Turn My World Upside Down: Jo's Story Read Free Page B

was still out of hearing. “But she’s like five months into it now. Shouldn’t the hurling be over?”
    “What am I?” Mike asked with a shrug. “The baby expert? Sam’s the one who’s done this before.”
    “Man,” Jo said, grabbing her coffee and leaning back into the dark green sofa opposite the one Mikelay stretched out on like the Queen of Sheba. “Can’t see why anyone would want to do it more than once.”
    “I can,” Mike said, rubbing her belly. “It’s great. Well, except for the whole ‘lie down and shut up’ thing.” She paused for a minute, then, delighting in a fresh audience, she launched into a whine about feeling like a prisoner.
    While her sister complained, Jo tuned her out and glanced around the living room of the Gallagher house. It was a great place, she had to admit. Shining tile floor, arched windows and doorways, and a kivashaped fireplace on one wall.
    Less than a year ago, Lucas Gallagher had moved to Chandler to build this house exactly where Mike had planned to build her own dream house. Mike, being Mike, had driven the poor guy nuts, hanging around, changing things, reworking his plans to fit her vision. And instead of strangling her, which Jo had been half expecting, Lucas had fallen for the youngest Marconi.
    Apparently, true love could bloom in even the rockiest ground.
    Though she had to hand it to Mike. The woman had great taste. The house was beautiful, and because a Marconi had been involved in the building of it, Jo knew the place was built to last.
    She and her sisters had been working in the family construction business since they were old enough to swing a hammer and hit the target. Their father had trained them, taught them, and together, they’d built Marconi construction into one of the top outfits in Northern California.
    “So how’s Cash working out?” Mike asked.
    Speak of the rocky ground.
    “Fine,” Jo snapped, studying the lid of her coffee cup as if trying to figure out how it was made. That’s what she got for having warm fuzzy thoughts about her sisters.
    “Oooh,” Mike said, gleeful. “Nerve touched and I wasn’t even trying.”
    Jo glared at her.
    Mike ignored her.
    “Thinking about giving Cash a whirl?”
    Her insides lit up, but she dismissed that as just hormonal. After all, the man was really built. And really sure of himself. “Please. Cash Hunter is a cautionary tale to women everywhere.”
    “Are we talking about Cash again?” Sam asked as she came back into the room, looking a little paler than before, if that were possible.
    “Not me,” Jo said, pointing at Mike. “Her.”
    “Hey, I’m not the one who goes all defensive the minute the man’s name comes up.”
    “Who’s defensive?” Jo winced at the screech in her own voice.
    “Right. Nothing to worry about there,” Sam said, and filled with regret, reached for her cup of tea. Coffee just wouldn’t stay down.
    “Does pregnancy short out brains?” Jo wondered, glancing from one sister to another. “I’m
so
not interested in Cash.” She shifted on the couch. “Hell, I don’t even want him around. But with the two of you letting me down—”
    “Pardon the hell out of us for getting pregnant,” Mike said.
    “You know, there are other carpenters in town,” Sam pointed out, grimly taking a swallow of her tea.
    “Yeah, but most of them are lined up to work at Grace’s place this year.”
    “Thank God that’s not our problem,” Mike said solemnly.
    “Amen,” Jo said.
    Every year, Grace Van Horn ran the construction crews in and around Chandler nuts. She had more money than sense and the decision-making abilities of a three-year-old. And every summer, the construction companies took turns being at her disposal. The Marconis had been up to bat the summer before, which meant they were in the clear this year. And with most of the crews working for Grace, Marconi Construction would be picking up all the other available jobs.
    Great for business.
    If she only had