“Yes! He came home one summer and said ‘When Wrenya is old enough, I’m going to tell her how I feel.’ I waited and waited, and nothing. Then that other girl comes home, and he’s marrying her. I was very confused.”
Wren’s heart was in her throat. “Wow.”
“Very upset. I didn’t like her.”
“You didn’t?” Wren asked with a grin.
“No, not like I like you. But then, what did I expect? If he weren't going to go after you, someone would snatch him up. He’s so handsome, obviously from my side of the family.”
Wren giggled as Ant called from the living room, “Lies, Wrenya. Don’t listen to her. He’s my boy, and that baby will take after my side.”
Wren smiled as she looked down, praying to God that the baby came out looking just like her and nothing like Bradley. Just thinking of him made her gut hurt. It worried her to no end, but there was really nothing she could do about it. Though, the more she thought about leaving the safety and comfort of the Monroe home, the more she realized she’d probably see him when they went back home. She wasn’t sure if Wells had invited him to the wedding, and she couldn’t ask, but more than likely, he’d show up for the party for the Cup. It was huge for Vaughn and Jensen, and the whole town would all be there. Maybe she could skip?
That was an idea.
“Obviously, he’s delusional, and we know Jensen takes after me.”
Wren winked at her. “Of course.”
“You’re my favorite.” Wren beamed but then instantly felt bad. Was she Emma’s favorite under false pretenses? Or was it real? Shit, this wasn’t supposed to be this hard, but it was. She loved Emma and Ant. The last three days had been a blast. Once they got there, the two of them spoiled them, laughing and eating, just being together. Ant couldn’t walk much, but he tried. Though Emma wouldn’t let him go on the stupid walks Jensen was forcing on her. While it was sweet that he was taking her doctor’s orders, and she knew she should have felt bad for sneaking candy when he fell asleep at night, she didn’t.
Maybe she should reevaluate.
Bad life choices. She did that a lot.
Other than that, her time with the Monroes was going great. Every morning, they enjoyed the beautiful summer weather in the backwoods of Canada before spending the afternoon in the pool, and she felt like she was at home. Ever since getting there, she had been herself. Things were good between her and Jensen. Great, even. She felt herself letting him in somehow. Though, maybe she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure, but she was trying. She was. She knew that, but she had an inkling that he was still upset about their fight. Maybe she was overthinking it because when they were close, or even in the same room, he looked at her like she was the sexiest piece of cake he had ever seen. It was mind-blowing, and she loved it. His quick smiles, his sweet looks, and his caresses… God, she yearned for them and more, but she wasn’t thinking too much about that. Just him. And her. And his family.
“So, how far along are you now? Almost seven months? Yes?”
“Yes,” Wren answered, slowly chopping as she chewed on her lip. “I’m due in September.”
“Oh, good month. Maybe Ant will be better by then, and I can come to America for the birth. I want to see my grandbaby when he makes his debut.”
“We’d love that, and if not, once everything is settled because preseason will be starting, we’ll come here,” she promised, and she meant it. They had been so good to her, accepting her from the moment she stepped on their land. She was thankful for that because once they got home next week, it wouldn’t be as easy as it was here. She knew her family would be full of doubts and questions once they arrived.
“That would make my day, but I understand, which is why I’ll try to come there. Hopefully, Ant can come,” Emma said as she stirred the pot of meatballs she was cooking.
“We’ll work it out.”
They shared a smile before Emma reached out, squeezing her hand. “You’re a good girl, Wrenya.”
Guilt flushed through Wren as she looked back down, cutting the potatoes and feeling like anything but a good girl. She felt like a fraud, like she should tell them the truth, but she couldn’t. The baby was Jensen’s, and that was that. She wasn’t lying. This was their normal, and they were good with it.
Everything else was a bit up in the air, but that was certain.
The kid was Jensen’s.
“You two have been married almost a month?”
