Chapter 23
For four days, Blue did little. She watched TV and read. Exercised in Jay’s gym and cooked. He worked—boy, did that man put in long hours. He seemed to have an inexhaustible well of energy, whereas she felt drained most of the time. But if she was honest, that was easing now.
He was also caring without being overbearing. He didn’t push or demand, just handed her crackers, water, or whatever else he thought she needed.
Jay Haddon wasn’t like any other man she’d dated—not that they were dating.
Blue was sure he could be an asshole, everyone had that capability in them, including her, but for the most part, he seemed to be a good guy.
One thing he wouldn’t discuss was his half sister. In fact, he shut down when she mentioned contacting Hazel. Blue had even offered to do it for him. He’d refused her help and said he didn’t want to discuss it further.
She really believed it was important that Jay met his sister, but she didn’t know how to make that happen, so she left it alone… for now.
They’d fallen into a routine during the day and usually settled in to watch something on the TV after a meal. It was strangely easy to live here in his house. But there was also something else simmering between them. It had started with that kiss in his kitchen and grown from there.
Blue would catch him looking at her, or he’d catch her doing the same to him. Neither of them commented on it, but the tension between them was growing.
Looking at her phone screen as it rang, she saw it was Phoebe.
“Hey.”
“Hey. I’m swinging by in about ten minutes to pick you up. We’re doing a spa day. JD relented when Zoe pushed him on it, and he’s closing the Gnat just for us.”
“I don’t—”
“You do. So be ready.” Phoebe cut the call after that.
She could text back, but then, she knew her friend, and the woman would just turn up, as would the others who were no doubt part of spa day.
“I don’t wanna face everyone yet.”
“Everyone who?” Jay had come in through the back door and heard her words. “And don’t go if you don’t wanna.”
His hair hadn’t seen a brush, he wore faded jeans ripped at the knee and an old gray T-shirt. He looked too good, and that only added to her awareness of him. The guy was hot.
“Apparently I’m going to a spa day at the Gnat. Zoe forced JD to close early and then pay his staff to pamper us.”
Jay laughed, and it lit his eyes and amped up his handsomeness. She refused to sigh.
“So you’re going to endure this torture?”
“I guess, but it does sound bad.”
“Really bad. You want a coffee before you go? I’m just making one.”
“No, thanks. I’ll get one there.” Blue thought that putting some space between herself and Jay Haddon might be a good thing. The feelings he provoked in her confused her.
If he brushed by her, or she him, there was definitely a sizzle of heat. Blue was no fool. She knew something would happen between them soon if she didn’t move out.
“Okay, sweet.”
“You can be angry with me if you need to be, Jay. I won’t break,” Blue said before she thought better of it. “I mean—you don’t have to be nice to me all the time if you don’t want to.” And now she sounded like an idiot.
Nice one, Blue Jay, you’re really living up to your nickname of being one of the crazy McAllisters.
“Do you want me to be angry with you about anything particular?”
“No, I’m just saying, I won’t break if you do.” She should have kept her mouth shut.
“If you do something that pisses me off, then I will let you know.”
“Okay, good, and make sure you do. Now I’m going to change.” She walked away.
“Blue?”
She turned on the first step to look at him.
“You okay?”
Blue nodded and kept on walking up to her room.
After a quick wash, she pulled on a long skirt and a short-sleeved sweater. Her phone buzzed when she’d finished lacing up her white sneakers. Looking at the screen, Blue ignored it. Her mood was already weird. No need to add to that by talking to Lynx.
She’d had a series of texts from her brothers about the mistake she was making living here, which she’d ignored after telling them she was an adult and didn’t need their interference.
Her mom had texted her the day after she’d moved into Jay’s.
Mom - I like Jay and think what you’re doing is a good move, even if I miss you. Jay Haddon has a lovely blue aura. He’s cool and calm, with a strong intellect, and is perfect for you.
Blue - I’m just staying with him for now, Mom, don’t make it more than that.
Mom - He’s your baby daddy, Blue. I’m just saying he’s a good match for you.
Blue - Bye Mom.
Blue knew there was going to be curiosity about her moving in with Jay. Plus, there was the pregnancy, which wouldn’t stay hidden for long. Also, now three of Lyntacky’s most notorious, well-meaning busybodies had found her at his house and would have told others what they’d seen.
So far everyone had kept their distance, even the Dukes, but she knew that wouldn’t last much longer.
“Phoebe is here, Blue!” Jay called from downstairs.
She grabbed her bag, stuffed her phone into it, and went back downstairs. Jay was talking to Phoebe when she arrived at the door.
“Finally,” Phoebe said. “Move it, Blueberry. We got massages to have.”
“Right, because I took so long getting down the stairs, after all,” Blue drawled.
“Have fun,” Jay added. “If you need a pickup, let me know.”
“Thanks.” She wanted to lean in and kiss his cheek, but that would probably be weird, even if she was carrying his child. “See ya.”
“I brought Jonathan,” Phoebe said when they reached her car.
“Girl, you look radiant as always,” he said as Blue slid into the back seat.
“He wants a free facial,” Phoebe said, maneuvering out of the driveway.
“So, I’ll start,” Jonathan said.
“Start what?” Blue turned to look at him.
“You’re kidding, right?” he said, rolling his eyes. “You’re pregnant with Hottie Haddon’s baby, and now you’re living with him, and there has been radio silence for days about the entire thing. You owe us.”
