SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS
Chapter 56—Looking Forward

In the semi-darkness of early morning, Gabriella awoke and turned over to reach for Troy. His side of the bed was empty and cool, and she squinted at the clock on the bedside table. It was only 6:30. Before she could throw back the covers and go looking for him, the bedroom door opened, and Troy crept in quietly. He was dressed in track pants and a sweatshirt, and Gabriella realized that he'd been out running. She heard the rasp of a zipper just before he pulled off his hooded sweatshirt and dropped it on the floor. He went to his closet and turned on the light inside, glancing over his shoulder to make sure it wasn't shining in his wife's eyes. The darkness prevented him from seeing that she was awake, watching him. He toed off his running shoes and pulled his t-shirt over his head, dropping it next to his sweatshirt. The shadows cast by the closet light highlighted the magnificent ridges of muscle across his chest and abdomen, and she stared shamelessly as he decided on what to wear and then disappeared into the bathroom. A minute later, the shower turned on, and she imagined Troy in there, covered with soapy water.

Gabriella rolled onto her back and groaned. She was going back to see Dr. Grant that afternoon, and if the doctor didn't her lift her ban on sexual activities, Gabriella was pretty sure she was going to die. Her hormones were raging, and with a husband who looked as good as Troy did, the inability to be intimate with him was pure torture. And, she admitted to herself, she was anxious to get back to work, even though it would only be four more days until the students finished their finals and left for winter break. Though she'd tried to be a good sport for the past week, she was tired of being confined to bed. She lay there and let her mind wander until the shower turned off and Troy cracked the bathroom door to let out some steam. She heard the swish of water in the sink as he shaved, and shifted onto her side so she could watch him when he reemerged from the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Troy opened the door and came out wearing nothing but black boxer-briefs. Gabriella bit her lip to keep from moaning at the delectable sight and ogled him as he pulled on a pair of dark slacks. He selected a dress shirt and tie and hung them on the closet door while he went to the dresser to get an undershirt. He normally went on rounds at the hospital every Monday morning, so he dressed up more than on days when he went directly into surgery. Gabriella sighed when his muscular back disappeared beneath his undershirt, and he turned to look at her. There was more sunlight by then, and this time he saw that she was awake.

"Good morning," he smiled. "Are you enjoying the view?"

"I enjoyed it more before you covered it up," she pouted.

Troy laughed. "The hospital frowns on residents showing up naked."

"Good, because that view is for my eyes only."

"It sure is," he agreed, kneeling on the bed to kiss her. "I guess I don't have to ask how you're feeling this morning."

"Ready to be off restriction," she answered anyway. "The sooner, the better."

He nodded sympathetically. "I know. I'll be home around 3:30 to pick you up for your appointment."

"Actually… I was thinking that it's silly for you to drive home to pick me up. I'm not taking pain medicine anymore, so there's no reason why I can't just meet you at the hospital." She gave him her best puppy-dog expression. "Please, Troy?"

He shifted to sit beside her as he considered her idea. "I guess it would be all right if you feel up to it. But no extra stops, okay? I don't want you to overdo it."

Gabriella's eyes darted away. "Well, I was thinking of stopping at school to pick up some stuff I need for tomorrow's meeting…"

"Which you will only attend if Dr. Grant clears you to go back to work," he pointed out. "Honey, I know you're anxious to get back to work, but your health comes first."

"I know. But you said yourself that I'm getting better. I have a good feeling about this appointment today."

"You are getting better. And friskier." He winked at her. "We'll keep our fingers crossed. How about that?"

"Sounds good," she agreed. He stood up to finish dressing, and she propped herself up to watch.

"Hopefully, by tonight, you won't have to just be a spectator anymore," Troy teased.

"I can't wait," she breathed.

...~«ώ»~...

Dr. Grant made a few notes on her chart and then looked up at the couple in front of her and smiled.

"The baby's doing great, and I'm pleased with your progress, Gabriella. Your surgical site is healing nicely, and the swelling in your feet and hands has gone down a lot. I know you weren't happy about being on bed rest for a week, but it did the trick."

"So I don't have to be on bed rest anymore?" Gabriella asked hopefully. "I can go back to work?"

Dr. Grant considered that. "Ordinarily I'd recommend that you ease back into your routine slowly, working half days, so that your symptoms don't return. But since you only have four days left in the semester, I'll allow you to return to your regular schedule."

