she asked him.

  “I already know it’s going to be a boy,” he said with confidence. “I don’t need a sonogram to tell me that.”

  “It’s another girl,” Emma declared, just as convinced. “Caitlyn has been pleading for a sister, and you give her everything she asks for.”

  “Are we going to fight about this, too?” Ford asked, regarding her with amusement.

  Emma grinned. “Right up until the day I deliver. Since I married you, I’ve discovered that there’s nothing quite as stimulating as a good, heated test of wills.”

  “I’ll show you heated, darlin’.”

  And he did.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3717-3

  THE CALAMITY JANES

  Copyright © 2001 by Sherryl Woods

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