Page 90 of The Duke's Virgin

I was thinkingabout hitting a play this weekend. Why don’t you give me a call?

People who never spoke to me now suddenly reached out, and it was all orchestrated by my parents—specifically, my mother. I knew it as surely as I knew my own name.

The sound of a booted foot hitting wood had me looking up.

“What are my two best girls doing hiding out here?”

I rolled my eyes as Emmett came over and sat by me. He snatched a square of cheddar from the tray.

“You came out here because you smelled food,” I told him.

“Well, there’s that, but I could have eaten the plate Mom left inside on the counter.” He slung a friendly arm around my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “I preferred to come out and enjoy your company.”

“You preferred to come out and steal our food. I think you think it tastes better that way.” I poked him in his hard, lean abdomen.

He yelped, curling in protectively. As he gave me a baleful look, Ellen chuckled. “She’s already got your number, Emmett, doesn’t she?”

“Mean woman.” He sighed and took an apple slice. “Mom talk to you about the plans I’ve got for her backyard?”

“For heaven’s sake.” Ellen rolled her eyes and stood up. “I don’t want to listen to this crazy talk again, young man.”

She was still shaking her head as she walked off.

Emmett frowned, watching her go.

“I don’t think she wants some mini waterpark, sweetie,” I told him, leaning over to bump his shoulder with mine. “Why don’t you watch one of those backyard renovation shows, see if you can’t find something more her speed? She’s more interested in a nice pool, a jacuzzi.”

“I just want them to have something nice.” He scowled, sulking a little.

“I understand. But it seems kind of impractical.” Hitching up a shoulder in a shrug, I looked around. “Just…scale down a little. You could do something with the area under the second level deck. Maybe an outdoor kitchen. Your dad loves to grill, right? A seating area with a firepit that led up to a jacuzzi, then the pool…something like that. It would be nice, yes, but more their speed.”

He considered it and started to nod slowly. “Maybe.”

“I think you wanted the water park option for you.”

“That’s playing dirty.”

“The truth hurts,” I said with a laugh.

We lapsed into silence, munching on the food from the plate in front of us, enjoying the light breeze that kicked up over the small lake.

I lost track of how long we sat there, the peace lulling me into complacency.

“How are you doing, Stacia?” Emmett asked softly.

“I’m fine.” Keeping my gaze on the lake, I added, “You probably noticed I’m sleeping all the time, but the OB/GYN your mom recommended tells me that’s not unusual. At least I’m not losing my cookies every night now. Especially considering I’m talking literal cookies…your mom makes some of the best white chocolate macadamia nut ones I’ve ever had.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” He stroked a hand down my back and gave my braid a tug.

Slumping back against the seat, I closed my eyes. Tears wanted to come, and I decided to blame it on the hormones. It wasn’t just thehurtthat made me weepy all the time, either. I wasangry. But I hadn’t ever been one to angry-cry. Or even one to weepy-cry. Irarelycried.

Before this, I’d rarely cried. But in the past month? I’d turned into a leaky faucet, and I couldn’t seem to find the right valve to shut off the waterworks.

“You can talk to me, you know.”

I gave him a sideways look. “I have talked to you.”

Emmett knew about the baby, about Luka. I hadn’t told him everything. I didn’t want to cause problems with their friendship or make Emmett feel like he had to pick sides.

---