Gabriella grinned up at Troy, and he patted her knee encouragingly.

I must caution you, though," Dr. Grant continued. "With the holidays approaching, it's a busy and stressful time of year for everyone, not to mention women in the late stages of pregnancy. Don't overdo it, or you'll end up right back where you started, and we don't want that to happen. Are you planning to do any traveling?"

"My parents are coming to San Francisco to spend Christmas with us," Troy shared.

"And what about your family?" she asked Gabriella.

Gabriella chewed on her bottom lip. "Mom and I haven't really discussed it, but I hope she'll be able to come out here for a few days."

The doctor nodded her approval. "Let them help you with holiday preparations. There's no reason for you to do everything yourself. Have you signed up for a childbirth class yet?"

"Yes," Troy answered. "We start after the first of the year."

"Good." Dr. Grant checked her notes again. "You're at 29 weeks now, so we'll set up your next appointment for after the holidays. Once you're past 32 weeks, I'll see you every two weeks, and then, once we get to February, every week." She stood and squeezed Gabriella's shoulder. "You're in the home stretch now. Hang in there, okay?"

"I will," Gabriella answered. "Thank you."

"If anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me. Otherwise, I'll see you in January. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you," Troy replied. "And thank you for everything."

...~«ώ»~...

On Tuesday afternoon, Gabriella's heels clicked as she made her way through the empty corridor to Dean Heller's office. It was after 5:30, and most students and professors had already left for the day, but Gabriella had stayed to grade case summaries and catch up on paperwork. She was more exhausted than she wanted to admit, and she wished she'd listened to Troy and worn more comfortable shoes. She told herself that as soon as she made a quick stop at Dr. Heller's office, she'd head home and put her feet up. Though she knew that Dr. Grant had sent return-to-work paperwork to the dean's office on her behalf, she wanted to check in with her boss to prove that she was healthy and committed to doing her job.

When Gabriella reached Dr. Heller's office, she opened the door into the reception area and approached the dean's closed office door. She raised her hand to knock, but pulled back when she heard voices inside. She probably should have scheduled an appointment with the secretary, Ingrid, but she hadn't expected the dean to be occupied after regular school hours. She stood there for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. Ingrid had already left for the day, so Gabriella sat down at the receptionist's desk to write her a note. The plush chair felt heavenly behind her achy back, and she kicked her shoes off and sighed blissfully. She allowed herself a minute of relaxation, until the rumble of her stomach reminded her that it was time to go home and make dinner. She leaned forward and reached for the neat stack of sticky notes on the desk.

She stopped when something on the corner of the desk caught her attention. In a desktop file holder, there was a manila folder labeled "Matthews, Sandra." Gabriella bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out why that name seemed so familiar. After a few moments, it came to her. Sandy had been one of Gabriella's classmates in law school. Her curiosity piqued, she reached over to slide the file folder open a few centimeters. Inside was a résumé, and behind that, a job application. Gabriella hesitated, wondering what type of job Sandy had applied for at Hastings. The folder behind Sandy's was labeled "Ritz, Daniel." Gabriella recognized that name as well. Daniel had been one of Dr. Lentz's graduate students during Gabriella's first year of teaching at Hastings. In fact, he'd covered her intro classes when she'd been injured and unable to work. Gabriella slid his folder open to find another résumé and job application. There were several more folders in the file holder, labeled with names Gabriella didn't recognize, and on the corner of the desk, a folder with a sticky note that read, "Tuesday, 6 pm."

There was a burst of laughter from inside Dr. Heller's office, and Gabriella snatched her hand back guiltily. As she did so, her sleeve caught the edge of the folder on the desk and it fell, scattering papers all over the floor. Whispering a curse, Gabriella leaned over to collect the papers. With her head bent close to the office door, she heard Dr. Heller clear her throat.

"We are seeking a candidate to cover a maternity leave, beginning with the new semester in January. The job will be for the duration of the semester, but if the person we hire is a good fit, there's a possibility that the post will become permanent."

