Baby Be Mine (Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1) Read Online Free

Timmy.” She hugged him
again. Then after she released him, she walked to the present
table. “And which one would you like to open first?”
    “That one!” he said, pointing to the largest
on the table with his little wee fingers.
    So cute, so adorable—her motherly instinct
cried out to her.
    After she finished cutting the cake and
everyone got a piece each, they all said their congratulations, and
a little while later, they all left her apartment. Her mother and
father were the last to leave.
    “Chantee, are you sure you’re okay?” her
mother asked her worriedly.
    “I’m fine. Just tired from work, I suppose,
and then when I came home, I got a full-blown surprise.” She
laughed drily, hoping her mother would believe her excuse.
    “I didn’t want to surprise you too much, but
Elise and Whitney suggested it,” her mother replied, hugging her
warmly.
    Clarice eyed her friends as they both eyed
her from the couch. She knew they were waiting for her to explain
what happened before.
    “Thank you for today, Mum, Dad.” She went to
hug them both, then led them out the door. “When are you heading
back to Dunedin?”
    “Tomorrow. Max will drop us off. You take
the day off too. You work too hard.”
    “I don’t work too hard. I’ll drop you off
instead. Speaking of Max, where is he?” Clarice suddenly realized
her favourite cousin wasn’t present during her birthday party.
    “Not a clue, Chantee. You just make sure you
look after that boy, though,” her father said, rubbing his
temple.
    Clarice knew her father had a lot to deal
with when Max was in Dunedin, since both of his parents were away
overseas, but now since he was here in Auckland, her father grew
even more worried. That little cousin of hers was more robust than
a rodent. There was no way of knowing when he would explode and
cause trouble for them all.
    “I will. I don’t understand why he can’t
study in Dunedin when you’re both there to look after him.”
    “It’s because he’s worried about you and
wants to make sure that you’re fine,” her mother answered her
instead. “He’s a boy, Chantee. He can look after you until Mr.
Right comes along.”
    “Yes, Mum.” Clarice kissed her mother and
father, then closed the door as they departed. She sighed heavily,
leaning against the door, glad everyone had left. But as soon as
the door was closed, both Elise and Whitney rushed to her side.
    “Explain!” was all Whitney said.
    Clarice knew immediately what Whitney was
referring to, but she didn’t want to elaborate about her dilemma
tonight. Tonight she just wanted to drown in self-pity, maybe do
something bad, like drink a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice
without even waiting thirty minutes to brush her teeth, or better
yet, flag the whole brushing of her teeth altogether so they would
rot away in that acidic environment in her mouth.
    “I…” she began but then choked on her
word.
    “I’m going to get some tissue.” Whitney
sighed, patting her back. “I have a feeling we’re going to cry over
this.” Whitney jumped from the couch, motioning for Elise to
follow.
    All alone now, Clarice brooded in self-pity.
What could she say when the others came back? That she was scared
midnight would strike in two hours and when she woke the next
morning she’d have white hair and wrinkly skin, with no one beside
her but a walking cane as her only companion.
    “Cuz,” a deep voice said from behind her,
startling Clarice out of her thoughts.
    Clarice turned around and saw her cousin
Maximilian, the subject of her earlier conversation with her
parents. She smiled, seeing her favourite young cousin, all
dirty-brown hair and dimples.
    Maximilian was her cousin on her father’s
side. She didn’t have any relatives on her mother’s side, as they
did not survive during the war. Her mother was the only one that
had made it alive. She lived in the Khao E Dang camp for many years
before meeting her father.
    Maximilian had full-on typical