Page 149 of Sugarloaf Ridge Lies

Jerry moves my hand aside and rubs my lower back. A moan escapes me as his strong hands put pressure in the right spot, turning my body to soft putty.

“Better?” Jerry asks after a while.

I turn onto my back. Without a word, Jerry grabs another pillow and sets it in behind my head.

“Hmm. Much.”

“You gotta take it easy, huh?”

I roll my eyes. He’s right, but I don’t want to stop moving. I have three months to go. “So you keep saying.”

Jerry chuckles and sweeps his hand over my bump in soft circles. He sets his lips to the cotton nightgown covering my belly and makes a loud smooch noise. “Your mumma is stubborn. Don’t let her tell ya any different.”

“Hey.” I run my fingers through his hair, giving it a gentle tug then sink into the pillows, closing my eyes and praying his hand will venture lower. It doesn’t.Do I need to move it down there, so he gets the message?

“I ah, spoke to Mum this arvo.”

Mood. Killer.

Your timing sucks, Jerry. This couldn’t wait until morning?

I pry my eyes open. “And?”

“She invited us over for lunch tomorrow.”

Goddamn it.

“Really?” Do we have to? I find myself wanting to pout and kick my feet in protest like a small child. “But my aunt and Jay—”

“She invited them too. Jean’s fine with it if you are. We can take Pirate with us. For Jay.”

I silently curse my aunt. She would’ve jumped at the chance to meet everyone. She’s such a people person. Whilst Jerry asked her before bringing it up with me, I shouldn’t be upset. He’s already come up with a game plan to help Jay deal with being somewhere new. He’s trying to bring our families together.

Problem is the matriarch of his family has me pegged as someone I’m not.Gold-digger.

“Thank you for thinking of Jay, but if I’m honest I’m not keen on seeing Penny.”

“That makes two of us.”

I huff out a breath. “I know she’s your mother, but that doesn’t give her any right to judge, to have a say in my life. I’ve sat back in the past, not wanting to rock the boat, but this isn’t just about me. This is about the life growing inside of me.” Blood thrums in my ears, as if my child is speaking to me.I’ve got you, little one. I’ll do anything to secure your happiness.

Jerry leans over and kisses my temple. “I hear you, sugar. Believe me, I do. As much as I’m riled up about the shit she said to you, and make no mistake, that apology is still comin’ your way, this is an olive branch. I haven’t seen her offer one that I can ever remember. As much as I can hold a grudge, I don’t wanna turn her down. But it’s your call.”

An olive branch for Olive.How ironic.As much as I want to cut her negativity from my life, I can’t. She’s Jerry’s family. If we reject the reconciliatory offer, it could hurt everyone.

I take Jerry’s hand and press it to my bump. “I’ll go. We’ll go.”

A soft smile sweeps over his mouth. “That’s great because it’s also Dad’s birthday weekend. Totally slipped my mind.”

I grumble. “You didn’t want to tell me that first? I’d never say no to celebrating a birthday.”

“Like I said, it’s your call. I wanted you to decide before you knew about it.”

Sneaky boy.

“We’ll go, but I will always putherfirst.”

As if on cue, the baby kicks beneath our joined hands. “No matter how she came into being or who will raise her.”

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