by Natalie Ann
“I’m sure that is some of it. The other part is when he was active my mother was in the role of an admiral’s wife and adhered to the strict rules and expectations of military society. She had to be. He had to be. Even growing up, she wasn’t one to really be overly motherly. I think now she is ready for that life.”
“Makes sense. My mother has never been any other way, as you can tell.”
He laughed. “And you enjoy it. You’ll be the same way, I’m sure of it.”
Was now the time to say she was late? No, not yet. She needed more time. No reason to say it before they went to her parents in case it didn’t go over well.
“Most likely,” she said. “You know I want kids. But I’ll continue to work. My mother balanced it and I will too.”
“I’m sure you can work from home if you need to when the time comes.”
“I can and I will, partially. I’ve got it all planned out in my head, but again, no use worrying now,” she said, trailing off. “I’d rather focus on what is in front of me.” She reached her hands for his bare chest, ran them up and down, then said, “Time to get cleaning.”
Once her hair was dry and she was dressed, she made her way downstairs where Brock was sitting at his island with a cup of coffee and his laptop open. “I hope you aren’t doing work.”
“No. Just reading the news.” He stood up and poured her a cup of coffee, then added the cream he’d kept on hand for her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. Can we open gifts now?”
“You like getting things, don’t you?” he asked.
“Of course. But I like giving just as much.”
“So I saw when I loaded your car up for you last night full of gifts to bring today. Does everyone in your family go overboard like you?”
She smiled. “I think we all do the same to a point. The boys tend to just buy bigger things or give gift cards. But there are more people to buy for now.”
He looked under his tree. “Thankfully you didn’t go overboard with me.”
She grinned. There were about four boxes of little things. His big gift was being delivered tomorrow, but he had no clue until he opened up the last box she’d give him.
“We have equal numbers under the tree,” she said.
“I’m sure nothing is equal, though I tried.”
“There is no reason to keep up with anyone. I love to give, it’s the way I am.”
“I love the way you are, but I’m a guy and we like to keep up. Here,” he said, handing her over a box. “Let’s start with this one.”
She reached for one too and gave it to him.
After she ripped the paper off and removed the top, she gasped at the silk scarf and cashmere sweater. “You’ve got some good taste. Did you pick this out yourself?”
“I will admit that I checked out some of the brands of clothing you wear and was able to find their stores online. It’s just luck that it matched as well as it did.”
The mauve-colored sweater and ivory scarf with hints of mauve and olive in it were beautiful and would look great against her own coloring.
“It’s lovely. Open yours.”
He removed the paper and stared at the box, then started to laugh. “Perfect.”
She’d got him a device to plug his coffee pot into and set it to brew from his phone when he got into the shower in the mornings. “Much easier than a timer.”
“Here’s another,” he said.
She took the smaller box and opened it up to see a gift card for her spa again along with a variety of bubble baths. “You just know all the right things.”
“I do like getting in your tub.”
“You like your hot tub more. Admit it,” she said. It was the first thing he’d purchased after he’d moved in and she knew he used it almost daily. She’d gotten in a few times, but it wasn’t the same as relaxing in a bubble bath in her eyes.
“I do but it’s not as much fun alone.”
“Open this,” she said, handing him over another.
They went back and forth with gifts until they each had one left. “Here you go.”
“The smallest box. Hmm, what could this be?” It was too soon for a ring and she wasn’t even thinking along those lines but it was definitely jewelry.
“You won’t know until you open it up.”
She didn’t hesitate to tear into it like no tomorrow. Once she flipped the lid, she saw the earrings. They were white gold, a pink stone at the top, then a chain about an inch long with a rose at the bottom and another pink stone in the center. “Wow. These are just stunning.”
“Those I picked out myself,” he said. “I kind of hoped they’d match the scarf and sweater, but when I got home they didn’t. Sorry. I just couldn’t bring myself to go back there and look again. They are pink sapphires. I didn’t even know they made such a thing. I just thought they were pretty.”
She moved closer to him where they’d been sitting on the floor. “They are more than pretty and you know it. They are perfect. I’m going to wear your sweater and scarf and earrings today too.”
“At least I’ll get to see it on you because we know it’d be another month before you’d put them on again.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. She did do that with her clothes but would make an exception for him. “I’ll wear them again sooner than that, just maybe not all together.”
“I’m just picking on you.”
“I know, but everything is beautiful. You went overboard.” She picked up the last box and handed it to him. “Your last gift.”
“This box is huge.” He picked it up. “And light. Is there a pillow in it?”
She laughed. He opened it up and pulled tissue paper out and other paper that was just filler and at the bottom was a picture. “What’s this?”
“A chair.”
“You’re giving me a picture of a recliner?”
“No, I’m giving you the recliner. It will be delivered tomorrow.”
“Seriously? Talk about going overboard, Jade. This is too much.”
“It’s not. I saw you looking at it and you even sat in it when we were shopping, but you were fed up with the day and you wanted to finish up.”
