Harlequin Superromance February 2016 Box Set

by Anna Sugden

  “No need. I can handle it.”

  “Now that’s settled, can we please get our asses over to the restaurant?” Kenny slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out of the locker room.

  “Somebody give the kid a candy bar so he’ll shut up already,” Paddy grumbled.

  The rest of the guys followed behind, laughing.

  J.B. did his duty and bought the drinks, made his obligatory, short thank-you speech and endured the also obligatory heckling. There was another round to honor Jake as their new captain. Bad Boy was already a great leader and a strong veteran voice in the locker room. It was another strong sign for the upcoming season.

  Still, J.B. was glad when the shenanigans were over and he could dive into the food. He needed the distraction from his nerves about seeing Issy tomorrow. Which was dumb. What was there to worry about? He was simply playing chauffeur.

  Mad Dog leaned toward him and said in a low voice, “You should call Issy and let her know about the change of plans, so it’s not a big shock to her in the morning.”

  The enchilada he’d been eating suddenly tasted like cardboard. “Sapphie will already have done that.”

  Mad Dog elbowed him. “Call her, numb nuts.”

  He wasn’t sure he liked the way both Sapphie and Taylor were finding ways to push him toward Issy. Treating him like a teenager with his first crush.

  He grabbed his beer and headed toward the door, where it was quieter. He paused, his thumb hovering over her name in his cell’s contacts list.

  “Get on with it,” he muttered before tapping the icon.

  Issy answered after a couple of rings. “J.B.?” Her voice sounded a little husky, as though she’d been asleep.

  He recalled how she’d looked that last morning in Antigua, her cheeks flushed, her eyes drowsy and heavy lidded. Fire headed straight to his groin.

  Man, that was not a good thing in a room full of Ice Cats. He blinked to get the enticing picture out of his head, and tightened his grip on his cold beer bottle. Very cold. Icy.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

  “I think I was half-dozing in front of the TV.” She paused, then asked warily, “Is there a problem?”

  “Nope.” At least there wouldn’t be once his erection subsided. Concentrate. He rolled the cool bottle over his hot forehead. “Uh...just wanted to check what time I should pick you up in the morning.”

  “That’s not necessary,” she said quickly. “Sapphie shouldn’t have called you. I’m fine driving myself to the appointment. No need for you to bother.”

  “It’s no bother. So, when should I be there?”

  “Okay. Thank you.” Her tone became brisk. “The doctor’s office isn’t far from here, so around eight forty-five should give us enough time.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” He hung up and walked back to the table.

  Mad Dog passed him a platter of tacos.

  J.B. helped himself to a couple.

  “You’re doing a good thing.”

  “You make it sound like that’s a novelty.”

  “You’re a good man, even if you act like a jerk sometimes.” Taylor ducked J.B.’s head swat. “Issy seems kind of vulnerable compared to a lot of the women we meet.”

  “She’s tougher than she looks. Surviving what she has isn’t for cupcakes.”

  “Neither’s being a single parent,” Kenny said. “Just ask my mom.”

  “She’s a saint.” J.B. had been taken under her wing in his early days in the NHL. “She had four of you to raise. Five, if you include our new captain.”

  Jake’s parents had helped Karina Jelinek when her rat of a husband had walked out on her, leaving her with four young sons. That’s why Jake and the Jelineks were as close as brothers. J.B. was lucky enough to have become part of that group when he’d lived with Jake.

  J.B. nursed his beer—he’d lost his appetite—biding his time until he could call it a night. At that point, Lise and her entourage walked in.

  He knew he’d be expected to end the night with one of the puck bunnies. He didn’t want to play that game. Anyway, it didn’t seem right, given what he’d be doing in the morning.

  He made up an excuse. “My leg’s a little tight and I need to soak my muscles. I don’t want to risk an injury before the season’s even started.”

  Lise’s gaze narrowed, but she didn’t call him on it. Instead she sashayed around the table to Blade, the second star of the game, and dropped into his lap.

