When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,13

promise, but I heard you learned some other juicy news from Jed this morning.”

Guilt washed over his face. “Rose, Jed threatened bodily harm if I told you.”

“I know, and it’s okay. No offense, but I’m glad I heard it directly from Neely Kate.”

He laughed, leaning back on the cushion and shifting to face me. “I figured.”

We sank into the sofa and turned toward each other, a habit we’d formed over the last few months. Even before he moved in, he’d taken to spending all day Sunday at the house, as well as a few weeknights. We’d formed a kind of day-to-day intimacy I’d never shared with anyone other than Neely Kate. As I stared at his smiling face, I realized we’d formed a deep trust.

I trusted Joe with my secrets, my baby, my life…so what was stopping me from trusting him with my heart? He was no longer beholden to his father’s whims, and while I told myself that was because his father was dead, I knew the man before me would stand up for the people he loved, no matter what the cost.

Part of me ached to reach out and touch his face, sink my fingers into his thick, dark hair. To close the distance between us and kiss him. But Joe had been hurt too many times, and I didn’t want to be the next person to do it. I had to be certain, or I might ruin everything.

Still, I edged a bit closer to him, because being next to him felt like being home.

Joe was the type of man to build a life with, and while I was sure I was falling in love with him too, something held me back. I needed to find my way past it, and soon.

I smiled at him, surprised at the pure joy radiating through me. I was worried about my niece and nephew, to be sure, but it felt like I was getting the one thing I’d always wanted—a big, loving family, because if I’d learned anything over the past years, it was that family had nothing to do with blood. “I can’t believe Neely Kate and Jed are adoptin’ a baby girl.”

“I have to admit that I was caught by surprise,” he said, “but I think it’s a good thing. Especially since it’s been so hard for Neely Kate to watch you through your pregnancy. This way we can raise the babies together. Now give me details, because Jed didn’t mean to tell me anything, and he shut up tighter than a clam once he realized what he’d done.”

“Her birth mother’s due to give birth in another month.”

His eyes flew wide. “That fast?”

“Apparently they started the adoption process a couple of months ago and didn’t tell us.”

“And it happened already?”

“Yeah.” I told him what Neely Kate had said.

“And they know they’re havin’ a girl?” he asked.

“They’re namin’ her Daisy Mae.”

He leaned back into the cushions again. “I think it’s just now hittin’ me that I’m gonna be an uncle.”

And he really would be since Neely Kate was his sister.

“Yeah,” I said with a soft smile. “Uncle Joe.”

He grinned again. “Uncle Joe and Aunt Rose.”

“And they’ve decided to get married in a few weeks. Jed wants them to be married when the baby comes.”

He nodded slightly, staring off with a faraway look.

“What are you thinkin’ about?” I asked.

He gave me a tight smile. “Don’t you worry about that.” He stood and offered me his hand. “Let’s get you upstairs and to bed. It feels like the baby’s gone to sleep, so maybe you can get some sleep too.”

I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. When I stood, he wrapped an arm around my back and held me close.

“Do you wish we knew the baby’s gender?”

“Sometimes,” I admitted. “But I like that it’s a surprise. A good one. We need more of those, don’t you think?”

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Yeah. I do.”

Flutters filled my stomach.

One more surprise to add to a pile of others. Now I needed to sort out what it meant. Or maybe I knew, but I was just struggling to accept it. So what was holding me back?

The real question was who.

Chapter 4

The next morning, I walked into the nursery, and Maeve and Anna oohed and aahed over my huge belly. The baby was moving, so I let them both feel his or her kicks.

A customer pulled into the lot, and Anna reluctantly left to see to them. I suspected