she wailed. “Can we please stop talking about business?”
Everyone laughed. Emily nodded to Amy. “Let’s discuss it another time.”
Amy smiled. “Sure.”
Emily looked again at Harry. “So did you go to college here in Maine?”
“No, actually I went abroad instead,” Harry said. “I was supposed to spend a month building homes in Ghana but I ended up staying for eight months.”
Emily’s eyes widened with surprise. “How fascinating!”
Harry smiled. “It was great. I loved the hands-on work. It was hard going, digging trenches, laying foundations, building tanks for water, but it was so satisfying. And I met so many great people. My parents thought it was a bit of a strange thing to do voluntarily, though. I think they would have preferred that if I wasn’t going to college I at least earned some money.”
“Do you get on well with your parents? With George?”
Harry nodded. “Oh yeah, we’re very close. They can just be a bit traditional sometimes. They wanted us both to go to college, get sensible jobs, marry, have kids. So far neither of us have followed the path they were intending.”
Chantelle piped up then. “Well, when you marry Amy they’ll get their wish.”
Emily laughed loudly. Amy’s eyes darted to the table. But Harry took Chantelle’s comment in good spirits. Emily found herself liking him more and more. She had no time for men who acted terrified by the very thought of commitment. Harry had definitely passed that initial test with flying colors.
Amy turned to Chantelle, clearly wanting to steer the course of the conversation away from her budding relationship. “Right, it’s your turn. What’s happening in the world of Chantelle? Any exciting news? Any secrets?”
Chantelle’s eyes widened at the mention of the word “secret” and Emily could tell her mind had instantly gone to the pregnancy, which they taken great pains to explain to her was a secret.
Feeling jovial from the meal, Emily decided that telling Amy wouldn’t be such a bad idea. She wiggled her eyebrows at Chantelle.
“I think you can let Amy know about your secret,” she said, grinning.
Daniel touched Emily’s hand over the table. “You sure?” he queried.
Emily nodded. Amy looked from one to the other, her eyes squinting suspiciously.
“Tell me right now,” she demanded. “The anticipation is killing me!”
Chantelle looked like a balloon about to pop with excitement. She gave Daniel and Emily each one last glance for confirmation that she was really allowed to spill the news. When they both nodded, she looked back at Amy, bounced up and down in her seat and squeezed her hands together.
“Mommy’s pregnant!” she cried.
Then she instantly clapped her hands over her mouth and looked around to make sure no one else had overheard her exclamation.
Amy’s face transformed into an expression of euphoria. “You are? Oh my God! Em!” Then she burst out crying.
Emily was surprised. Amy wasn’t one to cry readily. The sight of her so emotional like that made Emily well up as well.
“Don’t! You’re setting off my hormones again,” she exclaimed.
Amy leapt up from her seat and ran around to Emily, grabbing her in an embrace.
“I’m so happy for you!” she cried.
The two friends hugged tightly. In her peripheral vision, Emily noticed Harry congratulating Daniel with a handshake.
Amy let go and finally composed herself, wiping her tears away. Then she hugged Daniel too.
“Congratulations,” she said. Finally, she sat back down and squeezed Chantelle around the shoulders. “You’re going to be a big sister, huh?”
Chantelle nodded vigorously. “Not until December though, which is forever to wait.”
Amy quickly counted back on her fingers. “December? When did you conceive?”
Emily flushed red. “Not a topic for the dinner table, Ames,” she said.
Amy’s eyes widened and she mouthed, “Honeymoon?”
Emily nodded and turned her gaze down.
“What are you saying?” Chantelle asked, looking between the two women. She looked at Daniel. “Daddy, what are they whispering about?”
Daniel laughed. “Nothing, sweetie. We’ll tell you another time. When you’re a little older.”
Chantelle folded her arms and pouted. Everyone laughed.
“Oh, Em,” Amy gushed. “My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Will you let me take you shopping to get a gift for the baby?”
“Now?” Emily asked.
“Yes!” Amy exclaimed. “I’m too excited to wait. I’ll drive us up to Bangor. There is a gorgeous bespoke baby store there. What do you say?”
Emily looked at Daniel and Chantelle. “Do you guys mind?”
“Not at all,” Daniel said. “I’ll take Chantelle home for singing practice.”
He stood then and everyone followed suit.
“Harry, it was great to meet you,” Daniel said, shaking Harry’s hand again. “Let’s stay in touch about the restaurant stuff, okay? Maybe hang out with George sometime. I’ve sworn off alcohol for the duration of Emily’s pregnancy but we could do something else. Do you fish?”
“I love to fish,” Harry said, grinning.
“Great, we’ll go out on my boat sometime,” Daniel told him.
They exchanged numbers, and Emily felt like the two of them in particular had hit it off. It made her so happy to see. Fraser and Daniel were never going to be friends, they were from such different worlds. But with Harry she could easily see the four of them hanging out on the porch, drinking together, enjoying local events with each other. She could suddenly picture the future, with Harry and Amy married, settled in the neighborhood, their kids at the same school as Emily and Daniel’s. It was an awesome thought!
Emily said farewell to Harry and Chantelle, then Amy looped her arm around Emily’s and dragged her off to the car, bouncing with every step, exclaiming in every way possible just how happy she was for her friend.
“Can I be godmother?” she asked.
“Maybe, but that wouldn’t be fair to Jayne.”
“Jayne wouldn’t want to be a godmother.”
“No, but she’d still kick up a fuss and you know it.”
“Fine. In which case, if it’s a girl can it be named Amy?”
Emily laughed and shrugged.
