You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by Allison Bottke

Author:Allison Bottke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David C. Cook
Published: 2011-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

“So, this is where you hide every morning.” Tina handed Susan a Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte.

“I’m hardly hiding. Thanks for bringing this.” Susan took a sip and rolled her eyes. “Heavenly! I’ve been drinking that horrid stuff Michael bought at Sam’s Club all morning, and I hate it.” She pointed to a Mr. Coffee machine on the counter of the Henderson Ranch office.

“No problem. Where is Michael?”

“He’s meeting with someone in Henderson … the city planner I think.”

“This is a nice office.” Tina sipped her iced decaf, looking around the space that used to be the Petite Pet shop. “Cozy. I wondered what it looked like. It’s a lot quieter here than at the White Elephant.”

They discussed how plans were progressing on the ranch, and Susan showed her the latest architectural drawings.

“Wow, that’s a lot of house.” Tina peered closer at the blueprints. “I didn’t know it was going to be so big.”

Susan shook her head. “It gets bigger every day.”

“Like me.”

“Well, not quite like you. But since you mentioned it—what exactly are you going to do?” Susan rocked back in her office chair. “Ryan called last night, told me all about your weight-gain dilemma.”

Tina sat bolt upright. “You didn’t say anything to him, did you?”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t do that, Tina.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, about the Tropicana. But having you at the site full time is going to be a blessing—for us at least.”

“I love being there.” Tina put her cup on the edge of Susan’s desk and paced slowly around the office. “I know I should tell Ryan about the ba— about my condition. But I don’t know what to tell him. I still can’t decide what to do.”

“You don’t think he suspects at all?”

“I don’t think so. Not even my boss suspects. She just thinks I’m getting fat. Do I look fat? I mean, can you tell?” Tina stood sideways and pulled her blouse tight to her frame.

“Not at all, and that blows me away. You’re just over halfway through your second trimester, and other than maybe a little more fullness in your beautiful face, I don’t see the slightest difference. How did your boss find out?”

“We have a mandatory monthly weigh-in.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not. Her scale says I’m up eight pounds, but it’s really eleven.”

Susan was careful not to pressure the distraught young woman in any way about her pregnancy. She knew that Tina was still in weekly counseling with Thelma and that she continued to weigh all of her options. She was cutting it close, though. In Nevada an abortion was illegal after twenty-four weeks. Susan prayed that wouldn’t even be an issue.

“Well, dear, you’re going to have to come to some decision soon, because Ryan is taking personal responsibility for feeding you too much. He’s determined to help you lose weight. But personally, I think he’s conflicted.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know darn well what I mean. I think he’d feed you pizza and spaghetti every day if it meant he could have you with him at the office full time.

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