Christmas in Texas. Rebecca Winters

tumbling, fighting for space. A sudden cramp shot across her abdomen, pinching and slicing. She closed her eyes against the pain, waiting for it to pass. “Darn my brother Beau,” she said after a moment. “He ratted me out.”

      Kelly laughed. “Good for Beau.”

      “I’ll take care of him later.” Capri leaned back against the pillow. “I know Seagal too well. There’s a reason he’s back in town, and it isn’t all about these babies. He claims it’s about the drugs in the floral arrangements, but I think there’s something else. He takes a lot of phone calls when he thinks I don’t notice, and his phone must get a hundred texts an hour.” She sighed, wishing the cramp would pass, and forced a smile at Kelly. “Intuition. It’s kind of a wife thing, I guess.”

      “But you’re not worried about Daisy anymore now, are you?”

      “No.” Capri shook her head. “I think she moved on to Jack, just like you said.”

      “I know,” Kelly said, “and it makes me want to pinch her head off.”

      Capri smiled. “I remember that emotion.”

      “So, what are you going to do now? You’re not really going to go through with the divorce, are you?”

      Capri could barely focus on her friend’s question. The pain was getting worse; it was harder to hold back a groan.

      Something was different; she knew it. “Kelly,” she said, forcing her voice above a whisper but having to push against the pain, “having never experienced pregnancy I’m no expert, but I think these babies want to be here in time for Christmas.”