And they all laughed like what Belle said was hysterically funny.
Which it was not.
“I’m not being funny!” she snapped.
Gram came forward and pulled Belle loosely into her arms.
Putting her cheek against her granddaughter’s, she said softly in Belle’s ear, “I think you’re underestimating your influence over Jack.” She pulled away and looked in Belle’s eyes and when Belle opened her mouth to speak, hurried on, “We’ll see who’s right, hmm, my sweet?” Belle closed her mouth and stared stubbornly at her grandmother when Lila repeated firmly, “Have a word.”
Belle stepped out of Lila’s arms and crossed her own over her baby bump.
Then on a sigh, she gave in, “All right, I’ll have a word.”
“Just,” Rachel added, getting close and putting her hand on Belle’s upper arm, “give me a chance to ask about the car first.”
“Mom!” Belle cried.
“No. Seriously. I don’t want him in a foul mood when I ask him. He might say no,” Rachel said.
Belle decided to let it go.
She was, as she reminded herself hourly, pregnant, hormonal, living in a haunted castle (now with three ghosts) and falling in love with Jack Bennett.
She had to pick her battles and while doing so guard her reserves.
And she needed her reserves in order to have her “word” with Jack.
“I’m going to take a nap before dinner,” she announced, deciding that would do wonders for her reserves.
“Good idea, honeypot. I’ll wake you in an hour, okay?”
Belle nodded.
Then she left.
And she only felt better when she found the dogs, guided them to her and Jack’s room and lay down on their bed.
And she only felt better because Baron and Gretl were with her and she was in a room that was now her and Jack’s and lying on a bed that could be described using the word “their”.
But she couldn’t help but wonder about the possible third ghost, who “he” might be and what Jack was going to think when she had her “word”.
* * * * *
Belle woke before Rachel came to her room.
She lay in the bed still a bit sleepy but feeling rested.
Her hand went to her belly and she felt the hardness there.
“Well, sweets,” she whispered to her belly, “I promised life would eventually go back to normal and boring but your Daddy knew better, didn’t he?”
She splayed her fingers wider on her belly and smiled at the thought of Jack as “Daddy”.
Her mobile, sitting on the nightstand, sounded.
She picked it up and it said, “Jack Calling”.
There it was again.