  J.B.’s life was already changing and the kid hadn’t even been born yet.

  * * *

  SO FAR, THE MORNING had been an embarrassing exercise in awkward.

  Issy tried to concentrate on the dog-eared food magazine that was months out of date and not on the brooding hockey player who sat beside her reading the latest sports headlines on his iPhone, in the ob-gyn waiting room.

  It had started when J.B. arrived. He had looked at her like she’d had a snake in her belly, not a baby. Then, as they’d pulled into the parking lot, he’d asked if she’d received the health insurance and child support papers from the lawyers. She had.

  The awkwardness had increased during the check-in for her appointment.

  “Dad is welcome to accompany you, if you’d feel more comfortable with him there,” the receptionist had said.

  “I’m not—” J.B. had cleared his throat “—sure that’s a good idea.”

  “That’s fine.” The woman had smiled, probably having seen countless nervous fathers-but-not-fathers before. “The nurse will call you through shortly.”

  “I’m sorry,” he’d muttered when they’d sat in the only remaining pair of seats.

  “No need to apologize,” she’d replied quietly. “It’s a new experience for me, too.”

  “I’ll go in with you, if you want me to.” He’d sounded like he’d rather stick a red-hot poker in his eye.

  “That’s okay.” She hadn’t been sure what the scan involved and wasn’t comfortable with the thought of being naked in front of him. Which was silly given how she’d ended up in this situation in the first place. “I’d prefer to do this alone.”

  “Whatever you want.” The edge of relief in his voice had been tangible.

  Issy’s nerves were ragged. It didn’t help that J.B. fidgeted like a child who couldn’t sit still—puffing out a breath and shifting his position every few minutes. Not that she blamed him. As the only man, surrounded by pregnant women, she could just imagine how out of place he felt.

  It was also hard to ignore the obvious signs that several of the women were whispering about her and J.B. Probably just him; they were more likely to recognize J.B. than her.

  The door opened and a beaming patient came out. The smell of disinfectant wafted into the waiting room behind her, turning J.B.’s skin a little green.

  “Isabelle Brandine,” the nurse called.

  Both she and J.B. jumped.

  Issy reached for his hand at the same moment he reached for hers.

  He squeezed hers. “Are you sure you don’t want me in there with you?”

  She was touched by his offer. “I’ll be okay, but thank you.”

  She rose and walked over to the nurse.

  The scan went smoothly. The only moment of hesitation was when the technician asked whether she wanted to know the sex of her child. Issy wanted it to be a surprise but wondered whether J.B. would want to know.

  While it had been good of him to come with her today, that didn’t change anything. This baby was hers. Once the paperwork was signed, it would be official. So it was her decision.

  “Please don’t tell me,” she said.

  The technician smiled. “No problem. Let’s see what Baby’s up to this morning.”

  Getting a clear picture was tough as he or she moved around. A lot. Issy was relieved to hear that everything looked good. How the woman could tell, when it looked like a peanut with a blob sticking out of it—apparently an arm—Issy didn’t know,
but she was grateful all the same.

  Suddenly the picture changed and Issy could see the clear shape of a baby lying on its back, its little arm waving.

  Her heart squeezed so hard she almost couldn’t breathe.

  My baby.

  Her throat tightened and her eyes welled with tears. She watched the screen, searching out every detail. When the baby moved again, turning back into a blobby peanut, she was disappointed. She wanted to stay there all day, waiting for another glimpse of her unborn child.

  It was a shame J.B. had missed this.

  “Here you go.” The technician handed her a small, black-and-white printout of the screen shot. “I managed to catch Baby at the right moment, so you have a nice, clear picture.”

  “Thank you so much.” Issy held on to the photo carefully. “Would it be possible to get a second print? For the father.”

  “Sure. He’ll want to put it in his wallet and show it off to his friends.”

  Issy smiled noncommittally, knowing that was unlikely.

  She managed to walk sedately out of the room and back toward the waiting area. Her head felt as if it was surrounded by sunshine and birds, like in a Disney movie. For the first time Issy actually felt pregnant. The nausea and aching breasts she’d experienced so far didn’t count. Now, she felt complete.