Running her tongue along her lips, she nodded. She had been waiting the last three days for this conversation. They hadn’t been alone, she and Emma, they were almost always with Ant or Jensen. So she knew it was coming, that Emma was upset about it, and that worried her. “Yup. A month tomorrow, actually.”
Emma nodded as she reached for the bag of pigs’ feet out of the sink, and Wren quickly covered her mouth as she watched her mother-in-law begin to clean them. “Well, at least you two are married before he comes. Though, nowadays, things are so different. No one cares about having babies out of wedlock.”
Dropping her hand, Wren shrugged. “Jensen does.”
Emma looked up and smiled. “Because he’s a good man. A gentleman.”
“My mom said the same thing.”
“’Cause she knows. We did well with him.”
That made Wren’s smile grow. If her mom were there, she would have gushed all over Emma. There wasn’t a moment when Elaine didn’t worry that she was doing right by Jensen, but Emma always said that Elaine Lemiere was the best thing to happen to their family. “You guys did.”
Emma looked up, meeting her gaze, and then she looked away. “I need to admit something.”
Wren watched her as she looked out of the kitchen toward the living room where Ant and Jensen were. “Okay?”
She looked back to Wren. “Yeah, I was very upset with you, with how my Jensen didn’t find out until much later. I felt you lied to him, and I didn’t like that.”
Laying the knife down, Wren leaned into the counter. “I completely understand, and you’re right. I did, and I’m so sorry for that. I didn’t mean to hurt him or you—”
But Emma held her hands up, and Wren’s mouth slammed shut. “But I was wrong. And the reason I say that is because Jensen knows you best of all, and he told me you do things in your time. While I didn’t like that one bit, I have to say, it doesn’t matter that it took you so long to tell him, because you did, and my baby hasn’t ever looked happier, Wrenya. Ever. Even when he was with that awful girl before, I have never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you.” Breathless, Wren looked away as a smile tugged at her lips, her heart jumping up into her throat. “I always knew he cared for you, that he even loved you, but seeing it, seeing you two together… Goodness me, your love for him and his love for you, I swear it’s deeper than an ocean. I’m amazed, truly amazed.”
Wren’s heart was in her throat. “Wow.”
“Very upset. I didn’t like her.”
“You didn’t?” Wren asked with a grin.
“No, not like I like you. But then, what did I expect? If he weren't going to go after you, someone would snatch him up. He’s so handsome, obviously from my side of the family.”
Wren giggled as Ant called from the living room, “Lies, Wrenya. Don’t listen to her. He’s my boy, and that baby will take after my side.”
Wren smiled as she looked down, praying to God that the baby came out looking just like her and nothing like Bradley. Just thinking of him made her gut hurt. It worried her to no end, but there was really nothing she could do about it. Though, the more she thought about leaving the safety and comfort of the Monroe home, the more she realized she’d probably see him when they went back home. She wasn’t sure if Wells had invited him to the wedding, and she couldn’t ask, but more than likely, he’d show up for the party for the Cup. It was huge for Vaughn and Jensen, and the whole town would all be there. Maybe she could skip?
That was an idea.
“Obviously, he’s delusional, and we know Jensen takes after me.”
Wren winked at her. “Of course.”
“You’re my favorite.” Wren beamed but then instantly felt bad. Was she Emma’s favorite under false pretenses? Or was it real? Shit, this wasn’t supposed to be this hard, but it was. She loved Emma and Ant. The last three days had been a blast. Once they got there, the two of them spoiled them, laughing and eating, just being together. Ant couldn’t walk much, but he tried. Though Emma wouldn’t let him go on the stupid walks Jensen was forcing on her. While it was sweet that he was taking her doctor’s orders, and she knew she should have felt bad for sneaking candy when he fell asleep at night, she didn’t.
Maybe she should reevaluate.
Bad life choices. She did that a lot.
