Page 7 of You Found Me

Someday, it seemed, was today. Just like that, the world shifted.

Lizzie had gone from being her big sister to someone else’s mother.

Mattie threw her arms around Lizzie. “Oh my God! I knew it! I just knew it! Congratulations! This is so fantastic! You’re going to be an amazing mother. I can’t wait. How far are you? Should we postpone the wedding?”

“I’m only three months,” Lizzie said with a happy, tear-filled laugh. “The baby isn’t due until after your wedding.”

“This is so cool!” Piper squeezed onto the couch next to Lizzie. The three of them were a jumble of arms and giggles and squeals.

“Congratulations,” Romi said. She offered a rare smile that lifted the corners of her eyes and made her seem a little more human.

Was it Della’s imagination or did Renic stand a little taller when Jason shook his hand and slapped his back?

Renic’s gaze fell on Lizzie, and the look they exchanged was so full of joy it made Della’s heart ache.

Once again, for a fraction of a second, Della felt like she was on the outside looking in at something she couldn’t quite reach.It was stupid, she knew that, but she couldn’t help that stab of jealousy or the uncertainty that followed.

She was happy for Lizzie. Her sister finally had what she’d always wanted.

So why did this news also make her feel sad? It didn’t make any sense.

Della shook off her ridiculous reaction and rushed forward to wiggle her way in, half on Piper’s lap and half on Lizzie’s. She wrapped her arms around her eldest sister’s neck and squeezed, hard. If a tear escaped, well…happy tears were a thing. Right? “I’m going to plan the most amazing baby shower ever.”

Soon, all four of them were crying and laughing and talking all at once just like they used to do as kids. It eased the irrational what-about-me panic in Della’s chest.

There was no reason to envy the way everyone else seemed to be moving on with life while Della remained in perpetual party mode. No reason at all. Her life was good. Great, even.

“We need to celebrate. Let’s get out of here,” Della suggested finally. “I want to raise a toast to my future niece.”

“Or nephew,” Mattie pointed out.

“Right, that too.” Della grabbed Lizzie’s hands to pull her off the couch. “Come on. Let’s head to the wrap party.”

Romi cleared her throat. “I hate to be the party popper, but we still have Della’s stalker to deal with.”

Della glared at the stuck-in-danger-mode woman. “It’s pooper, not popper, and we don’t need to worry about that right now. We have more important things going on.”

Lizzie squeezed Della’s hand, and her face held genuine regret. “No, we don’t. I won’t be able to relax knowing someone might be after you. We have plenty of time to celebrate before and after the baby gets here.”

“I think we should definitely push back the wedding,” Mattie said. “This thing with Della needs to get sorted first, and I’d rather wait until the baby can be there too.”

Renic looked at Jason. “How’s your schedule for the next couple of months?”

“Months?” Della tried hard to keep the panic out of her voice. She could see quarantine coming. Isolation was never a good time, especially when it didn’t have an expiration date.

Jason tapped on his tablet. “We’re booked pretty solid with that Nelson tour. I could spare a couple of guys, maybe, if they coordinated with Della’s personal security, but we might need to bring in a few contractors.”

“Wait a second.” Della’s frustration bubbled up again. They were arranging her personal life for her without even asking. “I have plans for the break, you know, and they don’t include being surrounded by an army of bodyguards.”

“Do your plans include being kidnapped?” Romi asked with you’re-an-idiot contempt.

“It probably won’t take that long to lock this down,” Renic said. “But we should be prepared.”

“Greg will be back on Monday,” Della said. “He’s more than capable of keeping one overzealous fan away.”

“If he is so capable, why is he not here right now?” Romi asked.

“I gave him the weekend off,” Della said. She met Romi’s challenging gaze. “After all, there should have been plenty of security here.”