Page 17 of Accidentally Falling
ARDEN: Can I let you know how I’m feeling after I talk to her?
JUDE: Sure
JUDE: Do you want me to go with you?
ARDEN: Where?
JUDE: To tell your sister
I blink.
And then blink again.
Despite the fact that the announcement does, in fact, include him, I can’t ask him to do that although a part of me wants to cry at the sweetness of it.
ARDEN: I appreciate it but not this time. We can figure out another time for you to meet her.
JUDE: I do know Ellison and Montana
ARDEN: Yes, but do you know them like you see them when they come into the bar or do you know them as the guy that knocked up their sister/sister-in-law
JUDE: Let me know how it goes today
ARDEN: You got it
Leaningmy head back against the seat, I try to stave off the panic, as things likewhy does he have to be so sweetandI can do thisrace through my mind.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound against the glass has me jumping and turning toward the window, my heart in my throat for an entirely new reason.
How long have I been sitting here?
Swallowing hard, I look around the parking lot of the Kettle and Kiln and realize the cars I saw when I pulled in are no longer here.
Shoot.
Tanner Holiday stands at my window, his handsome face pulling into a frown, as he stares at me. “Are you all right?”
The words are muffled through the glass, and before I can think about it, I push out of the car and join him on the sidewalk.
“No,” I admit as his eyebrows join his sandy-blond hairline. The Air Force veteran is usually unflappable, today being the exception.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Can I practice on you?” I blurt out and he blushes, pink coloring his cheeks as he shifts from foot to foot.
“Um? Sure?” Tanner says, not at all sure but it’s fine.
This is completely fine.
He was there when I threw up so this shouldn’t be a surprise.
“I’m pregnant.”
Tanner visibly relaxes and I wonder what he thought I meant when I asked topracticeon him.
“Yes, congratulations,” he says with a soft smile. “How are you feeling?”
