Page 86 of Finding Fate

“Hey, Jenna; hey, Izzy,” Jet said as he followed Tucker over to the fridge.

“Hey, guys,” Isabel replied as she continued to peel the hard boiled eggs under the running tap water at the sink.

“Hi there, birthday boy,” Jenna said, digging the pits from some avocadoes.

Tucker finished downing his drink before he responded. “Mom, really? What if the guys had been here?” He didn’t count Jet when he said that. Jet knew how his mother was.

“Oh, sorry, birthday man. You’re eighteen now. Not my baby anymore,” she replied jokingly, but her voice caught a little at the end.

Tucker rolled his eyes at Jet, both of them thinking the same thing, “Mothers…”

He looked over at Izzy then, who was still leaning over the sink with an egg in her hand, noticing how cute she looked in her apron.He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her widening waist.

“Do you have any idea how sexy you look?” he whispered into her ear just softly enough so that no one else could hear and felt the heat from her blush against his cheek.

Isabel wanted to turn around and swat at him for making a comment like that around his mother, but she was worried Jenna might look over and see her blush. She settled for talking to him instead.

“Did you guys have fun?”

“Yeah, we won a few games. I even let Hector win a few.”

“Don’t gloat, Tuck,” she scolded playfully.

He chuckled. “Hey, I invited the guys over for the party, Mom.”

“Tucker Ryan, it’s bad enough having to try and fill yours and Jet’s bottomless pits, and now you’re bringing in more teenage boys into my house for food?” she teased.

“Well, into your backyard.”

Jenna turned around to smile at her son, happy to hear him in such a good mood. “Oh, my goodness! Tucker! You’re a mess! Jet, you’re just as bad.”

Isabel dropped the egg she was peeling back into the bowl by the sink and turned in Tucker’s arms to see what his mother was fussing about. Her expression turned to one of disgust when she saw his matted, sweaty hair and clothes, and the dirt and sweat streaks that had dried along his arms and legs.

“Ew! Tucker! You’re disgusting! Why did you put your arms around me? I’m all dressed for the party already.”

Jet snorted and Tucker chuckled. “Sorry, love. Couldn’t resist,” he added, brushing some stray strands of hair behind her ear.

“Wow, Izzy, you look really pregnant today,” Jet said from his place next to the fridge. “Like you got bigger from yesterday.”

Her hands dropped down to her stomach in surprise. She’d known her bump was growing, but from yesterday?

“Jet!” Jenna scolded.

Tucker looked her over. “You do look bigger. Maybe it’s the apron.”

She untied the apron and pulled it off for a comparison.

“Nope. Still bigger,” Jet decided.

Isabel glared at him from across the kitchen, and the others frowned.

“You’re over five months along now, Izzy. It was only a matter of time before you really started showing. Don’t worry about it,” Jenna assured her.

“You still look amazing,” Tucker added, meaning it. She was still hot to him.

“Honestly,” his mother went on, “Pregnancy suits you…but that doesn’t mean I want you two to work on making me any more grandchildren anytime soon,” she added sternly while waving a wooden spoon between her son and his girlfriend.

“One is more than enough at your age…” she said to herself as she turned back to the stove, “…especially at my age. A grandma at 41…”

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