  J.B. stood as she came through the doors. His concerned look made Issy want to laugh.

  “Everything okay?” His hand rested lightly at the small of her back, as if he was afraid to touch her.

  “Perfect. I’ll show you in a minute.”

  “Great...?”

  His uncertainty made Issy want to laugh even more.

  He hovered protectively while she set up another appointment. She was surprised when he checked the date against his calendar.

  “That won’t—” she started.

  He cut her off. “I know it’s not necessary. I’d like to bring you.”

  She wasn’t sure what to think about this change in him. What did it mean? “Okay. If you’re sure,” she said hesitantly.

  “I am.”

  Issy waited until they were walking across the parking lot to fill him in on the scan. “Everything’s as it should be at around four months.”

  “Good. Did you find out what you’re having?”

  “No. I want it to be a surprise.”

  “I agree,” he said. “It’s like knowing what’s inside your birthday presents before you open them—spoils the fun.”

  “Exactly. Though it will make painting the nursery a little more difficult. I wasn’t going to do the whole pink or blue thing, but I would like to put some cute pictures up. I suppose I’ll go unisex and choose animals.”

  He opened the car door for her. “When are you planning to decorate?”

  “Over the next few weeks. Better to do it now than when I’m carrying a big bump.” She sat in the car and put on her seat belt.

  J.B. came around to his side. “Is it safe? Paint fumes and stuff?”

  “As long as I keep a window open to let the room air.”

  “What about climbing ladders? That doesn’t sound like something a pregnant woman should be doing.” He frowned as he turned the key in the ignition.

  “I painted the rest of my apartment myself and the doctor said I could do what I’d normally do. I’ll be careful.”

  “Tell me when you plan to do it and I’ll come round and paint for you. And before you start with the whole ‘it’s not necessary’ thing—I know. But I can get a couple of the guys to help and we’ll be done in no time. You can order us around.”

  His offer appeared to surprise him almost as much as it surprised her. He turned away and focused on driving out of the parking lot.

  Issy bit back her instinctive refusal. She was used to having to do everything herself. “Only if I can provide the food and drinks.”

  “Deal.”

  “Great. I’ll scout out colors and borders and get back to you.”

  He nodded.

  They were back to awkward.

  She babbled about the scan. “The way Peanut kept moving around made me wonder if he or she would be a hockey player.”

  “Peanut?”

  She explained about how their baby had looked like a peanut. “That reminds me. I have a copy of the scan for you.” She dug around in her purse for the spare. “If you’d like it?”

  He was quiet for a moment before he said, “Sure.”

  Once he’d parked, she handed him the picture.

  He stared at it. “Definitely a peanut.”

  “What do you mean? You can see clearly that it’s a baby. Look, there’s its head and—” She broke off when she saw his lips quirk. “Very funny. Wait and see how you react when one of your teammates says something about Peanut.”

  “I’ll be cool...then I’ll introduce them to the business end of a hockey stick.”

  Issy laughed as J.B. got out of the car and came around to open her door. Whatever his faults, J.B. was always a gentleman.

  When she got to her front door, she started to worry about how to say goodbye. How to avoid more awkwardness.

  He solved the problem by leaning to give her a brief kiss on the cheek. “You know where to get hold of me if you need anything.”

  Before she could answer, he turned and went back to the car. He’d driven off by the time she had her front door open.

  Once inside, she pulled out the scan and fixed it to the refrigerator door with a heart-shaped magnet. Then, running her fingers over the image of her baby, she said, “Welcome home, Peanut.”

  Oh, my God—I’m having a baby!

  What did she know about having a baby? Issy’s secondhand experience with Rosa’s pregnancy had hardly prepared her for having a child. Thoughts of her sister and Tinka brought another, more troubling, question into her head.

  What did she know about being a mother and raising a child? She’d done her best to take care of Rosa and look how that had turned out.

