Love On Anchor Island: An Anchor Island Novel

you,” Callie said with a smile. “This is my husband, Sam, and our son, Connor.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” she replied. Unable to help herself, she asked, “How far along are you?”
The woman laid a hand on her protruding belly. “Seven months.” Roxie’s face must have belied her surprise because she added, “I know, right? I’m as big as a house.”
“You are not,” her husband cut in. “You’re beautiful.”
“Big and beautiful,” she corrected with a laugh.
“Mommy, I need to go,” Connor said, rocking in his seat.
Sam stood immediately. “I’ve got you, buddy.”
Callie watched her husband and son trudge off toward the bathroom with a blissful look in her eye. As much as Roxie had encountered married couples in her life, she’d never seen that look before. Then again, the way Beth’s eyes had lit up when Joe got home had been similar.
There must be something in the water down here, she thought, eying the glass before her warily.
“No pain?” Alex asked.
Callie scrunched her nose. “A little earlier today. Mostly in my back.”
“Mostly?”
“Some was down low in the front.”
“How low?”
This didn’t seem like the right time or place for this conversation, but Callie didn’t appear fazed. “About here.” She pressed a hand low on her stomach and slightly to the left. “I think baby A must have stretched out again.”
Baby A? So there was a baby B? That explained a lot.
“Come see me first thing in the morning,” Alex ordered. “If the pain comes back, or you feel anything else off, call me before then.”
Rolling her head from side to side, Callie said, “You’re going to put me on bed rest, aren’t you?”
“Maybe, but I won’t know for sure without a full exam. Have your cheeks been this red all day?”
Callie cupped her face. “Are they still pink?” she said.
Mia nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
“Well, crap.”
“Well, crap what?” Sam asked as he slid Connor back into the high chair.
“Alex wants to put me on bed rest.”
The dad turned hard eyes to the doctor. “She told me you said everything was fine.”
Credit to the doc for not flinching under the powerful glare. “We knew from the beginning that bed rest was a possibility. If she’d had any pain last week, I’d have considered it then, but this is a new development.”
The chiseled face turned to Callie, eyes full of concern. “You’re in pain? When did this happen? Do we need to go to the medical center?”
“This is why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d worry.”
“You’re my wife, and you’re carrying our twins. I’m always worried.”
Roxie felt for him. Not as much as for his wife, but still.
“There’s no need to panic,” Alex calmly cut in. “She’s right that this could be one of the babies moving around more than before. There isn’t much room in there, so she’s going to feel everything from here on out.”
Both mother and father visibly relaxed. Even Roxie felt better, and she had nothing to do with this.
The waitress arrived to take the new arrivals’ orders, and Roxie took a moment to observe the friendly group. Thirteen adults and four children filled the four connected tables. Conversations, both loud and soft, buzzed around her while she gently rocked the sleeping child.
“You’re a natural,” Callie said, nodding toward Daphne. “The next time I need help getting Connor to sleep, I might give you a call.”
Not wanting to give the wrong impression, Roxie shook her head. “I don’t know much about kids.”
“You know more than you think,” she said before Connor caught her attention by dropping his sippy cup on the floor.
“She’s right,” Alex said, leaning Roxie’s way. “Daphne doesn’t go to just anyone. She likes you.”
“Maybe she’s too young to be a good judge of character.”
He shifted in his chair to face her. “Does that mean you don’t think you’re a good person?”
Best to tell him now lest he get any ideas about trying that ferry trick again. “I have a less than stellar history; let’s put it that way.”
“Less than stellar? I’m going to need clarification on that.”
Roxie rolled her eyes. “I make mistakes. Often.”
Alex laughed. “Who doesn’t?”
“Trust me. I’m not a girl you take home to mother.”
In fact, none of the men in her life had ever taken Roxie home to meet his family. She was more the fling type. The girl picked up at a bar, good for some light, no-strings fun. In other words, she wasn’t wife material.
In a low whisper, he mumbled, “Stripper?”
Of course he’d go there. “Why did you just whisper that like an old church lady? Do you have something against strippers? A girl’s got to make a living whatever way she can.”
The crowd went quiet, and heat rose up Rosie’s neck. Why couldn’t she ever keep her mouth shut?
After a brief, awkward pause, Mary Ann yelled, “What’s a stripper?”
Roxie closed her eyes, mortified.
To her surprise, Lucas burst out laughing first, and the rest of the gathering followed suit. Conversations resumed while Roxie sat stunned, not sure what had just happened. Alex looked genuinely embarrassed, and a pang of guilt formed a knot in her stomach.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Now you see what I mean. I have a knack for causing scenes.”
“Not your fault. I shouldn’t have made the joke in the first place.”
Ah. She’d thought he was serious. And now they all thought Roxie was a stripper. Awesome.
“For the record,” she said low enough for only Alex to hear, “I’ve never been a stripper.” Why she needed to tell him that, Roxie didn’t know. She didn’t judge anyone for their choices, but in the long list of things people could hold against her, taking off her clothes for money wasn’t one of them.
As if not sure what to do with this information, Alex silently nodded.
The appetizers began to arrive, and Roxie vowed not to speak for the rest of the meal. She couldn’t undo the mess she’d just made, but by damn, she would not make it worse.
As Alex had expected, Callie didn’t make it to morning. The