“He’s not wrong,” Phoebe said shooting her a look in the rearview mirror. “You were there when I needed you most in New York, Blue. How come you didn’t tell me?”
She heard the hurt, and that had not been her intention. Blue had just been in survival mode. “I’m sorry.”
“So we need to start at the beginning, but not until we’re with the others because they will want to know,” Jonathan advised.
“Birdie has been like a vault, and so has Sawyer,” Phoebe said. “I pumped them yesterday for information, and while Sawyer looked like he was in pain, he didn’t crack, and Birdie just kept humming and making stuff in the kitchen.”
She’d known it had to come out, so today was clearly going to be that day.
“What surprises me is that the entire town doesn’t know,” Blue said. “I mean Bart, Dr. Hannah, and Mrs. C. called by to see Jay the other day, and I answered the door, and they acted like it was entirely natural to see me there.”
Jonathan shot Phoebe a look.
“What?” Blue demanded.
“Apparently there was a discussion about it in the Do Si Do the other day, and Dan was there. He told everyone to keep their mouths shut until you and Jay were ready to talk about it. If he heard anyone tried to pump you for information, he was arresting them,” Jonathan said.
“Caleb was there, and he said it was tense.”
“Tell me that’s not true.” Blue moaned.
“Dr. Hannah apparently said she should approach you, as you need a checkup, but Dan said you’d get to that when you were ready,” Phoebe added.
“This town.” Blue sighed.
“Wonderful, weird, with a side of crazy, but the absolute best,” Jonathan said.
“That,” Blue agreed.
They pulled into the Gnat, which was a long, low building that JD Hopper, Zoe’s husband, had made into a one-stop beautifying shop, plus tattoo parlor, which was his specialty.
When they walked into the building, she found Zoe, Libby, Birdie, Leah, Cill, who was a masseuse here and someone Blue had grown up with, Nina, and Jessie, the hair stylist. JD sat at reception, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here.
On the desk before him was Deidre, the cat.
She was staring at him like he had the last piece of catnip in the world. JD loved animals.
“Well, finally,” Zoe said, getting to her feet. “Would you look at those brows.” She pointed at Blue’s face. “You say I let myself go, but you’ll need a hedge trimmer to work a miracle with those.”
“I only found out twenty minutes ago this was happening, so cut me some slack,” Blue protested. “And there is nothing wrong with my brows.”
“I hope your tweezers are sharp. It’s going to be an effort to get all those suckers out,” Zoe added.
Blue put a hand over her eyes as everyone stared at her. “I’ve had other stuff on my mind.”
Leah, Dan Duke’s partner, hugged her first. “It’s going to be okay,” she said, then whispered into Blue’s ear, “We got you girl.”
The others followed, all saying something similar, with Birdie going last. The sisters held onto each other for a minute longer.
“About that other stuff,” Libby said. “You’re going to come clean with us today?”
“OMG, this is an intervention!” Blue looked around at their faces, shocked.
“As if,” Nina scoffed, but she didn’t meet Blue’s eyes.
All the fight went out of Blue then. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell any of you I was going to live with Jay. Especially you, Birdie.” Her sister had deserved better from her.
“I understand what it’s like living with those two idiots and Mom and Dad. I get why you moved out, Blue. I just need you to be up front with me from now on, okay?” Birdie said.
“Okay.”
“Remember that I’ve had a baby and am here for you.”
“And we are too,” the mothers in the room chorused.
Blue laughed. It was strained, but a laugh nonetheless.
“God, I love women,” Jonathan said. “They don’t sit on shit and get it all out, then have a party to celebrate.”
“Right, then, let’s get you all pampered, seeing as I’m paying for it and losing money while doing so because actual paying clients are not coming in today,” JD said.
“You’ve got too much money anyway,” Nina said.
Blue was soon face down on Cill’s table, being massaged, and it was bliss.
“So, Jay,” Zoe said from the table next to her. Nina was giving her a facial.
“I met him one day in New York, and one thing led to another,” Blue said. She felt so relaxed now, she could slide right off the table.
“Just so I have everything clear in my head—”
“Right, because that’s never easy for you,” JD said from somewhere behind her. “I have champagne for those who can drink, and soda for Blue and Zoe. You can…”
“Why did you stop talking?” Nina demanded.
“What?” Blue pushed herself upright, then turned to look at JD, who had a hand over his eyes.
“You have no clothes on, Blue.”
“Right, sorry.” She sat up and wrapped the sheet around her. “I have the girls covered now. You can look.”
He lowered his hand slowly.
“Are you pregnant, Zoe?” Nina demanded. “Because you love champagne.”
“What?” Blue shrieked.
They heard footsteps then, and everyone else, who were getting treatments in the other spaces, appeared, all in various states.
Jonathan had a clip holding his hair back and a gelatinous-looking face mask on.
Birdie was walking on her heels as her toes had been freshly painted.
Phoebe had foils in her hair. Leah had some kind of treatment in hers.
“Game’s up, baby,” JD said, looking at Zoe.
The look on Birdie’s, Phoebe’s, and Leah’s faces told Blue they knew what the news was.
“I’m pregnant!” Zoe squealed.
Noise erupted in the room as JD handed out the glasses.
“Our babies will be the same age,” Blue said to Zoe.
Until that moment, she hadn’t truly thought about the end result of having a child.
She’d been too focused on her immediate future.
On where she was going and what she was going to do.
But right then, she thought that whoever this little baby inside her was, it was going to have a Duke for a best friend.
With that realization came another question.
Was Lyntacky the place she should raise it?