Page 101 of A Heart Worth Finding
“Sounds like it’s going well,” Kenzie said, and she and Jessica snickered.
The four of them pushed inside, and Jessica’s gaze immediately fell to her sister. Berkley was propped up in her hospital bed, a sheet pulled high around her waist, her gown pulled up to reveal her swollen belly. A nurse stood at her bedside, pressing on Berkley’s stomach, presumably to encourage the baby to flip around.
It didn’t seem to be going well.
“That’s clearly not fucking helping!” Berkley said through gritted teeth.
For his part, Brent stood at Berkley’s other side, the picture of calm as his wife clearly attempted to crush every bone in his right hand.
“Cut her some slack, Berk,” Brent said softly. “She’s just trying to help.”
“I don’t need her help. Just cut him out of me and be done with it.”
“You don’t mean that,” Brent said.
“I do. Just put me out of my misery.”
Jessica’s mom walked further into the room until Berkley’s eyes landed on their little group.
“Jess,” her sister said, tears forming instantly in her blue eyes.
Jessica rushed to her sister, careful of the belly as she pulled her sister in for a hug.
“You guys didn’t have to come!” Berkley cried as she hauled Kenzie in on the other side, Brent stepping out of the way for his sister.
“We wanted to be here,” Jessica said. “Jack and Aiden are here, too.”
“Jack?” Berkley said, perking up. The nurse had ended her torture of Berkley’s abdomen and left the room, leaving space open for both her mom and Sandra to approach the bed.
The Daniels and Jean women. What a crew they made.
“Yes, Jack,” Jessica said, then looked around, shocked not to find him in the room with them. Then again, she and Kenzie had left him and Aiden in the dust on their way up here.
Kenzie’s eyes widened at the same time Jessica’s did. “Fuck,” Kenzie said. “You left him out there with your dad and Logan?”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly!” Jessica protested, then moved around her mom, shouting, “I’ll be back!” at them over her shoulder.
When she reached the little waiting room, Jack was indeed surrounded by not only her dad and Logan, but also Ron and Nate as well. With a wince, Jessica approached their group, forcing her way to Jack’s side and sliding her hand into his.
“Hi Dad!” she said brightly. “Hi Ron, hi Nate.”
Then men parroted greetings, then Logan said, “We were just getting to know your boyfriend here.”
“Yeah, sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I was so excited to see Berk that I forgot to introduce him to everyone. Jack, this is my brother, Logan, Kenzie’s dad, Ron, and her other brother, Nate.” She pointed at each of them in turn, and they responded by nodding their heads in Jack’s direction.
Had Jessica mentioned before how much she loved this blended family of theirs? Because right now, she’d like to withdraw that statement.
Glaring at each of the men in turn, including Aiden, who had done nothing to come to his friend’s aide, she turned to Jack. “Do you want to come meet my sister? And I’m sure my mom would love to say hi.”
“Tell Kenzie to come get her boy,” Nate said.
Aiden, theboyin question, slung his arm around Nate’s shoulders. “This is a good time for us to bond, bro,” he said with a cheeky grin.
Nate shrugged his arm off and growled, “Don’t call mebro.”
Aiden’s grin only grew. “How about…bro-in-law?”
Jessica pulled Jack away before Aiden and Nate started arguing and Jack was forced to back up his friend.
