The Girl Next Door - Emma Hart Page 0,10

Grams. “I missed my pill because you were constipated but insisted you were dying.”

She balked at the suggestion, pressing her perfectly manicured yet wrinkled hand to her red, silk shirt. “Excuse me? Are you really blaming me for this?”

“Yes,” Mom and I answered at the same time. “I am,” I continued. “It’s not my fault you couldn’t tell the difference between appendicitis and constipation. Which, I know from experience, are very different pains.”

Grams sniffed, clearly offended that I had the gall to blame her for my current situation. “I’m not talking to you until you’re married.”

“Good. I’ll postpone my wedding indefinitely, then,” I drawled.

You know.

The wedding that wasn’t planned.

Or happening.

Not even close to happening.

Shouldn’t be too hard…

“Oh, no, you’re not.” She got up, glaring at me. “You’re getting married before you have that baby. No grandchild of mine will be a bastard, do you hear me, Ivy Rose Stuart? No bastards in this family!”

I couldn’t not hear her.

The dead bodies six feet under in the cemetery across town could hear her.

She shuffled off out of the living room, leaving me with my parents. Both of whom were eyeing me speculatively, as if they didn’t quite know what to bring up first.

The pregnancy, or the fake engagement I’d somehow talked myself into.

“Well? When is Kai going to grow a pair and talk to us?” Dad finally asked.

“Actually, he offered to come with me right now, but he has to work so I said no,” I replied, setting that record straight. “He and his sister will be in the bar tonight for dinner when I’m working.”

“So we’ll see him tonight?” Mom raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, but please be nice to him. We only found out yesterday and it was a shock for us both. Don’t…go all Hulk on him.”

Dad’s eyes sparkled. “What makes you think I’d do that?”

I pursed my lips. “Dad.”

Mom swatted at him. “Simon, you know full well what she means. Remember Cory Jenkins? In high school? You almost approached the poor boy with a damn gun when he came to take her out.”

I sighed. “He never did ask me out again. Not that it was a bad thing. He was a terrible date.”

Mom snorted and patted my hand. “Sweetheart, we’ll wait until you bring Kai over to us. You can take a break when he comes in, okay?”

“Hold on, Jasmine, she’s not having breaks every ten minutes just because she’s pregnant. My grandmother—”

“Helped a cow give birth to a calf while in labor herself with Great Aunt Trudy,” I finished for my dad. “Yes, yes, we all know about the miracle that is Great Grandma Elizabeth.”

“Not to mention I never suggested she had a break every ten minutes, neither did she,” Mom said with a stern look in his direction. “But it’s very early days and she will tire easily. If she needs five minutes to sit down, she’ll get it, just like Wendy did when she was pregnant last year.”

Dad looked between the two of us, and I shrugged. I think I’d caused enough drama in my family today, so when he sighed and mumbled something about hoping the baby was a boy so some testosterone would be reintroduced to the family, it was a relief to laugh.

All things considered, that could have gone so much worse than it did.

“Are you coming to the bar with us?” Mom asked, standing up. “You don’t have to work, but your shift is soon, and you’re dressed for work.”

“I figured this would take longer to get Grams to disappear than it did, so I came prepared.” I grabbed my purse. “Is Hugo in the kitchen yet? I’m hungry.”

“He’s there,” Dad said. “What do you want? I’ll call him and see if he can start something for you.”

“Ooh. Um…” It was hard to choose when I didn’t know what would make me feel sick at the drop of a hat. “Maybe just a burger and fries.”

“All right.” He pulled me into his side and kissed the top of my head when I stood up. “Go wait in the car. We’ll drive you. You can eat, then take a nap in my office before your shift.”

I smiled weakly. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. I remember how much your mother slept when she was pregnant with you. And my God, she snored like a freight train falling off a cliff.”

“I heard that!” Mom called, appearing in the doorway while she fixed her earring. “If you aren’t careful, Simon, I’ll put you on a freight train like