Page 95 of Reclaimed

Reaching the group sends a swirl of nausea in my gut. One of the first times this entire pregnancy.

“You guys made it,” Lee says, rising from his chair to give Aiden a brief clap on the back.

“Any news?” Aiden asks.

“Jack popped out about fifteen minutes ago to tell us she was starting to push,” Nancy replies, also moving in to give Aiden a hug. He doesn’t let go of my hand as he wraps his free arm around his mom.

“I don’t know what that means.” Aiden laughs as he pulls back. The smile is bright and genuine.

“Could be anywhere from now until a couple of hours,” Bree pipes in from where she’s snuggled into Corjan’s side. She waves a Kindle in the air. “I brought entertainment just in case it’s the latter.”

“Me too.” Juniper grins and waves her own Kindle. “We’re buddy reading.”

“What’s that?” I ask, allowing myself to get pulled into the conversation. I unlink my fingers from Aiden’s and move a step away.

“It means we’re reading the same book at the same time so that we can stop and discuss all the juicy parts,” Juniper replies.

“Cortney’s supposed to be reading with us, but she isn’t here yet. We have an unofficial book club.” Bree adds.

“That sounds like fun. I want to join this book club.” The ache between my thighs from this morning makes itself known as I sit in the hard chair beside Bree. I rub my hand over my bump. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to read in the coming months.”

Juniper shifts in her chair. “It’s calledHeaded for Home,by Harloe Rae. He’s an ex-baseball pro who now owns a bar in an adorable small town and one day bumps into the woman he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about since they kissed inmiddle school and now he’s determined to make her fall in love with him. And she raises horses!”

“It’s so hot.” Bree fans herself with her Kindle while rolling her eyes.

“Likesuperspicy.” A blush lights up Juniper’s cheeks.

“Ugh, gross.” Lincoln moves across the room away from the romance talk.

“Teenagers.” Juniper rolls her eyes. “It’s really good. We’re only a few chapters in but I just swoon every time Drake opens his mouth.”

“Okay, I’m sold. I’m going to download it now.”

Bree whips out her phone. “Then we can add you to our book club group chat. Be aware, you’re going to get bombed with inappropriate excerpts and R-rated GIFs.”

I pat my stomach. “I’m not exactly a virgin.”

Aiden snorts behind me, prompting me to cough in my shoulder to hide a smirk.

Juniper screws up her face. “I don’t think we missed that one, babe.”

“How are you feeling?” Bree asks after she adds me to the group chat and tucks her phone back into her purse at her hip.

“Things have been progressing really well, actually. I was spared in the first trimester, and I’ve been enjoying the return of my energy these last few weeks.”

Bree brushes her hair chin-length hair behind her ear. “You’re totally glowing.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” Frankie joins the conversation, having been listening from where she’s perched on Jude’s lap on the other side of Corjan.

“Oh, um. I don’t think I should say. This is Jack and Whitney’s day.” Nerves flare to life. “I don’t want to steal their thunder.”

“Oh, please.” Juniper rolls her eyes. “We don’t subscribe to that bullshit around here. There’s enough sky for the entire damn storm.”

A hand on my shoulder startles me until Aiden’s spicy, citrusy scent hits my nose. He squeezes reassuringly. “She just had her scan yesterday.”

“Isla!” Juniper leans forward and gives me an accusatory glare. “You promised no more secrets.”

“I was just trying to find a cute way to tell you! I didn’t get a chance before we got the call this morning.”

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