shrugged. “Perfect. I’m more than happy to have you all to myself.”
2
“Pregnant?” Jake echoed. He ran a hand through his close-cropped, coffee-colored hair. His brown eyes were huge and he stared at her blank-faced. “Pregnant.” This time he said it as though trying to figure out what, exactly, the word meant.
She nodded. When he had first arrived, she had been visibly upset. He’d pulled her into his arms and asked her what was wrong. For a moment, she hadn’t wanted to tell him. She had just wanted to stay where she was, feeling safe and secure.
It had taken her a few minutes to steel herself. To get the words out. She’d slipped out of his arms and had started pacing her parents’ living room. He’d coaxed her into calming down by telling her whatever it was…it would be okay. He’d told her she just needed to talk to him. He’d told her that whatever had her so upset, they’d get through it.
So she’d told him and he’d stood there, silent, for an unbearably long time. Then he’d echoed her word back to her.
“Wow. I was…not expecting that,” he admitted. He blew out a breath but other than that, didn’t move. He seemed frozen.
In shock ? Quinn wondered. Very likely . This is what I get for not telling him I was late. I hadn’t wanted to worry him just in case it was a false alarm. I wish I would’ve warned him … I really can’t be upset with him for not knowing what to say. Not when I’ve just thrown it at him like this.
She cut off her mental rambling to say, “Jake? Are you okay?”
He shook his head just a bit. His mouth opened but no words came out.
Her parents had taken Carly out to dinner. Or rather, Carly had insisted upon being taken to dinner. Their parents had of course insisted that Quinn come along. Until Carly jumped in and said that she’d appreciate some alone time with them.
She had pulled their mom aside and pointed out that the three of them saw each other frequently. She told Margo that she’d really just like to have her parents to herself for the evening since she’d had Quinn to herself all day. Margo had beamed at her, agreeing that sounded like a logical plan . So she had readily agreed but insisted that they plan a family dinner the following night.
Carly had agreed that yes, there would indeed be family time of some sort the following night. Then she had ushered them out of the house, giving Quinn time alone with Jake.
Unfortunately, he’d gotten tied up on the jobsite . He’d texted her to let her know he’d be late. She’d waited anxiously for over an hour before he finally arrived. And now he was staring at her as though she were speaking a language unknown to him.
“I’m…just…huh…” he stammered. Then repeated, “I really wasn’t expecting this.”
“I wasn’t expecting it, either,” she pointed out to him.
She had stopped pacing and now they were both just standing in her parents’ living room. She realized she had her arms tightly folded across her abdomen. She’d expected him to pull her into his arms again. He hadn’t. He just stood there, staring at her. But she felt like he wasn’t actually seeing her. He seemed like his thoughts were somewhere else entirely. She’d never felt so alone or vulnerable in her life. For a crazy minute she wished that Carly was there with them. She’d probably know exactly what to say to snap Jake out of this…whatever it was.
H e started backing away from her and her heart and stomach twisted painfully. “There’s something I’ve got to do,” he said. He was walking backward toward the door.
She followed him despite the fact that her knees suddenly felt wobbly. “Jake..?”
He ’s not leaving, is he ? She frantically wondered. She’d just told him they were going to have a baby
2
“Pregnant?” Jake echoed. He ran a hand through his close-cropped, coffee-colored hair. His brown eyes were huge and he stared at her blank-faced. “Pregnant.” This time he said it as though trying to figure out what, exactly, the word meant.
She nodded. When he had first arrived, she had been visibly upset. He’d pulled her into his arms and asked her what was wrong. For a moment, she hadn’t wanted to tell him. She had just wanted to stay where she was, feeling safe and secure.
It had taken her a few minutes to steel herself. To get the words out. She’d slipped out of his arms and had started pacing her parents’ living room. He’d coaxed her into calming down by telling her whatever it was…it would be okay. He’d told her she just needed to talk to him. He’d told her that whatever had her so upset, they’d get through it.
So she’d told him and he’d stood there, silent, for an unbearably long time. Then he’d echoed her word back to her.
“Wow. I was…not expecting that,” he admitted. He blew out a breath but other than that, didn’t move. He seemed frozen.
In shock ? Quinn wondered. Very likely . This is what I get for not telling him I was late. I hadn’t wanted to worry him just in case it was a false alarm. I wish I would’ve warned him … I really can’t be upset with him for not knowing what to say. Not when I’ve just thrown it at him like this.
She cut off her mental rambling to say, “Jake? Are you okay?”
He shook his head just a bit. His mouth opened but no words came out.
Her parents had taken Carly out to dinner. Or rather, Carly had insisted upon being taken to dinner. Their parents had of course insisted that Quinn come along. Until Carly jumped in and said that she’d appreciate some alone time with them.
She had pulled their mom aside and pointed out that the three of them saw each other frequently. She told Margo that she’d really just like to have her parents to herself for the evening since she’d had Quinn to herself all day. Margo had beamed at her, agreeing that sounded like a logical plan . So she had readily agreed but insisted that they plan a family dinner the following night.
Carly had agreed that yes, there would indeed be family time of some sort the following night. Then she had ushered them out of the house, giving Quinn time alone with Jake.
Unfortunately, he’d gotten tied up on the jobsite . He’d texted her to let her know he’d be late. She’d waited anxiously for over an hour before he finally arrived. And now he was staring at her as though she were speaking a language unknown to him.
“I’m…just…huh…” he stammered. Then repeated, “I really wasn’t expecting this.”
“I wasn’t expecting it, either,” she pointed out to him.
She had stopped pacing and now they were both just standing in her parents’ living room. She realized she had her arms tightly folded across her abdomen. She’d expected him to pull her into his arms again. He hadn’t. He just stood there, staring at her. But she felt like he wasn’t actually seeing her. He seemed like his thoughts were somewhere else entirely. She’d never felt so alone or vulnerable in her life. For a crazy minute she wished that Carly was there with them. She’d probably know exactly what to say to snap Jake out of this…whatever it was.
H e started backing away from her and her heart and stomach twisted painfully. “There’s something I’ve got to do,” he said. He was walking backward toward the door.
She followed him despite the fact that her knees suddenly felt wobbly. “Jake..?”
He ’s not leaving, is he ? She frantically wondered. She’d just told him they were going to have a baby
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