Page 97 of Temporary Vows

Dorian ushers me toward them first.

His father is the first to notice our approach. The moment his eyes land on me, my nerves scatter, but I steady myself with a breath. Jeremiah Vale smiles at me the way he used to when I was little, and I find myself returning his smile.

“Welcome,” he greets us both.

“Thank you,” I answer.

Louise beams at me, stepping forward with open arms, then she pulls me into a hug. “Look at you,” she gushes, holding me close before taking a step backward to look me over. “It’s been years.”

“I know. It’s been a very long time,” I say.

“You look absolutely beautiful.”

My smile widens. “Thanks. I did my best.”

“Oh goodness, girls like you don’t have to try, sweetheart.” Louise was always nice to me. What little I remember of Dorian’s mother, I’d rather forget. Louise felt like the angel sent to make up for her.

“You’re too kind.” I chuckle, glancing from Jeremiah to Louise. “It’s really great to see you both.”

“Likewise,” Jeremiah says. Reaching for my hand, he shakes it with both of his and holds on for a beat. “Welcome to the family, my dear. I hear congratulations will soon be in order.” He gives my hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

My cheeks warm. “Thank you.” I feel myself relax under his sincerity.

“Come, I’ll get you a drink,” Louise offers. “Then I’ll introduce you to the people you don’t know. You’re going to love Isla, Knox’s wife.”

“I’m sure I will.”

I glance back at Dorian again before she leads me away.

Louise gets me an exotic fruity cocktail and takes me over to a group of ladies who look like a bunch of dolls.

The willowy, pretty one with the cute baby bump and the same hair color as me is Isla, and Louise is right; I like her right off the bat.

She’s quirky, funny, and she’s an artist.

The moment she starts talking about her upcoming exhibition, I’m engrossed.

Time seems to glide by as the conversation shifts easily, drifting from one topic to the next, until it lands on babies. The other girls join in, comparing notes, setting loose timelines for when they might start having children.

“I’ve just passed the three-month mark,” Isla says excitedly. “I can’t wait to see what the rest of the time will be like.”

“Will you find out the baby’s gender?” I ask, genuinely curious. I’d definitely want to know when the time comes.

Isla shakes her head. “No. I want to, but Knox wants to be surprised. I guess I like the idea of that, too. We’ve made it into a little game, trying to guess. From there, we drift into baby names, then what we’d do if it’s a girl or boy.”

It must be nice to be so excited. I can’t help but wonder whatI’llbe like. I don’t even know if I’ll have a smooth pregnancy. Since I’ve never been in a serious relationship, I never really thought about children much. I knew I wanted them. I just didn’t know when.

“You carry that bump so well,” Cindy, the tall dark-haired girl to my left, says. Her gaze is fixed on Isla’s stomach.

Isla smirks. “This is just the beginning. I’m sure I won’t look so good six months down the line.”

Everyone laughs.

“Especially with the way I’m eating. I can’t stop,” she adds.

They laugh again.

“How many do you want?” Cindy clasps her hands. “I don’t think I can manage more than one.”