Page 31 of An Inconvenient Plan
Claire’s husky voice came through loud and clear. “Whadda ya need?”
Jake winked at Josh. “I need your pretty ass down here, pronto.”
“Bite me.”
Jake leaned close to the intercom. “Josh is here.”
Claire’s loud sigh echoed. “Why didn’t you say so? Be right down to see your better half.”
“You’re my better half,” Jake cooed.
Claire made a kissy noise, and Jake smiled like an idiot.Somebody slap me if I ever look like that over a woman.
Josh stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “When’re you going to tell Dad?”
“He and Brandy are coming for dinner tonight, so I’ll tell him then. After that, I’ll tell everyone else.”
“I’m honored you told me first.”
“Of course. I’m surprised you couldn’t twin sense it. I could barely keep the secret this long.”
He forced a smile. “Guess we were overdue for a twin refuel.” That had been an elaborate high-five, low-five routine with a revving engine of twin fuel they’d done when they were kids.
“Yeah, ha!”
“Who did Claire tell?”Does Hailey know?Dammit. Why did everything circle back to her?
“Claire told her parents weeks ago, who told her brother. Tomorrow night, her friends are meeting here for their book club meeting, and she’ll tell them the big news then. Everyone else is on a need-to-know basis. She doesn’t want paparazzi showing up to get pictures of her pregnant.”
“Understandable.”
Jake broke into a wide smile, looking over Josh’s shoulder. “There’s my beautiful pregnant wife.”
“My gorgeous husband and his equally gorgeous twin,” Claire returned with her throaty husky laugh.
“Hey,” Jake protested. “I’m the prize stallion here.”
Josh smiled and crossed to Claire. “Congratulations!” His gaze dropped to her stomach, still flat under a black silk short-sleeve shirt. He met her hazel eyes, her blond shoulder-length hair up in a twist. Even dressed casually, Claire’s beauty and presence were mesmerizing. No wonder the cameras loved her.
“Thank you!” Claire hugged him. She pulled back suddenly, her eyes direct. “What’s wrong?”
Josh went for a neutral expression. “Nothing.”
Claire was having none of it. “You’re so tense it’s making me tense. And I know this face. Jake has the same expression when something goes south and he doesn’t know how to fix it.” Damn, the woman was intuitive. “Are you having difficulties with Garner’s? Something holding you up with the construction? Trouble getting permits or something?”
Claire was all up in his business because she loved him, loved all of their family, which was the only reason he wasn’t irritated that she was harping on his perfectly acceptable need to pretend everything was A-OK during this shitty time. Besides, he didn’t want to rain on their happy baby parade.
“Garner’s is fine,” he assured her.
She narrowed her eyes.
“And so am I,” he added.
Jake and Claire exchanged a meaningful look before turning back to him.
He shrugged one shoulder. “I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Insomnia?” Jake asked sympathetically. He knew that was usually related to some lingering PTSD.
