It Wasn't Me - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,65

her hand.

Jonah pulled me into the curve of his arm. “I’m going to take her to the clinic in town. When we get back, we’ll…”

“I got a couple of favors I can pull with a local towing company. We’ll have it out in the next half hour, and I’ll have it towed to the repair shop.”

I swallowed hard as my father looked at me with an intensity in his eyes that I’d never seen before.

“Take care of yourself, baby.”

I smiled then. “Jonah will.”

“Damn straight,” Jonah muttered.

***

Jonah

I was still feeling sick to my stomach when we were called back into the clinic.

“Mrs. Crew?”

I stood up so abruptly at hearing her name called, that I dropped the magazine I’d been lazily looking at in between asking Piper if she was all right.

The woman’s eyes came to me, and I saw her take in my attire.

I didn’t care.

For once, I didn’t mind that she was staring at me with a ‘come hither’ smile on her face. My focus was well and truly on the woman at my side.

“Ready?” the nurse asked.

At least, I thought she was a nurse.

She was dressed like one, anyway.

“Yes, ma’am,” Piper said as she stood and started to make her way toward the door.

On her way past me, she latched onto my hand and drug me with her.

Not that I was going to stay out here anyway. I’d have gone in there and listened whether she wanted me there or not. Mostly because I didn’t want her to do this alone, but another part of me thought for sure she’d downplay any injuries she might’ve sustained. Just like she’d downplayed just how bad the accident was.

Turns out, I shouldn’t have worried.

Also turns out, I definitely should’ve been sitting down when I’d gotten the news that I got five minutes later.

***

I was in a state of shock as I drove all of twenty miles an hour down the road that would take us to the restaurant where we were meeting our family.

And I did say our family.

After coming upon the wreck as he was heading my way to check on me since apparently, I ‘hadn’t checked in in a while,’ Downy had invited himself, his wife, his son and my sister to the already going to be full family dinner that we were meeting at.

Which led us to now, standing outside in front of the Blue Goose, staring at all the motorcycles and bikes in the parking lot.

After parking next to who I knew was Bayou, Piper’s brother-in-law, I got off and held my hand out for Piper.

She took it and squeezed.

“I won’t break.” She rolled her eyes. “You could’ve at least gone the speed limit.”

“You’re not riding on that bike again after tonight until you’ve delivered,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You’ll also not give me any shit about that.”

She rolled her eyes and then yanked me forward.

“Holy shit,” I said as I took the parking lot in. “Surely this isn’t all our family.”

Piper snorted and made her way inside, never letting go of my hand.

She hadn’t since I’d peeled myself up out of the chair that my ass had hit when we’d gotten the news.

The first thing I saw when we entered was a giant Blue Goose hanging from the ceiling.

The next thing I saw was Pru and Phoebe who were running toward us.

They skidded to a stop in front of both of us and moved their eyes from Piper to me and back. “So…what did you learn? Are you pregnant?”

I laughed then.

I couldn’t help myself.

Not because of what they said, but because of what I’d just learned about twenty minutes before.

“We’re going to announce it at the table but suffice it to say…yes.” She glanced at me nervously.

I wasn’t nervous anymore.

At least, I didn’t think that I was.

Not about the pregnancy, anyway.

What I was nervous about was the fact that we were still in the early stages, and I found myself irrationally excited about what was to come for us in the next nine months.

“Well…is being pregnant a good thing or a bad thing?” Pru asked, looking worried now. “You’re acting weird.”

I snorted.

Piper squeezed my hand.

“It’s a good thing. We’re both happy…just nervous,” she said. “Let’s go order. I’m absolutely starving.”

So, that was what everyone did. We sat down, ordered our food, said our hellos, drank a few drinks, and then Sam finally couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Out with it already, goddammit. You’re giving me angina.”

Piper squeezed her eyes shut.

She also squeezed my hand.

Did