Gabriella frowned. There were a couple other professors who were pregnant, but one was due later in the semester, like Gabriella was, and the other wasn't due until May. Which of their positions was Dr. Heller interviewing candidates for? And why had she said the replacement may be permanent? A knot of dread began to fist in Gabriella's stomach as she straightened. She straightened the papers she'd retrieved from the floor and put them back in the file folder. The top paper was a cover letter, and though she knew it was wrong to read it, two words caught her attention. She sucked in a breath and dropped the folder on the desk as if it had burned her. Then she stood on wobbly knees, crumpled the half-written note to Ingrid in her hand, and rushed out of the office. Once she was in the hall, Gabriella forced herself to walk, not run, to get away from the awful truth that she'd discovered in the dean's office. But the words she'd seen in that cover letter were burned into her mind. Bioscience Law. Dr. Heller was interviewing candidates for Gabriella's job. She was about to be replaced.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Troy pulled the frying pan off the burner and covered it to keep the pork chops warm. He checked his watch again. He'd cautioned Gabriella to take it easy on her first day back, so he was a bit uneasy that she wasn't home yet. Deciding to call her, he turned to retrieve his cell phone from the counter just as she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"How was your first day back?" Before he even finished the sentence, he could see that something was wrong. Her eyes were wide, and she stood stiffly. She looked completely shell-shocked, and he moved closer to grasp her upper arms. "Honey, what's wrong?"

She suddenly swayed on her feet, and Troy put his arm around her to support her weight. Her body sagged against him, and he guided her over to sit on one of the kitchen stools. Her face was pale, and he could see her pulse pounding against the skin at the base of her neck. He sat on the stool in front of her and cupped her face.

"Gabriella, talk to me. What's going on?"

"My job… I… Dr. Heller was… interviewing, and I… I heard… There was a file… on the desk… It was about… taking over… my maternity leave…"

Troy struggled to piece together her broken sentences. "Dr. Heller was interviewing someone to cover your maternity leave?"

"Yes, but… she said it was for all semester… and maybe… permanently."

She haltingly explained what she'd seen and heard, and Troy shook his head.

"There's no way. They can't do that. It's illegal! You of all people should know that. The Family Medical Leave Act guarantees that you can't get fired for taking maternity leave."

"I'm not tenured," she replied. "My contract is only good for… one year at a time. The school can… let me go…" She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to block out the tears that suddenly welled up. "I don't want to lose my job."

"You're not going to lose your job," he insisted. "You're good, and they'd be stupid to let you go."

"But I heard them... and saw the letter…"

"Okay, so we'll go down there tomorrow and get some answers."

Her eyes narrowed and sparked with anger. "What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry, Dean, but I was looking through your files and eavesdropping outside your door…'"

Troy took her hands in his. "We'll get this all straightened out. It'll be all right." He slid his finger over the pulse point in her wrist and did a ten-second count. "Are you hungry? Dinner's ready. Or do you want to take a nap first? You look exhausted."

She raised her chin defiantly and pushed up off the stool, as if to prove him wrong. He stood beside her and placed a steadying hand on her arm. The fight suddenly drained from her body, and she collapsed into his arms.

"Shh… It's okay, sweetie." He rubbed her back soothingly while she fisted handfuls of his shirt. It wasn't long before he felt the wetness of her tears on his chest, and he held her and comforted her until her tears were spent.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy craned his neck to look at the bedside clock for what felt like the hundredth time. He shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot without disturbing Gabriella. She stirred slightly, and he stilled, waiting until she settled back to sleep. Despite her obvious fatigue, she'd had a lot of trouble going to sleep, and she'd slept fitfully most of the night. She'd snuggled into him, unconsciously seeking his comfort, so the night hadn't been very restful for him either. Now, as dawn approached, she curled closer to him, and he splayed his fingers on the side of her abdomen. He was drifting off to sleep when movement under his palm caught his attention. A smile spread across his face as he felt the baby stretch, pressing its hand or foot against his hand.

"Hey, little one," he whispered. "What are you doing up so early?" The baby stretched again and began to squirm, and Troy suppressed a chuckle. "Hey, hey, take it easy in there," he said. "We don't want to wake up your mama. She's had a rough night."

Despite his gentle reprimand, the baby continued to move, and Troy couldn't help but grin. He was awed by the powerful connection he already felt with his child. He was so focused on the baby's movements that he was startled slightly when Gabriella's hand settled next to his. He looked up, assuming that she was awake, but her eyes were still closed and her breathing was slow and even. She looked so pretty and peaceful that he couldn't resist the urge to trace his finger lightly across her cheek and jaw. Then he lowered his hand back to her belly, and she slid her hand on top of his. That simple, unconscious gesture warmed his heart, and he easily drifted off to sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

Dr. Lentz leaned back in his office chair and clasped his hands together.

