Knocked Up... Again!
Page 1
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Jess
Chapter 2 - Jess
Chapter 3 - Owen
Chapter 5 - Jess
Chapter 6 - Owen
Chapter 7 - Jess
Chapter 8 - Owen
Chapter 9 - Jess
Chapter 10 - Owen
Chapter 11 - Jess
Chapter 12 - Owen
Chapter 13 - Jess
Chapter 14 - Owen
Chapter 15 - Jess
Chapter 16 - Owen
Chapter 17 - Jess
Chapter 18 - Owen
Chapter 19 - Jess
Chapter 20 - Owen
Chapter 21 - Jess
Chapter 22 - Owen
Chapter 23 - Jess
Chapter 24 - Owen
Chapter 25 - Jess
Chapter 26 - Owen
Chapter 27 - Jess
Chapter 28 - Owen
Chapter 29 - Jess
Chapter 30 - Owen
Chapter 31 - Jess
Chapter 32 - Owen
Chapter 33 - Jess
Chapter 34 - Owen
Chapter 35 - Jess
Chapter 36 - Owen
Chapter 37 - Jess
Chapter 38 - Owen
Chapter 39 - Jess
Chapter 40 - Owen
Chapter 41 - Jess
Chapter 42 - Owen
Chapter 43 - Jess
Chapter 44 - Owen
Chapter 45 - Jess
Chapter 46 - Owen
Chapter 47 - Jess
Chapter 48 - Owen
Chapter 49 - Jess
Chapter 50 - Owen
Chapter 51 - Jess
Chapter 52 - Owen
Chapter 53 - Jess
Chapter 54 - Owen
Chapter 55 - Jess
Chapter 56 - Owen
Chapter 57 - Jess
Chapter 58 - Owen
Chapter 59 - Jess
Chapter 60 - Owen
Chapter 61 - Jess
Chapter 62 - Owen
Epilogue - Jess
Chapter 1 - Harper
Chapter 2 - Zach
Chapter 3 - Harper
Chapter 4 - Zach
Chapter 5 - Harper
Chapter 1 - Valerie
Chapter 2 - Clay
Chapter 3 - Valerie
Chapter 4 - Clay
Chapter 5 - Valerie
Chapter 6 - Clay
Chapter 7 - Valerie
Chapter 8 - Clay
Chapter 9 - Valerie
Chapter 10 - Clay
Chapter 11 - Valerie
Chapter 12 - Clay
Chapter 13 - Valerie
Chapter 14 - Clay
Chapter 15 - Valerie
Chapter 16 - Clay
Chapter 17 - Valerie
Chapter 18 - Clay
Chapter 19 - Valerie
Chapter 20 - Clay
Chapter 21 - Valerie
Chapter 22 - Clay
Chapter 23 - Valerie
Chapter 24 - Clay
Chapter 25 - Valerie
Chapter 26 - Clay
Chapter 27 - Valerie
Chapter 28 - Clay
Chapter 29 - Valerie
Chapter 30 - Clay
Chapter 31 - Valerie
Chapter 32 - Clay
Chapter 33 - Valerie
Chapter 34 - Clay
Chapter 35 - Valerie
Chapter 36 - Clay
Chapter 37 - Valerie
Chapter 38 - Clay
Chapter 39 - Valerie
Chapter 40 - Clay
Chapter 41 - Valerie
Chapter 42 - Clay
Chapter 43 - Valerie
Chapter 44 - Clay
Chapter 45 - Valerie
Chapter 46 - Clay
Chapter 47 - Valerie
Chapter 48 - Clay
Chapter 49 - Valerie
Chapter 50 - Clay
Epilogue - Valerie
Knocked Up Series: Book III
Knocked Up… Again!