  Where did I go wrong? Issy had made sure her sister was fed, clean and clothed. Went to school; did her homework. Though there was barely a year between them, she’d tried to provide structure, boundaries and discipline. Rosa had gone off the rails, anyway.

  Making mistakes with a child was bad enough, but a helpless, innocent baby? What hope did Issy have of getting it right with Peanut, if she couldn’t get it right with her own sister?

  She couldn’t do this, let alone on her own. What was she thinking? There was a reason why she hadn’t wanted to start a family until she was in a secure situation, with a husband to share the responsibility.

  The phone rang, interrupting her downward-spiraling thoughts.

  Issy grabbed the phone and answered it.

  She should have checked the Caller ID.

  Her stomach twisted when she heard a familiar voice. The very person she just been thinking about.

  “Hey, sis. How’s things in the big city?”

  “Oh. Hi, Rosa.” Her sister’s timing was impeccable. Issy didn’t have the energy to fake being all right, so she simply said, “Good.”

  “You sound weird. Did I call at a bad time? I thought this was your lunch break.”

  She really didn’t want to tell her sister she’d lost her job. “I’m just tired.”

  “You have free periods this afternoon, right? Go home and take a nap. You can grade papers later.”

  “Maybe I’ll do that.”

  “What’s wrong?” Rosa demanded. “Something’s up. I can hear it in your voice.”

  Issy closed her eyes, trying to keep the emotional tumult from breaking loose. She cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”

  “Bull. At least be honest with me.”

  The hurt in Rosa’s voice broke through Issy’s flimsy barriers.

  She sank to the floor, her legs unable to support her. She couldn’t hold back any longer. Slowly at first, then with gathering momentum, the whole story poured out. Words tumbled over each other, sometimes punctuated wit
h an escaping sob. Tears streamed down her face.

  Rosa asked an occasional question for clarification, but otherwise listened quietly until Issy ran out of steam.

  Issy was wrung out by the time she’d finished. Her body ached, her eyes burned and her throat was raw. At the same time she felt a cathartic relief.

  Dragging in a shuddering breath, she braced herself for her sister’s reaction.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “WELL, THAT SUCKS.”

  Not what Issy had expected Rosa to say. Not even close. Maybe “Karma’s a bitch” or “How the mighty have fallen.” Even “Now you’re really one of the family.” There wasn’t even a sarcastic edge to her sister’s words.

  “Tough break,” Rosa added, her sympathy obvious down the phone line. “Especially as you were so careful.”

  Who was this woman and what had she done with Rosabelle?

  Rosa continued. “The important thing is that you want the baby. You do, don’t you?”

  Issy’s panic hadn’t subsided completely. “Yes, of course. But that’s not the issue.”

  “You’ll be fine. And even if you make mistakes—which you will, because everyone does—remember that children survive crappy parents all the time. We both did. Although I had you to try to keep me in line.”

  “No offense, but that’s hardly a resounding endorsement.”

  “None taken.” Rosa’s laugh was rueful. “You can’t put my stupidity on your shoulders. I was old enough to take responsibility for my actions. I chose not to. Was it a reaction to the boundaries you set? Sure, but then, if we’d had responsible parents, I’d have reacted against them, too. That’s me—I hate rules and restrictions.”

  Issy wasn’t convinced. “That wasn’t what you said at the time.”

  “I wasn’t ready to acknowledge it before. Maybe it’s my age. Or maybe seeing that you’re not so perfect, after all, has made it easier to admit.”

  “I’m nowhere near perfect.” Issy was shocked that her sister felt that way about her.

  “It’s all relative. You’ve always acted like you had it all together, while I’ve been a mess.” She sighed. “I made some dumb choices and blamed everyone but myself when they went badly. Then, you left. That was a huge wake-up call. I had to step up and look after Tinka because no one else would. I resented it like hell, but eventually I had to grow up. Tinka’s turned out okay, in spite of all that. Though, God help me, I’m not sure I’ll survive her teenage years. That really is karma coming back to bite me on the ass.”