Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Lauren
When Charlie and Jax come through the front door of the cabin, I’m ready to pounce on them for leaving me behind, but their arms are slung around one another and they’re wearing bright smiles, which makes me hesitate.
“You two seem in a good mood. Did you get a buck?”
“Yeah, we did.” Charlie stands straighter.
“That’s great.”
“Pretty sure it was because we left you behind, so thanks.” He winks.
“You’re such a jerk.”
“You needed sleep, Lo. We’re just looking out for you.
” Charlie pulls up a chair next to me. “Speaking of looking out for you, you’re doing so great after your breakup with Austin, I thought maybe you’d be open to being set up with someone.
I heard Rhett has a cousin who’s supposed to come to town soon.
He sounds like a catch: handsome, smart, kind.
I guess he doesn’t know much about ranching, but you’re a pretty good teacher. ”
My mouth falls open, and I’m at a loss for words. I look from him to Jax, hoping he’ll help me out, but he just shrugs.
Turning back to Charlie, I say, “I-I don’t know about that.” When I look at Jax again, he’s biting his lip, his cheeks turning pink as he fights back laughter.
“What’s going on?” I stand up from my chair, dragging Bella from my lap into my arms.
“I’m trying to set you up with Rhett’s cousin. Why is this confusing?” Amusement fills Charlie’s eyes.
Jax’s back is turned to me, but it’s impossible not to hear him wheezing in the corner.
“Why is Jax laughing hysterically?”
“I think he finds the idea of you dating Rhett’s cousin funny.”
I set Bella down and move across the kitchen, grabbing Jax’s shoulder and spinning him toward me. Tears shimmer in his crystal blue eyes.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
“He knows,” he manages between gasps for breath.
I tilt my head, silently asking if he’s saying what I think he’s saying. Jax nods.
“How did you find out?” I swivel in Charlie’s direction.
He fills me in, causing heat to rise in my cheeks. I don’t know what to say now that everything is out in the open, but I know I want to get Jax and Charlie back for what they did to me. “I need a moment alone with Jax,” I say. “You don’t mind, since you know about us now, right?”
“I guess,” Charlie grumbles.
“I just need a few minutes. It’s important.”
Jax moves in my direction, cradling me instantly with his brows knit together. Guilt is already bleeding out of me, but I only feel so bad after what he just pulled.
“What’s wrong?”
“We should go to the other room.” I shoot Charlie a weary glance that does exactly what I want it to.
He strides to my side too. “You can’t have that look on your face and then ask me to not be involved in whatever you’ve got going on. I’m your brother. I’m here for you too. In fact, I’ve been around longer.”
“This doesn’t concern you.” I quickly look down to my feet, trying to hide the flash of a smile that blooms on my face in anticipation of what’s to come.
“If it has to do with my little sister’s well-being, then it has to do with me.”
“Fine.” I sigh heavily, turning to Jax. “I’m pregnant.”
Jax’s face goes white until realization hits him. We haven’t yet done what’s required for me to be pregnant, but I bet Charlie doesn’t know that.
As expected, my brother swivels from me to Jax, pressing his finger into his chest. “What did you do to my little sister? I thought you said you were taking things slow. You said you cared about her.”
“We are, and I do.” Jax shoves Charlie back. “Freckles, tell him the truth.”
“I am telling the truth.” I bat my eyes innocently, but I must not do a good job because the tension releases from Charlie’s shoulders.
“Why would you do that to me?”
“I did it to both of you to teach you a lesson.” I cross my arms. “Don’t mess with me, or I’ll mess with you back.”
“Okay, now that we’ve got our shots in, I think it’s time for everyone to be civil, don’t y’all?” Jax says, trying to keep the peace.
“I will if he will.” I drop my arms.
“I will.”
“Good because I’ve been dying to share this news with you two.
” I flounce into the chair I was sitting in earlier.
“Rhett called this afternoon. One of the cowboy applications came through and looks promising. Although it sounds like we might be getting two new cowboys?” I glance at Jax for an answer.
“Are you sure you want me?”
I nod.
“Then, yes. You’ll be getting two new cowboys.” He pulls me from my chair, sitting down in it and dragging me into his lap as he presses kisses to my cheek and neck.
“All right! That’s enough.” Charlie shoots forward. “I may have been cool with you two being together, but I do not want a front row seat to your physical displays of love, okay? It makes me sick.” He feigns a gag.
I grab a blueberry from the bowl I was snacking on earlier and toss it at him. “Grow up! This is what couples do.”
He plucks the blueberry from the ground before Bella can get to it. “My best friend and my baby sister don’t. In my mind, you two are merely special friends who hug. Please don’t ruin the image for me.”
Jax and I burst into laughter. I can’t believe how good it feels to have this out in the open, and I really can’t believe Charlie has been this cool about all of it, despite us hiding our relationship from him for a while.
Charlie’s phone rings, interrupting our laughter. He picks it up, shrugging. “It’s Mom. I’ll be right back.”
When he steps out onto the front porch, Jax takes advantage of our privacy. “What do you think of all this?”
“I’m really glad you and Charlie talked. And it sounds like you didn’t need your cup, so that’s a plus,” I tease.
“Thank goodness. There were moments when I was worried.”
“Was he hard on you?”
“He wasn’t any harder on me than he should’ve been.” He scoops a handful of blueberries from the bowl on the table. “I feel relieved. I hated hiding it from him.”
“Me too.”
“I think this calls for celebration.” Jax shoves the last couple of blueberries into his mouth and gently brings me to standing. “Should I get the ice cream?”
He crosses the kitchen, not waiting for my response before he pulls the tubs from the freezer.
“Jax! It’s too early.” I giggle.
“Oh, come on, Freckles.” His cheeks are rosy with joy. They’re a stark contrast to Charlie’s pale face when he walks back into the cabin.
My stomach plummets. “What’s wrong, Char?”
“It’s Dad.” He stares at the ground, the shock apparent from the dead look in his eyes.
Fear curls around my body. “What happened?”
“He had a heart attack.”