Dahlia, Michael, Jess, Cooper, Ivy, Jeff, Jack, and I stood in a huddle. It was a mark of how deep the connection between Cooper and Jack must have been that they seemed to fall so easily back into their friendship, despite their jagged past.
I attempted not to act overly aware of Jack’s presence as we all chatted.
We were having a wonderful time.
Until it took a terrible turn.
A waiter stopped by with a tray of drinks. Vaughn took one for Bailey, for himself, and then held another out to me. I waved it away. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“Oh, have a drink.” Bailey took it from her husband and gestured to me with it. “Cut loose. It’s our wedding.”
“I’m really fine.”
“Not everyone needs to have a drink to have fun,” Jess teased, trying to rescue me.
“I know, but Em loves champagne.” Bailey mock scowled at me. “You haven’t had a drink all night. And you wouldn’t take a drink last night at the inn, either. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were pregnant.”
Panic froze me to the spot as my cheeks bloomed fiery hot and an awkward silence fell over us.
It was moments like these that birthed the phrase “pregnant pause.”
Fuck.
“Oh my God.” Bailey inhaled sharply.
Jack stared at me in shock.
“Oh. My. God.” Bailey glanced between the two of us.
I was going to be sick.
Right all over her designer wedding gown.
“No fucking way,” Vaughn bit out. He held out his glass to Bailey. “Hold this.”
Bailey took it and before anyone could blink, Vaughn punched Jack.
“Oh my God!” I rushed to intervene as Jack reeled. It took him mere seconds to get over the sucker punch before he straightened. His face darkened with fury as he lunged at Vaughn.
“Why does my husband keep punching people at weddings?” Bailey cried.
“Jack! Vaughn!” I reached them just as Cooper restrained Jack and Michael pushed Vaughn away.
“You son of a bitch,” Vaughn growled. “I knew it. I knew you couldn’t be trusted.”
“He doesn’t know.” I pressed my hands to Vaughn’s chest to hold him back. I sagged, exhausted as I turned to Jack whose expression clouded with a mixture of anger, incredulity, and accusation. “I mean … he didn’t know.”
“You’re pregnant?” Jack growled, pushing Cooper away so he could come to me.
I nodded, mortified. Now everyone would know. The whole town. “I just found out.”
Jack hesitated, as if he didn’t know what to say.
“If you even think about asking her if it’s yours, I’ll kill you,” Vaughn warned.
“Of course it’s mine.” Jack bared his teeth at Vaughn like he was thinking of preempting the groom’s threat. He turned to me, his expression dark and foreboding … and worryingly satisfied. He held out his hand. “We need to talk. Now.”
Eyes wet with tears, I turned to Bailey, trying to ignore the hush beneath the band’s music. Everyone was watching us. “I’m so sorry, Bails.”
“Don’t be silly.” She pulled me into her embrace. “I’m sorry I outed you.” I shook my head and Bailey released me. “Are you going to be okay?”
Before I could answer, Jack’s strong hand wrapped around my wrist, gently pulling me away. “I’ll make damn sure of it,” he vowed.
It was as I’d feared.
On the one hand, Jack seemed awfully calm about the news of his impending fatherhood, which was a relief. On the other hand, he also seemed to have assumed that this baby meant he now had an in with me.
And I was not looking forward to dispelling him of the idea.
27
Jack
Emery was pregnant.
Em. His Em. With his kid.
Pregnant.
Jack didn’t know what emotion to grasp on to first. For the first time in his life, he was feeling a rush of many. It was overwhelming.
He was worried about Emery.
He was scared shitless.
He was strangely satisfied.
And grateful that an accidental pregnancy happened between him and the woman he loved and not some woman passing through town.
Angry at fucking Vaughn Tremaine for sticking his nose in, acting like he was Em’s protective big brother.
Thankful Cooper had asked if he was all right instead of shooting him condemning looks like so many of the wedding guests had, like he’d violated the town virgin.
And Jack was nervous. Nervous about the way Emery wouldn’t meet his eye as they sat across from one another in her beach house. She still wore her bridesmaid gown. It was a light pink that looked great against her skin and hair. Em’s lashes were dark with mascara, but that was all he could see of her eyes.
Look at me.
He wanted to gaze into those startlingly pale, beautiful blue eyes and attempt to work out what Em was thinking.
Was she scared?
Did she hate him?
Did she not want the baby?
Fuck, that didn’t even occur to him. What if she didn’t want the baby?
“Em, I’m going crazy over here. Talk to me.”
“I was going to tell you about the … the baby.” She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. There was so much anxiety and concern in her eyes, Jack couldn’t pin down if she was worried he thought she hadn’t planned to tell him, or she was freaked out about the whole thing. Probably both.