“I’m good.” He nods at Mario, who promptly collects a beer from a fridge and delivers it to Drew. “Oh, congratulations.” He raises his bottle and takes a swing.
I gape at him. He knows, too?
“Never thought I’d see the day.” He shakes his head.
“Yes!” Mario sings. “A baby!”
My exhale of exasperation is loud, just as I intended it to be. I hope it reached the ears of my husband in the kitchen. “Thank you,” is all I can think to say. That is until Jesse walks back into the bar, and I start mentally preparing my words as he walks toward me.
He gets in first, though. “Just remember, none of our business.”
“What?” I frown at him as he gives me a warning look, which would be fine if I knew why I was receiving a warning. “What are you talking about?”
He rolls his eyes and grabs his water from the bar, and then I see them.
Sam and Kate.
Chapter Sixteen
What the hell?” I jump up from my stool, only to be placed back on it before I can launch into my rant.
“Ava.” His tone is clipped and stern, not that I’ll take any notice, but then it very quickly occurs to me that Sam is oblivious to Kate’s straying ways, as is Jesse, so I aim my aggravation at my husband instead. “Who else have you told?”
His warning face soon drops. “A few.”
My lips purse. “You’ve told everyone, haven’t you?” I can’t believe this man. My poor parents don’t even know that they’re going to be grandparents yet.
“I might have.”
“Jesse,” I moan, completely deflated.
His adorable face takes the edge off my irritation slightly, and then he shrugs guiltily, completely diminishing the rest of my exasperation. “Can we visit my in-laws this weekend?” he asks quietly.
“Well, yes. We’d better before news travels and makes it to Cornwall before we do.”
He grins at me and stoops down to seal our mouths, his hand landing on my stomach and caressing my nonbump, while his tongue caresses my mouth. “You make me a very happy man, Mrs. Ward.”
“That’s because I’m letting you trample all over me at the moment.”
“No, it’s because you’re beautiful, spirited, and all mine.”
“My man!” Sam’s happy greeting distracts us from our moment. He claps Jesse’s shoulder and stands me up, looking me up and down. “I can tell,” he says, staring at my tummy before lifting his sparkling blues. “You’ve got that healthy glow about you.”
I actually laugh, and I’m dying to ask if any of these happy well-wishers know of the circumstances surrounding my pregnancy. “That’s funny because I mostly feel like shit,” I quip.
“Mouth, Ava!” Jesse snaps, but I snub him and move past Sam to take Kate’s hand. “Let’s sit in the corner.” I smile sweetly and lead her away from the bar. Her pale face is cautious, and it bloody well should be, but she doesn’t resist, letting me direct her away from the men to a little table in the quietest part of the busy bar.
I practically push her into a chair. “Okay, Matthews. Spill.” We’ve got way past the fun excuses, so she’d better not even try. Not now that my brother is involved.
“So,” she begins, all chirpy and unfazed by my sharp order. “It’s official, then?”
“What?” I sit down opposite her.
“The baby.” She nods at my stomach. “You’re not getting rid of it.”
“Kate!” I blurt on a shocked whisper, her hardhearted words hitting a nerve, and for the first time since all of this sank in, my hand rests on my tummy protectively. I feel untold guilt.
She smiles. “Ava, I knew you’d never see that through.”
I’m a little speechless. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You needed to figure it out.” She looks across to the men, who are all chatting at the bar. “I don’t get him, but look at that face,” she says, smiling fondly at Jesse. “I was a breath away from telling him, Ava.”
I knew she would be. I follow her eyes and see a very happy man, but he’s always happy when we’re together, or he’s always happy when I’m conceding to him and his impossible ways. Jesse catches my eye and flips me a wink, sending a comforting, warm shot of contentment deep into my heart, but then I remember that I have a friend with some explaining to do.
“Hey!” I blurt across the table. “It’s time to explain.”
Kate gives me a tired look. I don’t appreciate it. “I’ve told your brother to go back to Australia.”