For His Name's Sake (Psalm 23 Mysteries) by Debbie Viguié Read Free Book Online Page A

he shook himself mentally. He needed to learn to leave this kind of stuff at work. His wife deserved more of his undivided attention than she’d gotten in a long time.
    He was halfway to the front door when it opened and Traci emerged, locking it behind her. She was wearing a long, red dress that he hadn’t seen her wear in a long time. It hugged her curves in a very attention-getting way.
    Traci looked beautiful, more beautiful than he could ever remember seeing her, and he stared, transfixed. She smiled at him and he was reminded again of how much he didn’t deserve her.
    “What’s the occasion?” he finally managed to stammer. He knew it wasn’t a birthday or anniversary.
    “It isn’t everyday my husband’s actually home for dinner,” she said, smiling slyly. “I thought we’d celebrate.”
    “I can’t argue with that,” he said.
    “Nor should you even try.”
    They got into the car and he glanced at her again. “So, where are we going?”
    “Rue de Main.”
    He whistled. It was a French restaurant and one of the nicest places in town. When Traci wanted to celebrate something, she went all out.
    Twenty minutes later they were being seated at a table for two that was adorned with a white tablecloth and candles. After they had ordered their food Mark picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.
    “Now, how about you tell me what’s really going on Mrs. Walters.”
    “Always the detective, aren’t you?” she teased.
    “Always.”
    “Okay, Mr. Detective. Why are we here?”
    He blinked, taken slightly aback by her challenge. He stared at her and she simply smiled at him and cocked her head to the side as if she was waiting.
    “Okay,” he said at last. “Let’s see. It’s not already a special occasion so that implies that you have something you want to talk about, something more than just normal day-to-day stuff.”
    “And what might that be?” she asked.
    “You wouldn’t be smiling this much or have taken me someplace this nice if you were planning on leaving me.”
    “Very good.”
    “You’re also smiling too much for this to be bad news which implies that whatever you want to discuss has to be important, but not bad. In fact, given how much you’re smiling, you’re excited about this news.”
    She didn’t say anything but her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
    “The choice of a romantic restaurant is symbolic. This can’t be news like someone’s coming for a visit. It can’t be job related either. I’d say you were planning on springing a surprise vacation to Paris on me, but you would have done that at Christmas or waited for Valentine’s Day. No, whatever this is, you didn’t know at Christmas and it can’t wait to be told until Valentine’s Day, the obvious, romantic choice.”
    Suddenly the truth hit him so hard he actually froze, unable to speak. He stared at her, barely breathing.
    “I think you just figured it out,” she said softly.
    “You mean?”
    “Yes, Mark. We’re going to have a baby.”

5
    At six o’clock on the dot Melissa and Veronica both showed up as promised. Melissa, a tall strawberry-blonde who looked like she’d stepped out of the pages of a magazine Cindy had met once before. She was part of a theater group that Geanie occasionally did volunteer work for. She was an aspiring actress and to Cindy’s way of thinking was one of the snootiest people she’d ever met.
    Veronica, on the other hand, was a complete Goth. Geanie was wild, eccentric, with crazy taste in clothing and occasionally leaned toward the Goth look but Veronica was the whole package. Her face was pale, her hair black to match her nail polish. She was wearing a long, black velvet skirt and a black leather bustier. She had multiple ear piercings and even a nose ring. Cindy knew that Veronica and Geanie had been college roommates but she had never actually met her.
    “So, you’re the new roommate,” Veronica said slowly, as though it would kill her to speak at a normal