Other than that, her time with the Monroes was going great. Every morning, they enjoyed the beautiful summer weather in the backwoods of Canada before spending the afternoon in the pool, and she felt like she was at home. Ever since getting there, she had been herself. Things were good between her and Jensen. Great, even. She felt herself letting him in somehow. Though, maybe she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure, but she was trying. She was. She knew that, but she had an inkling that he was still upset about their fight. Maybe she was overthinking it because when they were close, or even in the same room, he looked at her like she was the sexiest piece of cake he had ever seen. It was mind-blowing, and she loved it. His quick smiles, his sweet looks, and his caresses… God, she yearned for them and more, but she wasn’t thinking too much about that. Just him. And her. And his family.
“So, how far along are you now? Almost seven months? Yes?”
“Yes,” Wren answered, slowly chopping as she chewed on her lip. “I’m due in September.”
“Oh, good month. Maybe Ant will be better by then, and I can come to America for the birth. I want to see my grandbaby when he makes his debut.”
“We’d love that, and if not, once everything is settled because preseason will be starting, we’ll come here,” she promised, and she meant it. They had been so good to her, accepting her from the moment she stepped on their land. She was thankful for that because once they got home next week, it wouldn’t be as easy as it was here. She knew her family would be full of doubts and questions once they arrived.
“That would make my day, but I understand, which is why I’ll try to come there. Hopefully, Ant can come,” Emma said as she stirred the pot of meatballs she was cooking.
“We’ll work it out.”
They shared a smile before Emma reached out, squeezing her hand. “You’re a good girl, Wrenya.”
Guilt flushed through Wren as she looked back down, cutting the potatoes and feeling like anything but a good girl. She felt like a fraud, like she should tell them the truth, but she couldn’t. The baby was Jensen’s, and that was that. She wasn’t lying. This was their normal, and they were good with it.
Everything else was a bit up in the air, but that was certain.
The kid was Jensen’s.
“You two have been married almost a month?”
Running her tongue along her lips, she nodded. She had been waiting the last three days for this conversation. They hadn’t been alone, she and Emma, they were almost always with Ant or Jensen. So she knew it was coming, that Emma was upset about it, and that worried her. “Yup. A month tomorrow, actually.”
Emma nodded as she reached for the bag of pigs’ feet out of the sink, and Wren quickly covered her mouth as she watched her mother-in-law begin to clean them. “Well, at least you two are married before he comes. Though, nowadays, things are so different. No one cares about having babies out of wedlock.”
Dropping her hand, Wren shrugged. “Jensen does.”
Emma looked up and smiled. “Because he’s a good man. A gentleman.”
“My mom said the same thing.”
“’Cause she knows. We did well with him.”
That made Wren’s smile grow. If her mom were there, she would have gushed all over Emma. There wasn’t a moment when Elaine didn’t worry that she was doing right by Jensen, but Emma always said that Elaine Lemiere was the best thing to happen to their family. “You guys did.”
Emma looked up, meeting her gaze, and then she looked away. “I need to admit something.”
Wren watched her as she looked out of the kitchen toward the living room where Ant and Jensen were. “Okay?”
She looked back to Wren. “Yeah, I was very upset with you, with how my Jensen didn’t find out until much later. I felt you lied to him, and I didn’t like that.”
Laying the knife down, Wren leaned into the counter. “I completely understand, and you’re right. I did, and I’m so sorry for that. I didn’t mean to hurt him or you—”
But Emma held her hands up, and Wren’s mouth slammed shut. “But I was wrong. And the reason I say that is because Jensen knows you best of all, and he told me you do things in your time. While I didn’t like that one bit, I have to say, it doesn’t matter that it took you so long to tell him, because you did, and my baby hasn’t ever looked happier, Wrenya. Ever. Even when he was with that awful girl before, I have never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you.” Breathless, Wren looked away as a smile tugged at her lips, her heart jumping up into her throat. “I always knew he cared for you, that he even loved you, but seeing it, seeing you two together… Goodness me, your love for him and his love for you, I swear it’s deeper than an ocean. I’m amazed, truly amazed.”
