Side Squeeze (Jasper Falls 6)

“I’m pregnant. And you can’t disappoint a pregnant woman or you’ll get a stye.”

She looked, wide-eyed, at her brother. “Is she messing with me?”

“About the stye? I’m not sure.”

“No, you idiot. Is she really pregnant?”

He grinned and looped his arm over Erin’s shoulders. “Yup. I’m a stallion.”

“Pregnant,” Mariella whispered, and they both nodded. “Pregnant?” They nodded again, then she jumped up and down and screamed, “You’re having a baby!”

“What the hell is going on in here?” Their mother came rushing into the kitchen. “Are you trying to give your father another heart attack?”

“They’re having a baby!” Mariella shrilled. “I’m going to be an aunty!”

Her mother squealed, bouncing up and down with her and wildly hugging Erin and Giovanni. Their grandmother rushed into the kitchen, their panic morphing to euphoria as soon as Erin yelled, “I’m pregnant!”

Tears of joy dampened their laughter as more wine was passed around and calls were made.

“Yes, Maureen, that’s right,” their mother shouted into the phone. “I’m going to be a grandmother! Don’t you dare say a word until I tell Rosemarie.”

Mariella couldn’t believe it. Her brother was going to be a father. She linked her arm through his and lifted her glass in a toast. “Ten bucks says you’re bald by forty.”

He gasped and ran a protective hand over his thick dark hair. “That’s a terrible thing to say!”

“Dad’s hair started to go as soon as you were born.”

“That’s because boys are stressful.” He shot her a sidelong glance. “We’re having a girl.”

Her heart swelled as another thrill of anticipation bloomed in her chest. A sweet little girl. She could hardly wait.

“I guess this means you won’t be traveling as much.”

“We’re going back on the road for two months but then that’s it until after the baby’s born. But there are no rules that say you can’t travel with an infant.”

She laughed. “True. But there is common sense. If you think you’ll be able to take Mom’s first grandchild away from her, you’re out of your mind.” She snorted. “You’d have better luck bringing Mom with you, and you know how that ends.”

They both looked at their grandmother who moved in with their parents the day they got married and never left.

“You make a good point.”

The euphoric mood lingered long after they left, and Mariella couldn’t stop wondering how things might change in the year ahead. She tried to picture their next holiday and a thought occurred.

If Harrison planned to be a part of his niece’s life, he might be around for Christmas and other important dates. They’d continue to see each other year after year. Over time, he might start a family of his own, and bring a wife to such holiday events.

Her happy mood withered into cold dread. What if he married some metropolitan bombshell? What if Mariella remained single? A dinner double date was nothing compared to a lifetime of holidays spent watching the man she loved build a happily-ever-after with someone else.

CHAPTER 27

Headlights streamed across the house as Harrison carried the last bag of trash down to the curb. Erin’s car pulled into the garage and the engine turned off. He’d hoped to be gone before they returned from dinner at Giovanni’s parents’, but his task had taken longer than expected.

“Harrison? What are you doing here? I told you we were having dinner with the Mosconis.” His sister’s gaze shifted to the contractor bags lined up along the curb.

“I know. I, uh, had some things to take care of.”

Her expression faltered. “Are you leaving?”

“No. I’ll show you.”

He led her into the house and down the hall. Erin paused when he reached the door to his old bedroom. The molding around the doorframe was gone, exposing some studs and tufts of insulation inside the wall.

“We have some nice trim left at the store. I’ll have this replaced in a day or two.”

She hesitated, her uncertain stare studying him as much as she studied the glimpse of demolition.

Shoving down the urge to chew his fingernails, he led her into the room. “Bulk pickup is Saturday, so I’ll drag the bed out tonight.”

She stood in the center of the empty room, turning and taking in the stripped space, frowning when she saw where he’d removed the sheetrock behind the door.

“The hole was too big to spackle. I’ll replace it.”

The longer she stayed silent, the more nervous he felt. Gripping the back of his neck, he walked to the corner by the window.

“I was thinking you could put one of those diaper stations over here and the crib could go in the center of that wall. New carpet, because babies crawl, and we don’t want her knees getting splinters from the hardwood floors, and you could hang one of those mobile things here.”

Her chin quivered and he panicked.

“Please don’t cry.”

She blinked hard, trying to honor his request, but it wasn’t easy for her. “You… Everything’s gone.”