“He doesn’t only have my name,” I protested. “His middle name is Bennet.”
“Yeah, but the Jesse we threw in there as a first name was asking for trouble,” he said. “I should’ve thought it through.”
“Nah, he’s perfect.” I felt the corners of my lips twitch as I watched him, back to playing the game as if nothing had ever happened. “He’s already learning to ignore problems until they go away.”
Will laughed. “That’s the thing, though, isn’t it? They don’t go away if you ignore them. The flowers are still lying on the path and Miriam is still going to refuse him a cookie tonight because of it.”
“I’ll sneak him one.”
“And that’s the other problem. You’re way too committed to teaching him how to avoid responsibility.”
I scoffed. “He’s too young for responsibility.”
“He’s Viscount Roderick.” Will sighed. “On second thought, you might be right about this. Maybe responsibility can wait until he’s a little older.”
“For sure,” I agreed, sliding my hands into my pockets as I turned toward the picturesque lake in the distance. “This place will teach him all about it soon enough, and if it doesn’t, his uncle Alex sure will.”
“Nah, his uncle Alex’s reign of terror is over. We can relax now.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I muttered. “I’m convinced we can’t get too comfortable.”
“Why?” He arched an eyebrow at me. “Are you planning something?”
“Me?” I put a hand over my chest, pretending to be offended. “Never. I’m retired from causing chaos.”
Jacque waddled onto the porch with Eliza beside her, one arm tucked around Eliza’s and the other braced under her belly. She was moving at that careful, deliberate pace pregnant women developed, as if they could keep gravity in check if they just didn’t move too fast.
Will saw them, his spine straightening like he was witnessing the fulfillment of a prophecy he didnotwant fulfilled. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me as I glanced at my brother. “Before you say anything else, we’re leaving soon.”
Will’s eyes narrowed. “Tonight might not be soon enough, Jess.”
“It will be,” I said. “She’s not having this baby in England.”
Jacque paused, blinking at both of us. “I’m not in labor, gentlemen.”
“Well, I mean, not yet, but I feel like we’re pushing our luck on British soil.” I checked my watch. “Speaking of which, I’m going to go make sure all our stuff is in the car.”
She rolled her eyes at me, but an affectionate smile spread on her lips. She caught my hand as soon as I reached them. “Hey, I’m fine. There’s no need to be dramatic.”
“Eliza almost had the baby here,” Will said, his gaze sweeping across my wife’s midsection like he was assessing whether said baby was getting impatient in there. “Nobody kick me for saying this, but she was moving very much the way you are right now before we had to race her to the hospital.”
Eliza laughed softly and waved him off. “I would’ve been fine. That being said, I’ll go help Jesse check that they’ve got all their things and Miriam has lunch ready for us before they leave, so we’re to report to the dining room anyway.”
As I nodded and walked into the castle, my sister-in-law quickly caught up, the expression on her face suddenly a lot more serious. “Watch her closely on the flight, Jess. She says she’s fine, but I’m not convinced. There’s been some pain in her abdomen that she says is indigestion. I think it might be the very early-stage contractions.”
A few hours later, I learned that one should never question the intuition of a woman who’d been pregnant before.Somewhere over the Atlantic, Jacque grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard I considered updating my will.
“I think something might be happening,” she said calmly, her free hand sliding to her belly. “I think this might be it, Jess.”
She breathed out slowly and I blinked a few times, desperately trying not to freak out whenshewas the one about to have a baby. “Does that mean you’re in labor?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure, but it could just be Braxton Hicks.”
“You had that before,” I said, my heart suddenly starting to thump against my ribs. “Does this feel the same?”
“Nope.”