Lilian Monroe
www.lilianmonroe.com
Twitter: @Lily_Author
Facebook: @MonroeRomance
Instagram: @lilianmonroe.author
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Jess
Chapter 2 - Jess
Chapter 3 - Owen
Chapter 5 - Jess
Chapter 6 - Owen
Chapter 7 - Jess
Chapter 8 - Owen
Chapter 9 - Jess
Chapter 10 - Owen
Chapter 11 - Jess
Chapter 12 - Owen
Chapter 13 - Jess
Chapter 14 - Owen
Chapter 15 - Jess
Chapter 16 - Owen
Chapter 17 - Jess
Chapter 18 - Owen
Chapter 19 - Jess
Chapter 20 - Owen
Chapter 21 - Jess
Chapter 22 - Owen
Chapter 23 - Jess
Chapter 24 - Owen
Chapter 25 - Jess
Chapter 26 - Owen
Chapter 27 - Jess
Chapter 28 - Owen
Chapter 29 - Jess
Chapter 30 - Owen
Chapter 31 - Jess
Chapter 32 - Owen
Chapter 33 - Jess
Chapter 34 - Owen
Chapter 35 - Jess
Chapter 36 - Owen
Chapter 37 - Jess
Chapter 38 - Owen
Chapter 39 - Jess
Chapter 40 - Owen
Chapter 41 - Jess
Chapter 42 - Owen
Chapter 43 - Jess
Chapter 44 - Owen
Chapter 45 - Jess
Chapter 46 - Owen
Chapter 47 - Jess
Chapter 48 - Owen
Chapter 49 - Jess
Chapter 50 - Owen
Chapter 51 - Jess
Chapter 52 - Owen
Chapter 53 - Jess
Chapter 54 - Owen
Chapter 55 - Jess
Chapter 56 - Owen
Chapter 57 - Jess
Chapter 58 - Owen
Chapter 59 - Jess
Chapter 60 - Owen
Chapter 61 - Jess
Chapter 62 - Owen
Epilogue - Jess
Copyright Ⓒ 2017 All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author except for short quotations used for the purpose of reviews.
Chapter 1 - Jess
My grandmother’s old house hasn’t changed a bit. Well, the paint is peeling a little and it’s faded over the years. There are a few more weeds in the flower beds but apart from that, it looks exactly the same.
I park the car and grab my bag. I packed light - there’s no one to impress in this town. In any case, Gram will probably want to stuff me so full of food I’ll need a new wardrobe by the time my ten day trip is over.
My steps are light as I make my way up the flagstone path towards the wide front porch. I remember playing on the path, skipping from flagstone to flagstone when I was a kid, over and back for hours at a time. I grin as I place my feet on the stones and avoid the bits of grass that stick up between them. Old habits die hard, I guess.
By the time I make it to the porch and put my foot on the first rickety step, the screen door swings open.
“Jessica,” my grandmother’s warm voice greets me. Her wrinkled face is lit up with a huge smile, and she steps out to spread her arms wide.
“Hi, Gram.” I hop up the steps and drop my bag before wrapping my grandmother in a huge bear hug. “It’s good to see you.”
She smiles at me and strokes my cheek with a
gnarled finger. “Good to see you too, darl. Come on in. Is that all you brought?”
“Just the one bag.”
She nods and her eyebrow shoots up. “Well alright. Your old room is all made up. You put your things down and come to the kitchen for some food.”
She gives me arm a squeeze and flashes me another smile and then disappears down the hallway towards the kitchen. I take a few moments to glance around and smile. Nothing’s changed. To the right is the living room with the old overstuffed sofa that we weren’t allowed to sit on when we were kids. Straight ahead is the creaky stairway up to the bedrooms with the white handrail curling around at the bottom in a graceful arc. I run my fingers along the wainscotting at waist height and take in the old paisley wallpaper that must be older than I am.
I’m home.
My room hasn’t changed at all. From the time I moved in when I was seven to the time I moved out when I was eighteen, this was my refuge. The small single bed with the floral bedspread is still in the corner, and my favourite teddy bear is carefully placed in front of the pillows. I drop my bag and pick the faded brown bear up.
“Hey, Mr. Tickles. How have you been?”
