Baby, Be Mine (Holiday Brides Series) by Baird Ginny

Author:Baird, Ginny [Baird, Ginny]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Winter Wedding Press
Published: 2013-10-21T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Nikki sat at her mom’s kitchen table drinking coffee. It was Wednesday, her only day off, and Tony was in school. “What’s up, hon?” her mom asked her. “You seem a little down today.” Emma’s face was drawn and pale.

“How are you feeling?” Nikki asked.

“I was asking about you.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one who called in sick.”

Emma shifted, trying to conceal a groan. “Just woke up a little stiff, that’s all.”

“A little, Ma?”

Her mom’s eyes brimmed with moisture. “Oh, Nikki,” she admitted. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. I’m already having tingling in my leg.”

“You what?” Nikki sprang from her chair. “We’re getting you to a doctor. Now.” She tried to grab for her mom’s elbow, but Emma withdrew it.

“Settle down, honey and sit back down.”

“But you said—”

“I know what I said, and I shouldn’t have. Shouldn’t have burdened you with the information. I’ll be all right.” She stared at Nikki and waited until she reluctantly took her seat. “The tingling passes after a while. As long as I stay still and stay off my feet.”

Nikki wrung her hands. “You can’t go on like this.”

“The doctor’s trying me on new medication. Maybe it will work.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“He’s got me lined up to start pain therapy.”

“What does that mean?”

“They’ll give me injections of cortisone. Right”—she pointed to the back of her neck—“here.”

“Will that help?”

“Some patients get better completely.”

Nikki studied her mom with a frown. This didn’t seem probable in Emma’s case. Not considering how long her condition had gone on and how it had worsened. Surgery was likely the only permanent remedy.

“You should sue Mel for doing this to you,” she said, referring to her mom’s boss at the diner.

“He didn’t make me lift those heavy boxes, Nikki.”

“Yeah, but when someone says ‘it would be good if you could…’ and that someone’s your boss…”

Emma shook her head. “No way to prove it. This might even have been a preexisting condition, my doctor said. Something that was on the verge of happening anyway.”

Nikki sighed heavily. “I still blame Mel, and now he’s threatening to fire you on top of it.”

Emma looked at her in sad agreement. “He’s got a business to run.”

“Maybe I should talk to him.”

“Nikki, please. What good will that do?” She forced a weak smile. “Enough about me, all right? I want to hear about you.”

Nikki toyed with her coffee cup, not looking up.

“Nikki?”

She raised her eyes to her mom’s, not sure if she should broach the subject. Especially now when Emma wasn’t feeling well. Maybe it was better to wait.

“Sweetheart, is something going on?”

“I don’t know,” Nikki answered honestly. She’d been so confused about things since New Year’s Eve, she was still having trouble sorting them out.

“Is this about Jack?”

Nikki blinked. “How did you know?”

“Motherly intuition.” Her mom reached out and gently stroked her arm. “What’s going on, honey? Has something happened?”

Nikki blurted it out before she could stop herself. “He kissed me!”

“He what?” Emma brought a hand to her mouth to disguise a smile.

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