"I understand your dilemma, Gabriella. Though you didn't go to the dean's office with the intent to eavesdrop or snoop around the secretary's desk, Dr. Heller will likely interpret it that way. My advice, at least for the time being, is to wait and not mention it to her."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "What am I supposed to do, wait until school resumes in January? Show up for work to find that my replacement has already moved his things into my office?"

"I don't think that will happen. I spoke to the dean last week, and she was genuinely concerned about your health. I believe that she wants to have a substitute in place prior to your scheduled maternity leave, so that if additional complications arise, the new professor will be there to take over for you. Nick has done an admirable job of covering your classes during your absence, but he will be working on his graduate thesis next semester. He'll have to cut back on his classroom time in order to research and write."

"I'd forgotten about that," she admitted. "But doesn't it seem strange, having a new professor waiting in the wings to take my place?"

"No, not really. I think it's a smart move. As your due date approaches, the new professor will observe your classes and meet with you to go over class plans. It will make the transition as seamless as possible for your students."

Gabriella shrugged, still not convinced. "What about the thing she said about the position becoming permanent? Without tenure, there's no guarantee that my contract will be extended into the next school year."

"I understand that the new evaluation process has all of our untenured professors feeling uncertain about their future here," Dr. Lentz nodded. "But I'm a firm believer in the premise that it's unnecessary to fix things that aren't broken. In other words, Dr. Heller has no reason to eliminate professors who are doing their jobs effectively. And you, my dear, certainly fall into that category. Our enrollment numbers are up, so it's entirely possible that Dr. Heller is looking to hire new staff next year."

She chewed on her bottom lip, studying the older man across the desk. "I suppose you're right…"

"I usually am," he teased, causing her to smile in response. He was pleased to see the tension on her face begin to abate. "Now, you've had a long day, and I think you need to go home and get some rest. I'll grade the Scientific Methods lab reports tonight."

"But that's not fair," she protested. "You graded them all last week while I was gone!"

He put up his hand to end the discussion. "You've done more than your share of the work since we started sharing the class, so I don't want to hear any more arguments. Go home, take a nap, and spend a quiet evening with your husband. Quiet evenings will be hard to come by once there's a baby in the house."

"All right," she agreed reluctantly. They both stood, and she circled the desk to give him a hug. "Thank you, Dr. Lentz. For everything."

"You're welcome, Gabriella. You're very welcome."

...~«ώ»~...

On Friday, Troy set his lunch tray down on the cafeteria table and nodded greetings to Mark and Kelly.

"Hey, man," Mark acknowledged. "How's it going?"

"Not bad," Troy answered. "Not bad at all."

"How's Gabi doing?" Kelly asked. "Is she done with school yet?"

"Today's the last day of the semester," Troy replied. "She has to finish grading finals and post her students' grades, and then she's done until January. I'm taking her out for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate."

Kelly nodded her approval. "That's really sweet. Don't you think that's sweet, Mark?" Her tone changed as she addressed her husband, and Troy got the distinct impression that he'd walked into a disagreement between the two.

"Uh, I can go sit somewhere else…"

"No, stay." She glanced at her watch. "I need to get back to work anyway. Tell Gabi I said hi."

"I will," he promised.

"Bye, honey," Mark spoke up as she turned on her heel. She glanced back over her shoulder to roll her eyes, and then walked away.

"Geez, what did you do?" Troy asked.

"Why do you assume it was something I did? Maybe she's just having a bad day!" Troy raised his eyebrows at his friend, and Mark sighed. "Okay, fine. I was trying to get some ideas for what I could get her for Christmas, and she got all mad, saying that I should know by now what she likes. Why are women like that? Why can't they just say, 'Here's what I want' instead of being all mysterious about it? And she expects me to 'step it up' now that we're married. I don't need that kind of pressure!"

"You've been together for three years," Troy pointed out. "You should have this figured out by now. What did you get her for Christmas last year?"

Mark thought for a minute. "A blender." Troy made a face. "Hey, she said she wanted to lose a few pounds before the wedding, so I got her a blender and some low-calorie shake mixes."