Mr. Tickles looks back at me with his glassy eyes and I bring him up to my nose. I breathe in deeply and sigh. I spent hours hugging that bear until I fell asleep when I was a little girl. I put him back down on the bed and scan the room. My medals from sports, the trophy I won in a debate tournament, the certificates of achievement for schoolwork - it’s all displayed exactly how I had it when I was here. I shake my head. Gram must have thought I was going to move back in eventually.
There wasn’t a hope on Earth that I’d move back in. Lexington, Virginia isn’t exactly the belly button of the universe, and it certainly wasn’t the most pleasant place for me to grow up. Apart from Gram who loved me unconditionally, I was always an outsider here. I got out as soon as that college acceptance letter came through.
The stairs creak as I make my way back towards the kitchen. I step through the door and let it swing back and forth behind me. Gram looks over her shoulder.
“Come here, dear. I’ve made some chicken for you. Grab a plate.”
“Smells delicious, Gram.”
“Just simple cooking,” she responds as she spoons the fragrant meat onto my plate. “You look as thin as a rail, Jessica. Eat up.”
I laugh and shake my head. “You’re always trying to fatten me up, Gram.”
“You young people need food. It’s good for you.”
I grab a knife and fork and sit down at the kitchen table. Gram keeps working away, stirring and cleaning and hustling and bustling around the kitchen. I take my first bite and groan.
“This is so good,” I say.
“Do they not have chicken in New York?”
“They have chicken,” I laugh, “but not your chicken.”
“Mmm.” That’s all the response I get as Gram looks over to make sure I’m eating my fill. It would be hard not to, I haven’t had anything this tasty in months.
“So what’s new in town? There must be some news?”
“Oh, not much. Old Mr. Wilson died, and Mrs. Wilson looks like she’s on the way out. Jack Hanson’s daughter is getting married to a boy from Clivestown. Melanie Sanders just had a baby boy, the most precious little baby you’ve ever seen.”
“Deaths, weddings and babies, hey,” I reply as I take another bite.
“That’s life, Jessica,” Gram responds as she finally pulls out a chair to sit down. “How about you? When am I going to meet the lucky man who snagged you?”
I laugh. “No one’s been that lucky, Gram. You know I’d tell you if I was seeing someone. I think I’m destined to be an old maid.”
“Nonsense. You’re smart and beautiful and kind. Surely there’s someone in that big city that means something to you?”
“Not yet,” I laugh. “Not a man, anyways. I’m not in any rush to get married Gram. And you know me, I’m not interested in having kids.”
Gram makes a noise and nods her head. “You might change your mind when the right man comes along,” she says with a smile.
I shake my head. “Doubt it. I’m not bringing a kid into this world, it’s too miserable. I wouldn’t do that to an innocent child.”
This time, Gram’s face crinkles up and she starts laughing. “It’s always been doom and gloom with you, Jessica. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“I prefer to call it realism,” I reply as I scrape my plate for the last bits of sauce. I glance at my grandmother and smile. She takes my plate. “I’ll get that, Gram. Let me do something to help.”
“Don’t worry about it, dear. You go see your friends. I know Samantha is dying to see you.”
“I was thinking you and I would hang out tonight, Gram. I haven’t seen you in so long.”
Gram smiles and plants a kiss on my cheek. “You should go out an enjoy yourself. It’s Friday night! There’s a new owner at the Lexington Hotel. He’s having some bit dinner or concert or party over there tonight. Lots of young people and such. You should go. The new owner is some big shot from New York, maybe you know him.”
A party at the Lex. Great.
I snort. “Doubt it. It’s a bit bigger than this town, Gram. What happened to Mrs. Carter? Why did she sell the hotel?”
“When Hank died I think a part of her died with him and she just wanted to get rid of the place,” Gram replies. “That’s how it goes with us old folks. Me too, but I’m just too stubborn to die,” she adds with a smile.
“You’re not dying anytime soon, Gram.”
“Mm-hmm. Now go. The whole town will be there, you’ll see everyone.”
“Get all the hellos out of the way tonight, then I can just lay low for the rest of the week.”
Gram laughs. “Go, my little social butterfly.” She wraps me in one of her hugs again and plants a big kiss on my cheek. “It’s good to see you, Jessica.”
