Page 28 of Falling for Love

Oh, God. I nudge Jack with my knee. “I’m sorry. I need the ladies’ room.” I all but kick him in my rush to get out of the seat where I’m trapped and run to the bathroom that had been pointed out to us when we were given the grand tour of the yacht.

Once again, I make it to a small bathroom just in time. There’s going to come a day when my luck runs out. I wait to make sure I’m really finished vomiting, then stand, washing my hands in the sink. Luckily, there’s also mouthwash and cups, which lets me really clean up and feel ready to show my face again.

When I walk out, Jack is waiting for me. “Are you okay?” he asks. Lines of concern bracket his mouth.

“Yes. The smell of fish …” I shake my head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t go back and eat it. It’s on the no list for pregnant women.”

“You’re pregnant?!” Rainey’s voice rises from around the corner as she steps out and we come face to face.

“Didn’t I tell you to not to run after them?” Lucas asks, pulling her against him. “Jack had it handled.”

“You knew.” Rainey draws a deep breath and turns to her fiancé. “You knew Taylor was pregnant with Jack’s baby, and you didn’t tell me?” She sounds hurt and I feel bad for her.

“You’re jumping to conclusions,” Jack tells his sister.

I rub my hands up and down my arms. The last thing I want to do is come between siblings. “I—”

Rainey pivots to face Jack and raises her eyebrows in a way that reminds me of her brother. “Are you telling me Taylor isn’t pregnant? Or that it’s not yours?”

Jack folds his arm across his chest. “I’m telling you whatever is going on with Taylor is none of your business.”

“Oh? Like what was going on between Lucas and me was none of yours?” Rainey asks, mimicking him by crossing her arms over her chest.

I shoot Lucas a pleading look, and he eases Rainey against him. “Okay, this is getting out of hand,” he says.

“I agree.” Jack groans. “Yes, Taylor is pregnant and the baby is mine. I wanted to wait and tell you with Mom, Dad, Hudson, and Miles there.”

The tension seeps from my body and my shoulders relax. I needed Jack to tell his sister the truth, not to fight with her over me.

“You’re having a baby!” Rainey exclaims. “That’s so exciting. I’m sorry I pushed. It just seemed so obvious, and I didn’t understand why you were hiding it from me. Because we’re close.” Her voice cracks, as does my heart.

Jack and his sister have a special bond, and I would never want to break that for any reason.

“Yeah, and we’re always going to be close. I just wanted you all together when I told you the news.”

She steps forward and hugs him tight. “Again, I apologize. You’re right. It wasn’t my business. Still love me?” she asks with a twinkle in her eye as she smiles at him.

“Yeah. Of course I do.”

Lucas puts his hand on her shoulder and draws her back to him. “Okay, Tristan and Kaylee are waiting for us, so how about we go back?” he asks, and without waiting for a reply he adds, “See you in a few.”

Rainey smiles my way, then she and Lucas head back to the deck.

Jack exhales a long breath and leans against the wall behind him. “Sorry about all that.”

I shake my head. “I’m the one who should apologize. I caused all this by getting sick.”

“You couldn’t control that.” He reaches out and brushes his thumb over my cheek. “I had no idea seafood was on the menu, but I wish I’d thought of it. And I shouldn’t have kept Rainey in the dark. She’s too smart not to figure things out and there was no reason to hide things.” He shrugs. “But what’s done is done.”

“She’s not upset anymore and everything is fine.”

He smiles and takes my hand in his. “It is. And tomorrow night, we’ll tell the rest of my family.”

“We?” Panic races through me. “You want me to meet them at the same time we tell them I’m pregnant?”

He hesitates, obviously reconsidering. “I can see how that’s awkward. How about I tell them and have Rainey bring you by after?”

I swallow hard. “I guess that could work.”