Just One Night (The Kingston Family 1)

Chloe and Aurora sat down in chairs in the waiting area while Jordan, panicked and horrified, closed herself in a stall alone, peed on three sticks, and placed them on top of the boxes they’d come in on the floor in front of her.

And she remained in the private stall, wanting to be as alone as possible.

And she waited.

“Any news?” Aurora called out to her.

She glanced down but her phone and the alarms she’d set hadn’t gone off. “Not yet!”

She’d bought three different brands. Unfortunately that meant three different time frames before she got all of the results. One minute, three minutes, five minutes.

Nausea filled her, this time thanks to worry and fear. She’d been down this road before, and the last guy had not taken the news well. Linc’s father hadn’t taken the news well. It was a wealthy man pattern.

She and Linc didn’t make sense as a couple, and the rationale for that conclusion hadn’t changed. A pregnancy now would be a nightmare. Sure, Linc wanted them to be together, enjoying sex, having fun. He didn’t want kids. He’d once told her about his fear of subjecting children to parents who tried marriage but didn’t get along, like his had. And Jordan was still certain she didn’t fit into his world.

So the tests had to be negative. They just had to be, she thought, closing her eyes and praying hard.

The first alarm went off on her phone. She shut it and glanced down, seeing a dark line. Fuck!

“Well?” Chloe sounded closer.

“Give me a minute!” Jordan breathed in and out, and finally the second one went off.

She knelt down and this time she saw a plus sign. Closing her eyes, she wanted to cry. Not needing the other one, she turned off her last alarm, scooped up the tests, and walked out, tossing them in the trash.

With Chloe and Aurora surrounding her, she washed her hands, stalling before facing them.

Finally she spoke. “I’m pregnant.”

Chloe and Aurora stared at her with wide eyes, clearly stunned.

Before they could say a word, Jordan continued. “And you cannot tell anyone. I’ll talk to Linc in my own time and in my own way.” They’d planned to be alone after the concert. That gave her a couple of days to come to terms with the situation, and she’d have to find the courage to tell him then.

“Promise me,” she said, meeting each of Linc’s sisters’ gazes. Could this be more awkward?

“Yes, of course,” Chloe said, biting her lower lip. “Jordan, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how you feel. I…” Trailing off, she merely pulled Jordan into a hug.

Once she released her, Aurora did the same.

Then Chloe grasped Jordan’s hands. “Linc loves you. Everything is going to be fine.”

Jordan forced a smile. Love wasn’t a word they’d ever used, and she didn’t kid herself about the future. She’d done this before, and nothing had been fine. She didn’t anticipate things going any better now.

* * *

Jordan didn’t know how she made it through the week, coming in to work every day and hiding the news of her pregnancy from Linc. She was sure fear and panic were written all over her face, but as he was busy with business deals, he didn’t seem to notice.

The private investigator had located Wallace, who’d taken a private jet owned by a friend to the Maldives, which lacked an extradition treaty with the United States. He’d jumped through hoops to hide his tracks, but Linc hadn’t been interested in how the CFO had accomplished his disappearing act. He wanted to talk to him and understand what had been going on with his father in his final days.

Now Jordan stood in her bedroom, trying to find something to wear to Madison Square Garden for tonight’s concert. She took out her favorite pair of tight dark-washed jeans and slid them on, wriggling her lower body as she pulled them over her thighs and tried to button them around her waist.

They’d always been snug, but she still had to convince herself the tightness as she lay down on the bed to button them was normal. And not the result of her pregnancy.

She chose a light blue silk top with a low-cut V-neck and loose sleeves, tucking in the front and letting the back and sides hang over the jeans. A pair of black over-the-knee boots laced up the outer sides completed the outfit.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror behind her door, she took in her appearance, knowing she wouldn’t be wearing tight clothes for much longer. Her hair hung long over her shoulders and her makeup was done.

Grabbing her black leather jacket, she was as ready as she’d ever be to deal with telling Linc he was going to be a father. She was so nervous and worked up, she doubted she’d be able to pay attention to the concert.