The Proposal [TEASER]

Chapter One

Arms full of pink and blue balloons, Andrea West peered around the curved edge of one to make certain she wouldn't run into anyone. The low thrum of noise permeated the room as guests talked amongst themselves, sipping punch or finishing cake. Ashlyn sat amid them all, glowing in her 5th month of pregnancy. Andrea thought she looked beautiful, though she knew her friend would disagree.

As she approached, all eyes settled on her. Unease snaked in her gut. She hated to be the center of attention. It reminded her of high school and the one time she tried out for drama class. To have all of her peers watching her proved too much and she nearly fainted. It became clear to her then that anything requiring an audience would not be for her.

Clearing her throat, she pushed past the shyness and said, "Everyone gets to pick one balloon. With the pins we passed out earlier, pop your balloon. If the baby is a boy, the blue balloons will have a prize in them. The same, if it's a girl."

"Oh, I must have the blue one," Ashlyn's mother said, coming forward to pick first.

Emme rolled her eyes behind the older woman's back and said, "Well, I think pink is perfect."

The two of them argued upon arrival about whether the baby would be a girl or a boy. They hadn't stopped over the last hour and a half.

Josh, the only male guest at the baby shower, said, "Ladies, ladies. You'll find out who is right soon enough."

Margaret, Deacon's mother, picked her own balloon, silent on what she thought the baby would be. Andrea gathered it was because she didn't mind either way. Sometimes, given Emme's attitude, she thought her friend only argued with Ann because the other woman could be goaded into arguing back. Though they all treated her with respect, Andrea knew that Josh and Emme were less than fond of Ann.

The only other guest of the party picked a pink balloon. Kate fast became a friend after taking care of Ashlyn in the hospital. She smiled in a way that told Andrea she enjoyed the banter. Together, she, Emme, Kate and Josh decided it was time to host a baby shower. Ashlyn insisted it be at her home.

Choosing her own balloon, Andrea took her seat next to Emme.

Hand resting on her growing belly, Ashlyn said, "Okay, on three, pop the balloons," and she began the countdown.

Through laughter, the guests began popping. The sound echoed in the space between them like the sharp ring of gunfire. Hand trembling against her own balloon, Andrea closed her eyes and tried not to be drawn back to that day. The gunfire, the death, Benton being shot and Ashlyn being kidnapped. She couldn't bring herself to press the pin into the rubber.

Lowering her balloon, she caught Ashlyn watching her with concern. Offering her friend a smile that belied the internal tension gripping her, she pretended interest in the reactions of the others. She would get past this. A little over four months passed since it happened. Some nights, she awoke, scrubbing her eyes in an attempt to rid herself of the image floating behind them. Though he considered her unwise for it, she refused Deacon's offer of a psychologist. She didn't want to talk about it to anyone.

"Hah!" Emme crowed in triumph. "I knew it was a girl!"

Josh laughed, though it sounded more like a cackle. "Oh, this is rich. Deacon is going to have his hands full. A girl."

"Josh, it's going to be a long time before we have to worry about dating," Ashlyn told him.

In her periphery, something moved. Reminding herself not to be startled, though he lounged there like a silent, deadly rock, Andrea refused to acknowledge Benton. She would offer no more attention to him than he did to her. The last thing she wanted him to notice was her attraction to him. She drowned enough in embarrassment every time one of her friends brought it up.