"I think you should consider yourself lucky that she still married you after that," Troy joked. "What's the most romantic thing you've gotten for her?"

"Lingerie," Mark answered without hesitation. "This hot black leather number with fishnets and…"

Troy held up his hand, not wanting to hear the details. "Dude, when a guy buys lingerie for his woman, it's really more for him. Has Kelly ever bought any leather… uh, stuff… for herself?"

"No, but she said she liked it…" Mark scratched his head. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen that get-up since the night I gave it to her…"

Troy chuckled. "Man, after all that 'Dr. Love' crap you were giving me last week, now the truth comes out. I think Dr. Love needs to have his license revoked!"

Mark crossed his arms indignantly. "Okay, Casanova, what are you getting for your lovely wife?"

"I've gotten a few things for her already, but here's something I just ordered last night." Troy pulled out his phone and found a picture from the store's website. He turned it around to show his friend.

"That's it? A heart-shaped necklace? That's your big romantic gift?"

"Gabriella was upset the other night because her hands were swollen," Troy explained. "She said she didn't want to take off her rings because it felt like she was breaking her wedding vows." He glanced down at his phone. "The heart opens so that she can hang her rings on it, and then locks shut so she doesn't have to worry about losing them. After the pregnancy's over, she can put charms on it or just wear it as a regular pendant." He slid his phone back into his pocket and looked across at his friend. "Women do tell you what they want, if you pay attention to what they say. And what they don't say."

Mark sat back in his chair to ponder that. "Hmm… Well, Kelly was all worked up last night because she found a couple of gray hairs. Maybe I should get her some of that cover-up dye."

Troy shook his head. "Let's stay away from kitchen appliances and self-improvement products. And lingerie."

"That doesn't leave me with very many options," Mark sulked. "Let's see… Oh yeah, she needs some new scrubs…"

"Have fun sleeping on the couch." Troy's pager went off, and he gulped down the last few bites of his lunch.

"Hey, you can't leave me like this," Mark called after him as he stood and turned to leave. "I need your help! Bolton, come on! Call Gabi and tell her to find out what Kelly wants. Dude, you owe me one!"

Troy turned back and rolled his eyes, much like Kelly had. "Tomorrow, man. We'll figure something out. Right now, though, I've got to get back to work."

Mark watched his friend's exit and felt his panic begin to subside. Troy would help him, and they'd find something great for Kelly. Because he had absolutely no intention of sleeping on the couch.

...~«ώ»~...

"Come on, Gabi, hurry up!" Kelly called over her shoulder. "We still have three more stores to go to before we meet the guys!"

Gabriella made a valiant effort to pick up the pace as her friend scurried ahead of her, but her feet felt like they were mired in wet cement. She inwardly chastised herself for agreeing to accompany Kelly on her impromptu shopping trip. Christmas was just over a week away, and the mall was packed with holiday shoppers. Gabriella usually enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but this year all she could think about was how soon she would be able to sit down. She'd already finished most of her shopping online during the week she'd been on bed rest, but Kelly had practically dragged her out of the house that morning. Troy and Mark had worked part of the day and then set out to do some shopping of their own. The foursome planned to meet up for dinner that evening. Gabriella hoped she could stay on her feet that long.

"Gabi!" Kelly's face suddenly appeared right in front of her, and Gabriella realized that she'd spaced out and slowed almost to a stop.

"I'm coming," Gabriella sighed.

Kelly's expression softened. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to run off on you like that."

"It's okay. I just can't navigate through the crowd like you can. You're like a gazelle and I'm a hippopotamus."

Kelly planted her fists on her hips. "Gabriella Bolton, don't you dare say stuff like that. You look great!"

"I feel huge," Gabriella admitted.

"You may feel huge, but you aren't huge. Get that out of your head right now, or I'll be forced to beat it out of you." Kelly's playful threat had the desired effect; her friend giggled.

"I have a new appreciation for the term 'shop 'til you drop,'" Gabriella confessed. "How about this… You shop, and I'll drop. Right over there on that bench by the fountain."

Kelly considered that. "Okay, two of the stores I need to go to are down that way." She pointed over her shoulder. I'll go get what I need there, and then come back and pick you up. Then we can go to the sporting goods store together."

