Page 103 of A Heart Worth Finding
“Dying,” Berkley said dramatically.
“You are not. Don't say shit like that.” Jessica didn’t miss the way her brother-in-law’s face had gone white as a sheet. He turned to the newcomers. “The baby is breech, so they’re trying to get him to flip. If he doesn’t, she’ll have to have a c-section.”
“And a c-section is the last thing we want,” Lexie said.
Another contraction overtook Berkley, and as she reached out for someone’s hand, Brent said, “You’re up, Mitch. You don’t need that hand to play anymore.”
“No, but he needs it for other things,” Lexie said with a smirk, instantly diffusing the tension in the room.
“Alexandra!” Jessica’s mom scolded, and for the first time since she walked in, Lexie spun in a circle, taking in the crowd gathered around Berkley.
“Sorry, Michelle.” Though Lexie’s grin said she wasn’t sorry at all. Over her shoulder, she added to Berkley, “Only you would have four thousand people at the hospital when you give birth.”
“We have big families,” Berkley said through clenched teeth, as if that explained everything.
Lexie waved her away, then worked her way around the room, giving everyone one of those signature Lexie smiles, the kind that said she could eat any one of them alive if she wanted, but chose not to.
“Jess!” Lexie said when she laid eyes on Jessica, and stepped toward her to pull her into a hug. “I haven’t seen you in ages! How’s school going? Still planning on doing that whole overseas teaching thing?”
Jessica smiled, her cheeks blushing, flattered that Lexie had remembered. Then again, with no siblings of her own, and as Berkley’s best friend, Lexie had taken it upon herself to adopt all of the Daniels and Jean siblings—except Nate, because that would be weird—as her own.
“Yep,” she said, and almost continued by telling Lexie she’d just gotten a job offer today, but held her tongue. She hadn’t told Jack yet, and now was not the time.
As if noticing Jack for the first time, though it was hard to miss him, Lexie looked him up and down. “And who is this?”
“Jack DeLuca,” Jack said, thrusting his hand out to Lexie.
With a quirked brow at Jessica, Lexie shook his hand and said, “He belongs to you, I take it?”
“Babe, why are you always scaring the young men?” Mitch asked, walking over to them and sliding a hand around Lexie’s waist.
“Because it’s so fun.” She studied Jack for a beat longer, and Jessica choked on a laugh when he laced their fingers together and she discovered that his were shaking. “How is it that these kids keep getting better looking?” Lexie asked. “I mean, first you’ve got Kenzie with…that”—she waved a hand at Aiden, who had appeared a moment ago—“and now the littlest Daniels shows up with this guy?” She looked up at Mitch. “Did you look like this at his age?”
“I looked like I do now,” Mitch said. “But with fewer wrinkles and grey hair because I wasn’t dating you.”
“You love me,” she said with a smirk.
Mitch gave her a soft smile and said, “I do.”
Before they kissed, she and Jack turned away, sharing a small smile of their own.
That’s where I want us to be in ten years, she thought.I want us to be that happy.
NOW: March 24, 2024
“Jess.”
Jessica hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until someone gently shook her awake and whispered her name. She blinked her eyes open to find Brent standing over her. Across the room, Kenzie and Aiden were rousing from the small loveseat, and Jack was doing the same in the chair next to hers.
“What time is it?” she asked, sitting up and stretching out her aching neck.
“After midnight,” he said. “The doctor was just in. He said we’re in a holding pattern right now, and it’s unlikely anything will happen before morning.” He dangled his keys in front of her face. “Why don’t you guys go get some sleep at the house?”
“Are you sure?” Jessica asked. “What about the parents?”
“Jay and Michelle went home with my parents,” he said. “But you four”—he jerked his head at Jack, Kenzie, and Aiden—“can crash at our place and come back in the morning.”
“Okay,” Jessica said, grabbing the keys from him and rising to her feet.