“It didn’t match what I picked out,” he said.
“Which is why it was ordered weeks ago to match the furniture you did buy. You should know that about me by now.”
“It’s perfect,” he said. “We might have to initiate it good when it comes tomorrow.”
“Now you are speaking my language.”
When they arrived at her parents’ an hour later, they were walking in the same time as Drake, with Brock helping him carrying all the gifts in.
She moved to the kitchen, saw her mother and Kara getting food ready. “Where are the rest of them?” she asked.
“Noah is on his way. He just texted. Guess Sebastian was wanting to try out some games he got. Or downloading them. Not sure and I didn’t ask,” her mother said, her head down arranging muffins on the plate. When she lifted her head her eyes lit up. “Merry Christmas. And don’t you look lovely. What a pretty sweater and scarf.”
She angled her head so her mother could see her earrings. “All from Brock.”
Kara moved over to look. “Good taste. You go, girl.”
“Very pretty,” her mother said, fingering the dangling earring. “Did he like his chair?”
“He loved it. I enjoy surprising people.”
“Just like you love him,” her mother said.
“Yeah, I do,” she said back. “It’s hard to hide it, but I’m not even trying.”
“Did he talk to his parents today?” her mother asked.
“He did. I only heard one side of the conversation. It was pretty short. I just don’t know what to do about that.”
“Nothing,” Kara said. “This isn’t on you. Trust me, I know. Sometimes there isn’t anything you can do about your parents and their opinions or lives.”
“She’s right,” her mother said. “It seems he has a g
ood relationship with his parents so Brock has to work this out with them. I’m sure it will be fine.”
“I hope so,” she said. “And we are starving. Brock was going to cook breakfast for me but I told him not to.”
They heard the noise in the front of the house. Wyatt laughing over Sebastian’s voice. “Sounds like the troops are here. Let them unload their vehicles and we’ll get the table all set.”
When Kara was in the dining room, Jade turned to her mother. “You’re just loving the full house, aren’t you?”
“You know I am. Just waiting for those grandbabies next.”
She made sure she kept her smile in place, fearing that her mother would question why it dropped. “You should be happy and occupied with the weddings in a few weeks. Not dreaming about nurseries.”
“A mother will always dream of that.”
“The first of many holidays like that,” Carolyn said the minute the last person was out of the house. “I’m beat and plan on relaxing the rest of the weekend.”
“I’m right there with you. Though you’ve got a lot more hands to help you in the kitchen now,” Garrett said.
She enjoyed having her daughter and future daughters-in-law all working and cleaning up together. The men even helped or offered but she’d shooed them out.
“And with any luck next year we’ll have some grandbabies on the way.”
“Well, if Drake and Noah work fast enough we could even have one in our hands by next Christmas. No, no,” Garrett said. “That’s wrong. And it’s just between us.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t say it to them and put any pressure on them. Jade seemed a little off today, don’t you think?”
“She looked fine to me. Smiling and laughing. She was glued to Brock’s side. Things are progressing just like we planned there. I’m not sure what you’re seeing,” he said.
“Maybe it’s nothing. I know she’s still a little upset over Jody’s attitude toward her.”
“There isn’t anything she can do about that,” he argued. “She has to let Brock work it out and just try to keep the peace as best as she can. It will be fine in the end. Michael seemed like a reasonable guy, so maybe he is working on his wife.”
Carolyn snorted. “I did like him. I’m sure Jody would be fine if she could get her nose out of the air.”
“Her nose wasn’t in the air. It was out of joint and you know it,” he said. “She misses her son and is afraid she is losing him. Then she comes here and sees how he is with our family. You might have felt the same way in her shoes.”
“Nope,” she said confidentially. “Because I wouldn’t be pushing my son away like she is with Brock.”
“So says the woman that didn’t welcome many of the boys’ girlfriends into the fold if you didn’t really care for them.”
She paled now that he pointed that out. “That’s different. Those girls weren’t for our boys.”
“Maybe Jody feels that way about Jade.”
“Then she’s a fool,” she said, crossing her arms.
“My point is, she isn’t acting all that much different than you have, so give it time.”
She hated when her husband pointed out things like that. “We’ll see,” she said. “It will all work out. I feel it.”
“I’m sure it will...because we want it to,” he said.
“We have worked too hard for this one not to stick,” she said firmly.
“There you go getting all worked up when you said you were going to relax. Take your own advice and let it play out.”
“If you want me to relax, then I say let’s go take a nap.”
She held her hand out for Garrett. He stood up and reached for her, pulling her in. “Now that’s how you should spend the holidays.”
35
Shit Happens
“So, are you going to tell me what is going on?” Brock asked Jade over a week later.
She hadn’t been herself. Nothing that would stand out to the average person, but he was starting to know more about her than he ever thought possible.
She’d been quiet over the holidays and he knew it had to do with his mother. He was working on that the best he could, but it was going to take time.