Gabriella released a sigh of relief. "That sounds great. Thank you."

Kelly gave her a quick hug and then hurried off, and Gabriella trudged to the bench and sat down. She pulled her phone out of her purse and tapped a quick message to Troy. He and Mark had arrived at the mall an hour or so earlier, and he and Gabriella had been texting each other their whereabouts to prevent Mark and Kelly from bumping into one another while they shopped for the other's gift. Once her message was sent, she returned the phone to her purse and leaned back against the wooden back of the bench. The steady stream of shoppers and the Christmas music playing over the loudspeaker lulled her into a state of relaxation, and soon her eyes drifted shut. She had no idea how long she sat like that before a man's voice startled her.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

She opened her eyes, expecting to see a mall cop. Instead, she saw Troy standing in front of her wearing a mischievous grin. He approached slowly and sat down beside her.

"Please forgive me for being so forward, but I was walking by and saw you sitting here, and…" He glanced away, pretending to be shy. "And I thought you were the prettiest little thing I've ever laid eyes on."

Gabriella caught on to his game and smiled bashfully. "I… oh, um… thank you. I'm Gabriella." She offered her hand for him to shake, and he took it eagerly.

"I'm Troy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Gabriella." He turned her hand and raised it to his lips to kiss it. "What are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

"Waiting for someone," she answered.

He frowned. "A man?"

"No. My friend Kelly."

"So, Gabriella, would you maybe consider giving me your number? I'd like to take you out sometime."

She pulled back her hand. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" he persisted.

"Well, I, uh…" She realized how breathy her voice sounded and cleared her throat. "You should know that, um… I'm pregnant."

Troy slid his arm across the back of the bench behind her and leaned in so closely that she could feel his breath on her cheek. The huskiness of his voice sent a chill down her spine. "Well then, Gabriella, you should know that I think you're the sexiest pregnant woman I've ever met. I'd love to take you back to my place and get better acquainted."

Gabriella felt her cheeks warm. "I don't know. That's moving pretty fast. I'm not that kind of girl."

He backed away a bit. "Okay, so let's start with dinner tonight and see where it goes from there. Come on, what do you say?"

"All right, but only if my friend can come along," she answered coyly.

He nodded his agreement. "I have a friend that I can bring too. Maybe he and Kelly can find something to do while you and I get to know each other."

"If they don't kill each other first," Gabriella muttered, signaling an end to their playful flirtation.

Troy laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "That's actually why I came to find you. Mark's in the jewelry store over there, and we may be here all night if he doesn't get some help picking out Kelly's gift."

"Why couldn't you help him? You have good taste with jewelry." She touched the charm bracelet on her wrist, the one he'd given her in Hawaii, to prove her point.

"Yeah, well, try telling that to Mark, because he won't listen to me. Even though I'm the one who suggested the jewelry store in the first place."

"Okay, let's go before Kelly gets back."

Troy stood and offered his hand to help her up. When she was on her feet, he tugged her into his side and kissed the top of her head. "Can I carry your bag for you?"

She smiled up at him. "Only if you don't peek in it."

"Ooh, a present for me?"

"My lips are sealed," she teased.

"I can be pretty persuasive, you know," he grinned. "Especially when it involves your lips."

He lowered his head to kiss her, and she allowed herself to melt into him for a few moments before she pulled away.

"Nice try," she murmured.

He picked up her shopping bag and took her hand. As they walked toward the jewelry store, he pointed out a funny sign in front of a kiosk. When she looked back at him, he was craning his neck to see what was in the shopping bag. She hit his arm playfully.

"Quit peeking!" she demanded. "You're worse than a little kid!"

Troy laughed. "Just think, next year you'll have two of us to deal with!"

Gabriella slowed to look at the line of children waiting to sit on Santa's lap, and her hand automatically covered her belly.

"I can't wait."

He put his arm around her, and they stood there for a few moments to watch a little girl tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas.

"We have a lot to celebrate this year," he commented. "And a lot to look forward to."

"Yeah, we do," she agreed softly.

"Hey, Bolton, what's the hold-up?" Mark called from the entrance to the jewelry store. "I can't wait all day!"

Gabriella shook her head. "Speaking of little kids…"

Troy chuckled and took her hand again. "Come on, babe, let's get this done. We both know Mark Davis won't be growing up anytime soon."