Page 72 of Second Go-Round

Another call beeped through—Jessie. I let her go through to voicemail, continuing my chat with Dad and his plans for dinner at Loretta’s. She was going to cook his favorite pot roast, and he planned to take the cabernet she loved.

Jessie rang through again, and I rolled my eyes.

“You should answer,” Dad suggested, but I brushed his suggestion off, wanting to hear more about him and Loretta.

A text dinged.

Jessie: CALL ME, YOU BITCH!

Snorting on laughter, I bid my dad goodbye.

“Jessie actually called me a bitch,” I told Jarod, still snickering while pulling up her contact info.

“What’s up?” he asked around his mouthful of sandwich.

I popped a chip into my mouth, groaning over the sharp tang of vinegar along with the salt. Jarod loved every inch of my body and didn’t give two shits about those freshman pounds I’d packed on in college, so I’d given up my bunny greens. Besides, the man could put together a mean-ass sandwich.

He also told me I was beautiful as-is, so I chose to believe him.

The phone rang once when I put through the call—and Jessie answered.

“I’m pregnant!”

Two surprises in a matter of minutes. My heart leapt, and I squealed for my friend. “Reid isn’t gonna be a third wheel anymore!”

She laughed, and I couldn’t begin to imagine her happiness—or his. Cassie would be off-the-wall silly with excitement. Jessie deserved a trophy for Mom of the Year. Unlike me, she’d been born to have babies. Selfishness dictated throughout my life that I would never attempt to procreate and be strapped down by a snotty, whining child. Such thoughts made me shudder.

Jarod proclaimed the same.

We were a match made in heaven.

Chapter 31

Jarod

Reid’s son shrieked bloody murder, and I glanced up from the bundle in my arms, unsure of what to do.

“Here.” Christine gestured for the tightly wrapped infant, and I gently handed the red-faced baby over. “Hey, there.” Christine cooed and shushed, feathering her fingertip along the baby’s light eyebrows, gently swaying from side to side.

I lowered myself onto the couch beside Reid, who beamed like a four-year-old who’d just been gifted his first baseball bat.

“Isn’t he cute? He’s got strong lungs. Kicks like a karate champ. Hits like one too.”

I grinned, my gaze flitting back to Christine as she walked across Reid’s living room to a smiling Jessie lounging in a new plush rocking chair.

“She looks good with a baby in her arms,” Reid said, his voice low as Christine continued to coo to his son.

He didn’t lie.

Cheeks flushed, green eyes glowing while gazing down at that little boy…Christine stunned me near speechless. Sudden longing to see her cradling my child, the product of our love, swept over me.

“You ought to give her one.”

My brow furrowed, and I half-snorted a laugh while turning back toward him. “The woman is dead set against having kids.”

His dark eyes twinkled as he shrugged. “You were too once upon a time, but the way you were looking at her just now? People’s desires change, Zimmerman. You of all people know this.”

“I’m that obvious, huh?” I asked, once more moving my attention to Christine who handed over the baby but stayed close, smiling at the tiniest human I’d ever seen.

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