Since he didn’t see his mother often, even talking to them daily, it was fine in his mind. He was reassuring Jade as best as he could but wanted her not to stress.
He was a man that knew his mind and his mother was going to have to accept this or get over it. He wouldn’t tolerate Jade being treated poorly and he’d mentioned that to his father.
Not that his mother was mean, but she was close to being rude and that was bad enough to him.
“Nothing,” she said, but her lip wobbled a little.
This was serious. She’d made no secret she never cried in front of anyone other than family and even then it was rare. Though he’d told her before to be herself, he knew she held back so much. He hated she felt she couldn’t let go in front of him.
“Really? You’re emotional and you’re never emotional. You seemed to be forcing smiles at Bryce and Payton’s house for New Year’s Eve too.”
“Just having an off day.”
“But it’s not that, is it?” he asked. “Don’t you feel well? You haven’t eaten much. You didn’t drink either.” He frowned. “Not at Drake’s on Christmas Eve either.”
She looked him in the eye, her own eyes glossy, then finally said, “I’m late.”
“Late for what?”
“Brock. Are you really that thick?”
Now he felt his own face pale. Panic that she could be pregnant, and then another emotion because he wasn’t even sure it was possible. If she was, he wouldn’t have to bring this up. If she wasn’t...he’d have to. He knew that.
“How late are you?” he asked.
“About two weeks. I’ve never been regular before, but I don’t normally have a lot of sex either to worry about it.”
He ran his hand over his face. “Why don’t you take a test and find out?”
“That’s all you’ve got to say?” she asked.
“Why react without knowing the answer?”
“Why indeed,” she said, snatching up her purse to leave. “I’ll get one at the store and come back.”
He grabbed her arm when she went to leave, knowing he’d said the wrong thing. “Listen, Jade. I’m in shock a bit. But I’m not someone to react either way without knowing what is going on. That’s not how or who I am.”
“I get it.”
“Whatever the outcome is, we’ll deal with it. There is no reason to get upset or nervous.”
“Easy for you to say,” she said and shook his arm off and left.
There wasn’t much more he could do than wait for her to return and think about what she’d said.
They were two successful adults. Money and careers weren’t going to be an issue or get in the way.
They loved each other; they had plenty of space to live at his place.
Shit, was his mother right? Had she been planning this with all her talk about turning the spare rooms into nurseries?
No, he wore a condom every single time. She’d never once asked him not to nor had she brought up not doing it.
She was often reaching for it before him too. If it happened it was an accident.
There wasn’t much for him to do other than wait for her to return. He’d been in a lot more stressful situations in his life than this. Yet why was he pacing all over the place?
Shit happened. He knew that.
He wanted kids himself. She’d asked him and he’d said he did.
This shouldn’t surprise him.
But he was surprised. Because if she was not pregnant, then he knew he had to tell her that he wasn’t sure if he could have kids. And if she knew that, would she be mad at him? Would she not want him?
He thought it was bad enough he was keeping the fact that he was positive that her family set them up to himself, but this might be worse.
He’d do anything to n
ot lose her and wondered if he just did by his reaction to her news now.
When he heard the front door open, he turned to see Jade walk back in. “I bought two. Just in case.”
“Smart,” he said. “Go take it and we’ll see what it says.” He pulled her into his arms and held her. “Relax. Whatever the results are, we’ll deal with it. It’s easy for me to say because it can be that easy.”
She nodded her head on his shoulder and then went upstairs, he was guessing to use his master bath. She’d composed herself again and part of him hated it. Why couldn’t she just let him know what she was feeling?
He waited a few minutes and realized she wasn’t coming downstairs to wait with him, so he went up to find her.
She was sitting on the bed looking at her nails. “Hey.”
“Hey, what?” she said, looking up. She was forcing a smile, he could see.
He sat next to her and ran his hand up and down her thigh. “If you are, it’s good. If you aren’t, it’s good too.”
She snorted. “That makes no sense.”
He was at a loss. Guess this was one of those times there was no right answer. “I’m trying. Don’t I get credit for that?”
“Yeah,” she said. She looked at her watch. “It’s time.”
He waited there, thinking she might want to see it on her own first. When she came out a second later he couldn’t get a read on her face at all. “Negative.”
He let the air out of his lungs, and then said, “How do you feel about that?”
“Funny you should ask. I’ve got mixed emotions. It’s what I’ve always wanted. Children. You know that. I had this fear you’d think I did it on purpose. That once your mother found out, she’d hate me even more and think I trapped you.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you did it on purpose. We’ve used protection every single time. Don’t even think of my mother right now. She has no bearing on anything. As for what you’ve always wanted. I know.”
“How do you feel about the results?” she asked. “Relieved?”
“Mixed emotions. Yes, I am because I like to plan things a little better. But I can adjust to anything. But because you aren’t, I feel the need to tell you something else.”
