Page 16 of Suddenly Pregnant

“Yes,” she breathed. “I guess the pregnancy hormones are already doing their job.”

“I have a lot to look forward to,” he said in a playful tone, but when he heard his own words, reality set in. The logistics. She was living with him now… but what about when the baby came? Also, would she agree to living in Australia and not returning stateside? He didn’t want to move to a different continent, his life and business were here.

“You do.” She smiled. “I’ll go in for a shower, but we can talk more later.”

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything.” They certainly would need to do a lot of talking… but he’d give her some time to adjust first. Hell, he needed time.

Billie left the shower box, then grabbed a towel and looked at her iPhone on the marble bathroom counter. Her cousins had tried to Facetime her earlier, but she’d decided not to take it. She needed to tell them, but she wasn’t ready yet.

Didn’t most people wait a few months until they shared the news about the pregnancy? Maybe she should do that.

Her mother had died because she had a rare disease which complications included seizures and sky-high blood pressure at childbirth, which ended up taking her life. But according to her father, her mother had only gotten sick a month or so before giving birth. Died a few hours later. A thread of fear came down on her. No. That wouldn’t be her.

She dried her hair, and maybe the hot water had helped alleviate some of the tension, since the nausea had subsided. When she told Jack, she thought that she’d pass out right there and then, but it was just her nerves. She’d walked in the veranda with the goal of telling him like a piece of information, and exuding calm confidence. She snorted. Yeah, right.

She’d been a mess inside, but when he surprised her and offered her his support, a part of her melted. He didn’t judge her or questioned her timing. She expected him to be a lot more of a jerk about it, like she imagined some men in his position would behave. Not that she had much experience with moneyed men. The only ones she knew were her cousins’ significant others, Luc and Ethan. They were both upstanding guys.

She removed her towel and fetched some pajamas from the drawer. What was she doing, comparing Jack to her cousins’ men? Jack didn’t offer her the same type of commitment that Luc and Ethan had to Kira and Poppy. He’d offered it to their child, which was more than she had from her own dad growing up. Love and support. What else could she wish for her child?

That should be enough, right?

I can’t offer you marriage. His words resonated within her, and she wished they didn’t… disappoint her in some weird way. She shouldn’t be disappointed of course. They never shared a romantic relationship, just one night. Not even a full night. A moment.

So of course she didn’t expect him to kiss his bachelor ways goodbye and marry her immediately. They didn’t know each other well. But he’d gotten engaged to his ex. According to the internet, quickly after they met, too.

Is it just me? She willed that question away. She couldn’t feel sorry for herself, and now wasn’t a good time to grill him about his past relationship. They had so many things to work out… where would she live?

She’d never envisioned herself in Australia forever, but he was the most successful one of the two. Hell, she was still finding out her thing. Right now, her baby was her thing. Maybe he’d agree to her spending some time in the US, and then some in his country. They’d work it out.

How surprised would Kira and Poppy be when she told them!

How surprised would… her father be.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She didn’t talk to her father a whole lot. She called him weekly, emailed him every so often, but had to guard her heart not to expect much from him. Would he be upset or indifferent, like he was with everything else she told him? Would he consider her pregnancy a mistake or a blessing?

When she moved from Texas to New York, he hadn’t been the most supportive. He hadn’t protested her decision, but she could tell he thought it was a poor choice. Then again, her father had never left Texas. He wasn’t exactly the best source of open mindedness and new ideas.

A knock at her door made her startle.

She opened the door, to find Jack standing in front of her. “Yes?”

“I was thinking… if you want, we can watch a movie in the movie room. You know, to relax and not think too much.”

“That sounds great. Can it be a horror or thriller? Those always help distract me.”

He chuckled, the hearty sound reverberating through her and caressing her nerve endings. More like teasing her nerve endings. “Sounds good. Let’s see some gory stuff.”

“Perfect,” she said, ignoring how her toes curled and her heart raced with the idea of spending quality time with him. They’d watch a scary movie… but the feelings he evoked in her were sugar sweet.

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