Page 73 of Rebel Heart
“I seasoned some chicken, baked some fries, and put together a salad.”
She moaned. “Oh, that sounds so good.”
That sound had me closing my eyes and breathing deeply. Every time I was around her, it was an exercise in self-control.
“Well, it’s ready, so feel free to grab a seat.” I picked up the plate in my hands and jerked my head toward thecouch. “I assumed you’d want to be comfortable, so I already put the drinks on the coffee table.”
Jules was already on her way there when she declared, “You’re the best, Beau.”
“It didn’t feel like I’d done anything that great, but I wasn’t going to complain if Jules wanted to offer up some praise. She did that often, and it made me feel more and more confident every day about my ability to do this with her and do it well.
“How was work today?” I asked after she’d gotten in a few bites. I would’ve let her finish completely, but she’d moaned through the first couple of forkfuls she’d put in her mouth, and I couldn’t get the sound out of my head.
“Busy. Like always. This time of year, it never tends to slow down.”
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
“About Westwood’s?”
I shook my head and set my fork down to reach for the glass of water I’d poured. “No. I was curious about your plan for hiring help.”
Jules tipped her head to the side and shot me a confused expression. “Hiring help?”
“Well, you said you have Birdie and Serena there with you, and Serena’s only a part-time employee. Will the two of them be able to manage the place alone once you have the baby?”
Confusion turned to worry. “No. No, I used to do everything on my own when I first started, and it was so difficult, even during the slower months. I don’t know howlong I’ll be out, because I haven’t really thought that far ahead. But even if I could convince Serena to go full time for even just a few months, it would likely be too much.”
“So, you should probably consider hiring someone soon, shouldn’t you?”
She pressed her lips together. “I guess. But I can’t exactly do that until I’m ready to explain the reason I’m hiring.”
My brows shot up as I sent a deliriously excited grin her way. “Well, we’re going to the first doctor’s appointment in two days.”
Jules laughed at my ridiculous reaction. “Yes, that’s true.”
“I’d imagine that once we confirm everything is okay with you and the baby, you’d want to share the news, right?”
Jules set her fork down and lowered the plate to her lap. Gone was the amusement, replaced by the hint of trepidation that marred her features.
My stomach dropped. “What is it?”
She swallowed roughly. “I… I’m not sure how soon I want to share this news.”
That surprised me.
Because if there was one thing Jules had made clear to me from the very beginning, it was that her family was so important to her. Maybe she thought I was referring to sharing the news with her employees.
Or perhaps it was something else. Fear of what could go wrong. “I presume you’re talking about waiting until you’re out of the first trimester.Is that it?”
In all the reading I’d done to learn about what Jules and I could expect in the coming months, I’d learned about the risk of miscarriage and how it decreased once a woman was in her second trimester.
“That’s not it, Beau.”
“I’m confused. This is your family I’m suggesting telling the news to,” I clarified. “Are you saying you don’t want to do that?”
She picked up a fry and studied it for a few beats before she took a bite and chewed slowly. I continued to eat, watching her as she worked through whatever thoughts were running through her mind. Jules did the same with a second fry before she said, “There’s nothing I want more than to tell my family. But this news is… It’s big news.”
“Of course, it is. Does that mean that it’s bad news?”