“It’s good to see you too, Gram. I missed you.”
“Go and have fun. I’ll see you in the morning.” Her eyes crinkle as she smiles at me and I wrap my arms around her in another hug. Even if Lexington never felt like home, my grandmother’s arms always did.
Chapter 2 - Jess
It’s nice to be back in the warm weather. There’s quite a bit of a nip in the air, but that’s to be expected at the end of April. New York is still freezing cold this time of year so this feels almost balmy. I wrap my jacket around me a little bit tighter and walk down towards Main Street.
The streets are so quiet here. Compared to the big city where everyone is in a rush and there’s constant noise of cars and honking and yelling, it’s almost shocking to be somewhere like this. It feels like a different universe. I glance up at the sky and see the first stars start to twinkle as dusk falls.
I take a deep breath and let the clean air fill my lungs as I turn onto Main Street. When I exhale, I can see my breath for a second before it dissipates and I take a couple deep breaths just to watch them disappear.
The hotel comes into view just down the road - it must be absolutely packed. Every man and their dog is probably there. The new owner has put lights up on all the eaves and painted the whole thing. It looks like there’s a new sign, too. I speed up sightly, curious to see what else has changed.
As I get closer, the noise gets louder. It sounds like live music and the whole town talking and shouting and singing. There’s a huge banner over the front door: Grand Re-Opening.
Very grand, I think with a grin. I don’t think the Lex could be described as ‘Grand’ even if the Queen of England decided to buy it.
“Well, if it isn’t Jessica Lee,” comes a voice to the left and a chill goes down my spine. It’s the voice that bullied me all throughout high school for being a nerd, or a tomboy, or whatever it was that made me not fit in here. Miss Popularity.
“Mary Hanson,” I reply. “I heard you’re getting married. Congratulations.
” My voice sounds flat even to my ears.
“Thank you,” she says, extending her hand and wiggling her fingers towards me. The huge rock on her finger glimmers in the light and I nod.
“Nice ring.”
“Oh, thank you,” she replies, pulling her hand back towards her and admiring the ring on her perfectly manicured hand. “He did well.”
“Mm,” I say, glancing around for a way to extract myself from the conversation. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“He’s a gem,” she replies as she flicks her long blonde hair over her shoulder and giggles. “No pun intended.”
Either that or he’s gotten a lobotomy and doesn’t realise what he’s getting himself into.
“How about you?” She asks innocently. “Any wedding bells or are you still all alone?”
I bristle. “Living the single life in the big city,” I reply. “Tinder’s number 1 user.”
Mary purses her lips and nods. “Well you haven’t changed a bit.”
I say nothing, trying to ignore the thinly veiled insult. I paint a smile on my face as the anger starts to swell in my chest. She flicks her hair behind her shoulder and smirks.
“How long are you in town for?” She finally asks to break the silence. She doesn’t try to conceal the look of disdain as her eyes scan me from head to toe. A small part of me wishes I was wearing something nicer than jeans, a tank top and a plain jacket and I hate myself for thinking it.
“Ten days,” I reply. “Visiting Gram for Easter.”
“Well you have to come by for dinner one night. I have so much to tell you.”
“I’m sure you do. Sounds good, I’ll see you then!” I turn towards the hotel entrance and slip inside before she can make any real plans with me. Dinner with Mary Hanson and the poor soul who’s marrying her sounds like my idea of Hell.
The noise inside the hotel is loud. There’s a band on stage and people dancing like maniacs. The bar is packed with familiar faces and the whole place is decorated in balloons, garlands, and little lights on all the rafters.
My eyes scan the room and a smile starts forming on my lips. I shake my shoulders and try to forget about Mary Hanson.
She disappears from my head completely when someone steps beside me. I smell his cologne before anything else. It smells almost spicy, but with a surprising freshness. Like a magnet pulling my head, I turn to see the most incredible looking man I’ve ever seen in my life. I think he stepped out of GQ Magazine and into the Lexington Hotel by accident. My body tenses immediately and I can’t see anything but him.