Just One Night (The Kingston Family #1) - Carly Phillips Page 0,67

about your friendship. I couldn’t let her get hurt by … well, to be frank, people like your father and the country club crowd.”

Jordan had had a crush on him in high school? That was news to him, but he couldn’t deny the jolt of pleasure that hit him as he found out.

“I understand your feelings about my father,” he said. “But nobody else in my family has ever or will ever hurt Jordan.”

Tamara narrowed her gaze. “Except you.”

He winced because the truth stung. “I’m here to fix things.”

She settled her hands on her hips. “It had better be the right way, because no grandbaby of mine is going to be born without his parents being married. Not when they love each other like you and Jordan do.”

Shocked by her words, he cocked his head to the side. “How do you know how we feel?” Oh, Linc knew he loved Jordan. He’d had the entire ride here to put his feelings into words as he figured out what he would say to her, and love was at the center of his argument.

“Best friends, my ass,” Tamara muttered.

He bit back a laugh. He’d always liked her bluntness.

“Nobody spends the amount of time together you two do without having real feelings,” she went on. “Now I admit I’m still worried, but given the situation, I’ve decided to trust you. Now good luck getting my daughter to do the same.”

She stepped aside and gestured for him to come in, and he followed her into the small entryway.

“I’m going to convince her to hear you out. I suggest you figure out what you’re going to say,” Tamara said.

Linc stared at her retreating back, marveling at the woman’s honesty. She didn’t hold back and he respected that.

He made his way into the family room to his left and walked around, looking at the family photos on the mantel and the shelves while he waited for Jordan.

* * *

Jordan sat on the bed in the room she’d shared with her sister, wearing an old tee shirt of her dad’s and a pair of her mother’s sweatpants. Her hair was wild from the spray she’d used to hold the waves she’d made last night for the concert. And despite having washed her face and used a ton of makeup remover, when she’d brushed her teeth, she’d noticed she still had black streaks beneath her eyes. Lovely.

But it wasn’t like she was going anywhere. She’d decided to stay here for a couple of days. Let Linc deal with a temp as his assistant and see how he liked being without her.

She lifted her knees and wrapped her arms around them, needing the pressure against her stomach because, of course, she was nauseous again. The male got a female pregnant, but it was the woman who had to suffer with all the side effects. So unfair.

Not to mention, she’d skipped breakfast and hoped she felt better soon, because despite how crappy she was feeling, she was also weirdly hungry.

A knock sounded on her door. “Come in.”

Her mother walked into the room and stood by her bed. “How are you feeling? Any better?” she asked, concern in her tone.

Jordan shook her head. “Not yet. I did get a few crackers down though.”

“Good.” Her mother smiled. “You have company.”

Jordan’s stomach did a complete flip, and she was lucky she didn’t throw up. “What? Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. Now get up and wash your face before you go downstairs. You can’t help being pale, but there’s no reason to look like a raccoon when you face Linc.”

Jordan narrowed her gaze. “What is with this sudden pushing me toward him? All you ever wanted was to keep us apart.”

Her mother shook her head. “Wrong. I wanted to protect you.” She lowered herself onto the bed beside Jordan’s bent legs. “Now tell me something and don’t even think of lying to your mother. Do you love him?”

Shocked by the question, Jordan looked everywhere but at her mom. “Will you judge me if I say I do?” Because she’d probably loved him for years.

Though, after the way he’d reacted to her being pregnant, it killed her to admit the truth. Considering Linc knew what she’d been through with Collin when she’d been pregnant, last night he’d still thrown that same shocked, horrified attitude in her face. Her stomach spun at the painful memory.

Her mother sighed. “There’s no accounting for love, so no, I won’t judge you. As hard as I tried to prevent your pain, here