I laugh before I can stop myself. “You’re cute. You’re telling me that your obsessed husband that barely leaves your side to work is going to go on a trip with me... especially when the baby is coming any day?”
She tilts her head to the side and smirks. “You’re probably right. Hmmmm, let’s see. How about John? He’d do it.”
“Your brother? You want to ask your brother—the one that treats me like I have the plague?”
She instantly gets defensive and puts her hand on her hip. “No, he doesn’t. He’s been around here all he can when he’s not working... He helped you move your stuff from LA, he...”
I interrupt her. “I know and I’m thankful, I really am. It’s… I just sometimes get the feeling that he can’t wait to get away from me, that’s all.”
She sits back down and covers her belly with her hand. The sounds of the coffee shop surround us, but just like always, we get too caught up and it gets so easy to forget about the world around us. “He loves you, Madison. Probably as much as I do.”
I try to keep my expression blank, which is hard to do when I think of Jenna’s brother, John. I know I’m being ridiculous. I know he cares for me... in a brotherly way. It’s just hard to deal with sometimes when I’ve sort of been in love with him since I first laid eyes on him. I groan inwardly. It’s a good thing I can hide it with my snarky attitude. “I know. He’s been a good... brother to me.” I get it out and almost choke on the words. There’s nothing brotherly I feel for him.
Jenna’s face lights up. “So he can go with you?”
I shake my head. She never gives up, that’s for sure. I grab my purse from the booth and throw it over my shoulder. “No, he can’t go with me. I’m not getting anyone else involved in this mess... I’ll take care of Ethan and will be back before my niece is born.”
“Madison,” she says, her face filled with worry.
I pull her in for a hug and just hold on to her. Please let me get back in time, I say to myself silently. “Please don’t worry. It’s not good for the baby.”
I pull back and look into her eyes. She blinks, wide-eyed. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
She nods. “Okay, but you call me if you need anything. I love you, sis.”
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. “I love you too, Jenna.” I lean down, kiss her belly, and whisper, “Love you too, sweetie.”
I don’t look at Jenna again because I know if I do she’s going to see my face and know how freaked out I am right now. I walk out of the shop with my head down and vow to myself that this will be the last time I do this. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as Ethan says it is.
2
John
I run into Honeybee Coffee ready to do damage. I got a text from my sister and all it said was 911. I was right down the street at Red’s Diner, so I didn’t bother with my truck. I ran the few blocks and am ready to punch someone or something when I spot my sister sitting at a table, her feet propped up, looking miserable. I look around the coffee shop. Two workers are filling coffees, another one is wiping down tables. There’s nothing that looks like it’s an emergency. “Jenna, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”
The closer I get, I notice she’s crying. Fuck. I can’t handle tears... especially not hers. I sit down on the chair next to her. “What is it? Did Dylan fuck up? Do I need to beat his ass?”
Dylan is the man I work with. The man I trusted to go help my sister when I was out of the country. And he helped her, all right. He even married her, but I can’t be too salty about it, since he did get her to move to Whiskey Run.
She’s shaking her head and reaches for my hand before placing it on her belly. “You know Dylan can’t stand it when I cry. The man is walking around on eggshells as it is so he doesn’t upset me.”
My hand clenches, and Jenna rolls her eyes before smoothing my palm across her belly. Instantly, I feel the kick from my niece. I know my eyes get as big as saucers. “Oh shit... I mean shoot, Jenna. Does that hurt?”
She shakes her head. “No.”
We sit there just like that, with my hand on her stomach, waiting for the little kicks. I really don’t want to upset Jenna, but I need to know. “Uh, was this the emergency?”
She takes a deep breath, and her belly rises and falls. “No.”