Lucky Stars(82)

Belle wished silently for the floor to open up and swallow her just as Jack spoke.

“I think the point, right now, Lila, is that you’re embarrassing your granddaughter and I’ll ask you to stop doing it.”

Belle’s head snapped up and her neck twisted so fast it made her dizzy.

The air in the room took on an edge.

“Jack…” Belle whispered.

His eyes moved to hers and he said gently, “I’m speaking to Lila now, poppet.”

“You shouldn’t rile her,” Belle advised.

He turned his torso toward her and asked, “Are you enjoying this conversation?”

She hesitated before responding honestly, “Not really, no.”

He turned back to the table, his gaze moving in the direction of her grandmother and stated firmly, “Then this conversation is over.”

Belle chanced a glance at the table and saw Gram looked fit to be tied but Mom was grinning ear to ear.

“Told you!” Mom announced, pointing at Gram then her finger moved to Belle. “Told you too.”

“Told them what?” Joy asked and Belle saw her mother’s body give a small twitch as her face lost a goodly amount of colour.

She dropped her hand and muttered, “Nothing.”

Everyone at the table was silent for several long moments.

The only one who moved was Jack and this was so he could pour Belle some coffee.

Belle plucked up the courage to break the silence and said in a quiet voice to Jack, “I don’t drink coffee because of the baby.”

He stopped himself from filling his own cup and replied, “Of course.”

He put down the silver service and took her cup from her place, lifted it to his lips and took a sip.

Belle watched Jack sip from a cup she didn’t even use but was somehow still hers and felt, weirdly, the intimacy of this act almost equalled him putting his hand on her pregnant belly for the first time.

The pleasant feeling this gave her was so overpowering it scared her half to death.

She tore her eyes from Jack drinking coffee and caught Yasmin openly staring at her with a huge grin on her face.

Then Yasmin declared, “I’m coming to breakfast every day. This is fun!”

Belle didn’t think it was fun. Belle thought it was torture.

She didn’t share this.

Instead, she caught Joy gazing at her with a bright but pensive look in her eyes.

“I must say,” Joy added, not moving her gaze from Belle. “I agree. I’m glad you’re all here. It definitely livens up the place.”

Belle knew Joy liked her Mom and Gram, like, a lot.

Belle also knew she wasn’t really referring to them.

She felt a warm rush slide through her system and she smiled at Jack’s Mum.