Page 19 of My Fiancé's Brother 2

Apparently, I still didn’t have the bead on how this family functioned.

“Okay.”

“Come on over mom. We’d love to have you.”

Irene tooka cab over and gave me a warm kiss on both cheeks. She carried a bottle of wine for her and Matt.

“How are you feeling?” her tone sounded warm. My body felt tense from anticipating the worst.

“Uh, okay.”

“Oh,” she touched her chest. “When I was pregnant with Matt, Iwas sicker than a dog for the first six months. Couldn’t keep anything down. The only thing I could manage was rhubarb.”

This was not how I had envisioned this conversation going.

“Oh, wow.”

“My mother came up with at least a dozen different recipes. Rhubarb soup. Rhubarb juice. Rhubarb pie.” She bestowed another warm smile on me.

“Do you still like rhubarb?”

She peeled with laughter. “That's hilarious. Yes. I do. I still love rhubarb.”

Matt set the table for three and then ushered us to sit down. They acted so normally that it felt surreal. Hadn’t they read the memo that I had left Matt at the alter because I had gotten pregnant with Jackson.

Irene talked at length about her garden. She was looking forward to going to Turks and Caicos with her friend, and she was thinking of getting a dog when she got back.

We finished eating, and suddenly the conversation turned.

Irene carefully set down her wine glass and looked at me. “So, Emily. Have you given any thought to your next steps?”

The question caught me off guard. “I haven’t come up with a definitive plan.”

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully while she looked at me. “Raising a child alone is a big responsibility.”

“Yes.”

“Mom, we agreed to give her some time.”

I glanced at the two of them. “Give me time?”

Matt gave me a benevolent smile. “I meant what I said yesterday. About still wanting to marry you.”

“Oh. I wasn’t sure.”

Irene leaned forward. “I imagine that Jackson has been very honorable in offering to marry you and make an honest woman out of you.”

I swallowed but refused to answer.

“I know that Jackson has the best of intentions, but I worry about you marrying someone like him. You two are very different. And just with his dangerous job and being gone for so many months of the year.”

I felt disloyal discussing Jackson while he wasn’t here. “We haven’t made any decisions about our future yet.”

“Yes,” she smiled. “I’m sure you'll make the right decision.”

“Thank you.”

She looked at Matt. “Jackson was always so popular with the girls. In high school do you remember how many girls would phone or just randomly show up at our house?”

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