chapter one
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“Ok, what’s wrong with you?”
Ridley Wells Alexander looked up from the bowl of triple fudge brownies she was currently mixing. “What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.”
Her twin sister yanked the bowl out of her arms. “If you beat that batter any harder it’s going to file a restraining order against you.”
Ridley scowled. She couldn’t even blame all the changes of the past few years for her sister’s dramatics. Getting married and having a baby hadn’t changed Raina in the least. She was just as meddlesome and overly dramatic as always.
She was also Ri’s very best friend.
“I’m just frustrated.”
Raina carefully tipped the bowl and filled the clear glass baking dish on the counter with the decadent chocolate batter. As per their usual routine, she handed Ridley the spoon to lick while she swiped a finger through the batter left in the bowl. Ridley moaned as the chocolate hit her taste buds. When she looked over at her sister, Raina was watching her with a horrified expression.
“What?” she asked, uncharacteristically annoyed. She was always the easygoing twin but it had been harder and harder lately to keep a smile on her face.
“Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting you to make out with the spoon,” Raina joked. “Do I need to have a talk with my brother-in-law about how to keep the home fires burning?”
Silence fell over the room as thick as a blanket. Ridley carefully set the spoon down on the counter, not even bothering to lick the rest of the batter off. Her appetite was gone.
Raina watched her curiously as she put the bowl in the sink. “I was just kidding, Ri. I wasn’t trying to upset you. Considering how the two of you go at it, clearly Jackson doesn’t need any help.”
Ridley shrugged. “Lately he does,” she muttered.
“Holy crap. You’re serious aren’t you?” Raina’s mouth fell open.
“Please don’t make fun, Ray. I just can’t… not about this.” Ri knew her sister never meant any harm, it was just her nature to mock everything. She’d always claimed “bitchy” was her native language. But this was too close to home for her to take a joke. It was too close to her heart.
“Oh honey!” Raina pulled her into a hug. “I would never make fun about … well, about that. I was just shocked. I’m used to the two of you being all over each other, that’s all. But it’s normal for things to slow down. No one goes through years of marriage getting freaky on a daily basis.”
Silence settled between them. Ridley closed her eyes, humiliation burning through her like wildfire with what she was about to admit.
As usual, Raina sensed how upset she was instantly. She led her over to the kitchen table and pulled out two chairs. Ridley sat and kept her eyes on the floor. She jumped when a warm hand settled over hers. When she looked up, Raina’s eyes were soft but understanding.
“What’s going on, baby girl?”
Immediately tears welled. Hearing that soft understanding voice from her sister who was usually joking around or being snarky was the last straw. She’d been strong for months. Ridley didn’t have any strength left.
“It’s been three months, Raina. He hasn’t touched me since I really started showing. I guess I’m lucky this is my first baby and I didn’t pop out right away.”
The shocked intake of breath was the only indication that Raina heard her. The hand covering hers tightened.
“Well, then … well.”
Ri sighed. “I know. That’s really bad. He’s probably getting it somewhere else!”
“No, no. We’re not going to do that.” Raina leaned over and brushed away the tears on her cheeks. “Jackson loves you and he would never do that to you. I’ve always been the crazy twin so you don’t get to take on that role even if you’re knocked up.”
Ri chuckled softly even as her head started hurting. She’d been crying so much lately that it felt like she had a permanent headache.
“Mommy? Why are you crying?”
Her stepson, Jase, appeared at her side. His hand rubbed over her baby bump. “Is our baby making you sick? Maybe you need the ginga ale again?”
Ridley smiled at his attempt to say ginger ale. He’d seen Jackson pour her a glass enough times to know it was one of the only things she could keep down when she felt sick. Her other stepson, Chris, appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, his dark eyes worried. Raina held out her arms to him and he ran over, immediately snuggling into her embrace.
He peeked over at her hesitantly. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
Unlike Jase, it had taken Chris a little while to adjust to calling her Mom. Sensitive and cautious by nature, she suspected he’d been afraid to call her that. After all, the only thing he’d known about mothers for years was that his had died. The day he’d called her that spontaneously was one of the best of her life.
Raina kissed him on top of his head. “Sometimes women cry, my sweet boy. The sooner you learn that, the better.”
Ridley shook her head. “I’m fine, sweetie. You know I cry at everything these days.”
Jase patted her cheek until she looked down at him. He puckered his lips and gave her a little kiss. “Love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too, sweetie.” She let out a little sigh and squeezed him extra tight. She loved her life and her amazing new family. Nothing would hurt her more than losing them. That’s why she had to figure out what was wrong with her husband.
After the boys ran off to play with the new video game system their Uncle Nick had just bought, Ridley looked up to find her sister watching her with narrowed eyes.
“What’s that look?”