Let It Snow(50)

“Mama mia, you’re pregnant!” his mother screeched.

“What?!” Nikki cried out. “Is that true?”

Amy looked down at Matt, who promptly stood up and placed his arm protectively around her. “Yes, and we’re getting married.”

There were screams of joy, mostly from his mother, and Jake sat speechless looking at his little sister. She was going to be a mom. The first one of his siblings to have kids. He was going to be an uncle. Uncle Jake.

Everyone was up and out of their seats, congratulating and hugging Amy and Matt. Nikki and his mom were crying. Jake stood, hugged his little sister, and shook Matt’s hand.

It was a relief that both his sisters had found good guys. Jake knew that Matt would take care of both Amy and the baby. And when the time came, he knew Mike would do the same for Nikki. He didn’t see himself having to kick either of their asses in the future.

“And we are getting married in two weeks.” Amy dropped yet another bombshell. “The day after the Policeman/Fireman Ball.”

“Two weeks, Amaila? How is that possible?” Jake’s mom shrieked in horror.

“We just want a small wedding, but we want to do it as soon as possible”—Matt reached down and rubbed Amy’s belly lovingly—“for obvious reasons. And that will give my family enough time to drive up from Arizona.”

As everyone started settling down, once again taking their seats around the table, the food began to get passed around.

Nikki asked, “How long have you known?”

Amy smiled up at her soon-to-be husband. “Just a week.”

“A week?!” both his mom and Nikki repeated. Loudly.

Amy nodded happily, not affected at all by their reactions. “Matt wanted to tell everyone the second we found out, but I needed time to process the news before I told anyone.”

Jake’s dad sniffed, and everyone’s faces turned towards the head of the table, where tears were pooling in his old man’s eyes. “Well, this is just something fierce. I’m going to be a daideo.”

“And I’m going to be a nona.” His parents looked lovingly across the large table at each other.

“Okay, not to make this about me, but…” Nikki began, and everyone laughed because Nikki did have a tendency to make things about herself, “by a show of hands, who thought that it would me who would ended up knocked up out of wedlock?”

The chuckles continued as most of the hands at the table rose, including his parents’. His mom patted Nikki’s arm as she lovingly added, “I have to be honest. I am just so relieved you didn’t end up on that show Teen Mom.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Nikki’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

Out of the corner of Jake’s eye he saw, Tessa dip her head down.

Shit.

Jake squeezed Tessa’s knee beneath the table and she looked up at him with a small, sad smile on her face. They stared at each other for a moment before Tessa got pulled into the “is it a boy or girl” debate that his sisters, Lily, and his mom were having.

Jake reached out to grab the bread basket his brother was handing him and the knowing look in Eric’s eye told him that he hadn’t missed the moment that Jake and Tessa had just shared. His brother’s words once again played on repeat in his head. “…she was a kid too when she lost a baby she didn’t even know she was carrying.”

In his heart, Jake knew they needed to talk about what had happened. He’d almost brought it up while they had been working on the house earlier today but he’d just enjoyed spending time with her so much that he hadn’t wanted to ruin it by bringing up such a sensitive topic.

He had to be at the station at nine tonight and he would be there for the next few days. So if this was going to happen, they’d have to talk about it as soon as they left here. Jake couldn’t avoid it any longer. It was time they both faced what they’d lost.

*

“Okay, Mom. She already promised. We have to go.” Jake pulled on Tessa’s arm, rushing them out the door.

Tessa looked up at him, her brow furrowed in question before hugging Rosalie once more and assuring her, “I will come to Sunday dinner for as long as I’m in town, Mrs. Maguire. Cross my heart.”

Jake’s mom squeezed her arms around Tessa, hugging her so tightly it almost cut off her air supply. Then she pulled back and pinched Tessa’s cheeks affectionately as she said, “Oh, my Tesero, it’s so good to have you home.”

Tessa tried to hold back the tears as she smiled down at Rosalie’s large brown eyes—that reminded her so much of Jake’s!—her rounded cheeks, and full pink lips. This woman was everything Tessa had always imagined a “mom” should be. She’d accepted Tessa as one of her own from practically the first time Jake had brought her home.