I wasn’t sure how long the list would be, but it had taken Nicole at least half a year to prepare everything for the wedding and the reception. With Ellen’s connections, I was sure Jenna was in good hands.

Chapter 13

Jenna

“Hi, Jenna,” Mom greeted from her phone.

The sound of her voice got my heart thumping so fast, I could hear it beating as Mom waited for me to answer. “Hi, Mom.”

“How are you? Is everything fine?”

There was a little pause before I spit out what I needed to say...before I could change my mind. “I’m pregnant.”

“I’m not sure if I’d heard you correctly. Did you say you were pregnant?” I knew it. Her tone was very concerned and I could just imagine her disapproving expression.

I inhaled a deep breath and swallowed before I spoke. “Yes.” There was a stretch of silence. I thought I heard a soft cry, but I wasn’t sure. “Mom? Are you there? Before you get mad, Max and I are in love. We’re going to get married. And—”

“I’m so happy for you, baby,” Mom blurted out, loud and fast. I could still hear the tiny gasps from her cries. She was making me cry, too. “I’m so happy that you don’t have to go through what I went through, years of misery of miscarriages and false hope. This is wonderful. And we can’t wait to be grandparents. I can’t wait to tell your dad. I know he will be so happy for you. We were hoping that you and Max wouldn’t have to go through what we’ve been through.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Her blessing meant the world to me. And hearing my mom’s reaction, I knew dad would feel the same for sure.

Matthew

Jenna walked into the office elegantly dressed in a dark gray dress suit. Her hair was neatly pinned up with some lose strands by the sides. However, what caught my eyes after her outward appearance was how drained and pale she looked. Max had told me about Jenna’s morning sickness. If I felt the need, I was ordered by Max to send her home even if she disagreed. That was easier said than done. Knowing Jenna, she would fight me. And knowing myself, I would probably give into her.

“Good morning, Matthew,” Jenna greeted me with a smile. After she acknowledged the others, she sat in her chair and turned her attention to the computer.

Jenna had no idea that I was watching her from the corner of my eyes. She had an amused smile when she looked at her desk, as if she were recalling a memory. She chuckled to herself, then got to work.

Oh my dear brother, Max...something happened on that desk. I snapped out of it when Jenna called my name.

“Matthew. You can stop staring at me. Did Max tell you to watch me like that?”

Shit! She caught me. “Max? What makes you think he did?” Forget this. I could be honest with her. I scooted my chair to her and whispered, “Jenna.” I waited for her attention. “Max told me about your morning sickness. If you don’t feel good, you can work at home. Please let me know if you feel the need to go home.”

Jenna lowered her voice. “I haven’t told anyone in the office. Wouldn’t it seem odd if I went home often?”

“You might as well start telling people; you can’t hide your pregnancy forever.”

Jenna let out a snort. “True. But you know the rules, don’t you? Pregnant women never announce pregnancy until after the first trimester...just in case. Anything can happen in the first trimester.”

“Oh,” I said, taking a pause to think. Those thoughts had never entered my mind; that was how little I knew about pregnancy. Then again, that was far from what I needed to know at this point in my life. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Just think happy thoughts.” I had no idea what I was saying, but it seemed to work.

“Thanks.” Jenna smiled and some color was added to her cheeks.

“Max told me he acted like an ass**le when he first found out.”

“He did?” Her eyes lit up with embarrassment.

Shit! I didn’t mean to bring up the unwanted topic, and I certainly didn’t want to embarrass her. I had to fix this.

“He did. And I’m pretty sure most guys would have responded in the same way. If Becca told me she was pregnant, I think I would have flipped. I mean...not that I don’t want children with her, but because we just started to get to know each other. Having a baby would complicate things. Becca and I haven’t even spoken about marriage yet.” I was rambling, trying to make Jenna understand Max’s actions from a man’s point of view.

“I understand.” Jenna nodded.

“Have you spoken to your parents about it?” Another slip of the tongue and this was none of my business.

“Yes.” Jenna nodded with a smile. Finally, I saw a pinkish glow. “They can’t wait to be grandparents, my mom especially.”

“That’s fantastic. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Now...don’t take this in the wrong way, Jenna. You don’t look so well. Go home. Take a nap. You already turned in your formats. We can take it from there. This isn’t a suggestion. This is an order from your boss.”

Jenna released a small smile. “I’m going to listen to my boss today. I haven’t been able to eat much, and I’ve been so tired lately.”

“For a very good reason,” I added. “It looks like you’ve lost some weight.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be gaining as soon as my morning sickness is over.”