“I—Hello.” Abby shot a knowing glance at Frankie and, without saying a word, smiled in a way that told Frankie she now understood Frankie’s desperation in finding Ezzie a room. “You must be Mrs. Salazar. And yes, I was married here last year.” She brushed a hand over her stomach before introducing Lori, who had appeared next to Abby. “This is Lori Knight, Mrs. Salazar.”
“Oh, it’s Ezzie, please. Everyone calls me Ezzie. And congratulations!” Ezzie grabbed Abby and hauled her in for a hug. “You must be so excited.”
“Well, I’ve had a year to get used to him,” Abby laughed and patted the older woman on the back.
“I meant about the baby!” Ezzie said. “When are you due? Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl? It’s your first, isn’t it?”
“Baby?” Lori gasped.
Frankie let go of the suitcases and they clunked to the floor. “Baby?”
“Oh!” Ezzie slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, you hadn’t said anything. I’m so sorry, I always seem to know these things and, oh, my Tony would be mortified. He always said I couldn’t keep a secret.”
“It’s okay.” Abby reached out and took her hands. “We were planning on announcing at Christmas.”
“And I spoiled the news. Oh, I’m horrible! Just horrible.”
“You’re delightful,” Abby gave her a fast hug. “And you are more than welcome in Butterfly Harbor.”
“Hang on, I need a hug!” Lori reached out and grabbed Abby. “A baby!”
“Well, I can’t let you get too many ahead of me.”
“You’re pregnant, too?” Frankie gasped. What was in the water these days? The population was exploding.
“No.” Lori’s lips curved. “We’ve been trying, but no. We’re adopting. Matt and I just got the call a few weeks ago. His name is Leo and he’s six years old. He’s been in foster care for the last year and a half.” Lori pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. “Here.”
“Oh!” Ezzie grabbed the phone like a proud grandmother. “He’s stunning. Look at that blond hair! And those cheeks! Oh, congratulations to you, too.” That earned another round of hugs.
“I’m so happy for you, Lori.” Frankie handed the phone back after getting her fill of the little boy. “When will you get him?”
“Planned for next week, but we’ll see.” Lori smoothed a nervous hand down the front of her striped maxidress. “Kyle’s helping decorate his room. They’ve been talking online, on video chat and email. He seems genuinely excited about being a big brother.”
Considering not so long ago Kyle had no family, Frankie wasn’t surprised. The young man had turned more corners than Frankie thought possible, and a lot of his progress was due to the fact that he’d been adopted, not only by Deputy Matt Knight, but also by Lori, who had taken to motherhood as if she’d been born for it. He even worked part-time as a handyman around town. And he was good. Really good.
“Let’s see about getting you into your room, Ezzie,” Abby said.
Frankie did her due diligence and carried Ezzie’s bags to the second-floor room that Abby kept in reserve for emergency guests. It wasn’t a large room, no bigger than one of the station house rooms, but it was beautifully decorated in muted ocean tones and had a view of the water beyond the cliffs.
“If you want to come back to the station tomorrow morning, I’ll be getting off shift at eight. I can come drive you over then.”
“Oh, heavens, Frankie, I don’t expect you to shuttle me around town. I’ll find my own way there. After breakfast, of course. I was looking at the menu for the restaurant here. I plan to make the most of my time while I’m visiting. Speaking of which.” Ezzie sat on the edge of the double bed and looked at her. “What can I help with?”
“Help with?” Why did Frankie feel as if she’d just croaked that question?
“One thing about me, I don’t sit still. I always need to be doing something. What’s this nonsense I’m hearing about the station house closing?”
If only it were nonsense. “We’re still trying to figure it all out ourselves,” Frankie admitted. “I’m hoping it’s an idea that won’t get past the town council. In any case, it’s nothing for you to worry about. You should enjoy your stay.” Especially since it was clear her staying had the added benefit of driving Roman to distraction. The image of big, strong firefighter Roman all but wilting into a little boy in his mother’s presence brought some levity to the situation.