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Motherhood is Murder Page 24


  I’d also phoned Margaret, feeling like she was owed some closure. To my surprise she was up to speed having already spoken with Miss No-nonsense. It turned out Howard confessed his affair after receiving a call from McNearny. Margaret was distraught about Evelyn and promised to call me if she had any news before I did.

  We finished dinner, then Jim and I cleared the plates to ready the table for dessert. In the kitchen I turned on the coffeemaker.

  Jim leaned into me. “I love you, Kate. This is the best Thanksgiving ever because you’re my wife and we have Laurie.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes and I hugged him. “I’m so worried about Evelyn. That’s a family that might lose their mommy tonight.”

  Jim held me. “You can’t think that way, honey. They saved the baby. I’m sure they’re thankful about that. All we can do now is pray.”

  We held each other in silence. After a moment we heard Mom call from the dining room, “Where’s my pumpkin pie?”

  I brought out Paula’s magnificent pie and served it at the table with a generous scope of vanilla ice cream on the side. When it was ready, Jim poured coffee and splashed a little Irish Crčme into each cup.

  As I sat down to dig into my pie, the phone rang. Jim and I looked at each other expectantly.

  “Let it go,” Mom said. “Whoever it is can call back.”

  I jumped up. “I can’t. It might be—”

  “Kate? It’s Evelyn. Thank you.”

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  CHAPTER ONE - At Sea

  CHAPTER TWO - Outreach

  CHAPTER THREE - Digging

  CHAPTER FOUR - Nurture

  CHAPTER FIVE - Disconnect

  CHAPTER SIX - Batting 100

  CHAPTER SEVEN - Protection

  CHAPTER EIGHT - Safekeeping

  CHAPTER NINE - Playing Catch-Up

  CHAPTER TEN - Washed-up

  CHAPTER ELEVEN - Falling Behind

  CHAPTER TWELVE - Keeping Up

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Sitting Duck

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Sucker

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Emergency

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Faux Pas

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Second Wind

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Redirected

  CHAPTER NINETEEN - Rolling Over

  CHAPTER TWENTY - The Grizzly

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Two’s Better Than One?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Unstable

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - Watchful

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - Research

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - Preparation

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - Talking

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - Risk

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - Reward

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - Praying

  CHAPTER THIRTY - Rooting

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - Swimming?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - Labor

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - Thanksgiving