Chapter 17

Nelson was out on a shoot, and the only one home was the shy Ashton. Going over right now wouldn't be appropriate. Heidi wandered aimlessly for hours and, without really knowing why, ended up downtown. With Christmas approaching, the malls were packed. Every corner was glittering with Christmas trees and festive lights. Heidi drifted through the crowds until she stopped in front of a maternity store. In the display window sat a pair of tiny shoes that looked exquisitely made and cartoonishly cute. If this were the past, she would have bought them without hesitation. Even if she wasn't pregnant yet, she would have saved them up for one day. Now, the cartoon tigers on them simply looked unsettling. "Heidi?" A tentative female voice rang out behind her. She turned around to see a group of young women staring at her. The one in front was Jolene Ross. Her family ran a building materials business. Back in school, Jolene had always been competing with Heidi. It was mostly because a g