AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay?” Daniel asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m just going to bed.”
He hesitated. “Since he’s not here…”
“I’m grown, Daniel. I can stay home by myself.”
“Call me if you need me.”
She thought she heard an emphasis on the word me, but let it go. “All right.”
Before she could deny him, he dropped a kiss on her lips and walked out the door. She made sure the door was locked and then returned to Jax’s note. He sometimes took investigation assignments late at night because that’s when most people were off work and Jax could catch them at home. He knew she had a doctor’s appointment the next day and promised to be home to take her and pick her up.
“Home, huh?” she muttered. Well it was a good thing he’d gone. She could rest and think about what to do. A buzz from her phone caught her attention, and she checked it. The text came from her sister Sasha.
“Ma is a mess, crying like you killed somebody. Congratulations on the baby. I’m sad you didn’t tell me, but I know you. Call your mother before she drives me crazy. I beg you.”
A pulse pounded in Tae’s head, but she sat down on the couch rather than heed the call of her bed. Now she knew Daniel had been talking to her mother about getting back together with her. The knowledge pissed her off. He didn’t need to bring her family into things, but at least he hadn’t been the one to tell her mother about the baby. No, the catty Janita had done that.
Her mother had the nerve to wait three rings before she answered the phone. “Hi, Ma, how’s it going? I have news for you, even though I’m sure you already know…”
* * * *
“How did she take it?” Jax asked Tae the next day on the way to the doctor’s office.
“Like my mother takes everything—as if I got pregnant to spite her. She feels we should wait to have sex until we’re married. My sisters and I, I mean. None of us did, but at least Sasha and Janita waited until they were married before they had kids. So I’m the black sheep. She says I broke her heart.”
Jax studied her face in between focusing on the road. “I don’t know your mother at all, but I don’t want her to upset you. I can talk to her if you need me to.”
“No way, Jax. You’d make it worse. I can hear you now telling her if she is going to upset me, she’ll have to wait until after the baby is born to talk to me again.”
He frowned, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. “That’s what you think of me? That I only care about our son, and your mom can verbally abuse you all she wants after he’s born? I suppose you think Daniel would charm her.”
She groaned. “Don’t start.”
“What did the two of you talk about last night?”
“Are you going to tell me about the job you took?” She wondered if he’d rushed out to take one after seeing how Daniel had settled the craziness with Janita and Terrence by giving them money. Janita had texted her later that Daniel had given them enough for gas back home. She’d even gone so far as to insist if Tae had to marry a white man it should be Daniel. Tae had no trouble seeing a future of Janita constantly trying to dig into Daniel’s pocket with that scenario. Of course she would put a stop to it. What am I thinking? Like I’m going to accept his proposal.
“Tae.”
She snapped out of her reverie. “What? I didn’t hear you.”
Jax eyed her. “You wanted to know about the case I took, but you’re not listening.”
“I’m sorry.” She laid a hand on his arm and slid fingers down to his hand. Today, Jax wore his usual when he intended to work, a dress shirt and dark slacks. The burgundy-and-white pinstripe looked good on him, and she planned to get him a few more from Brooks Brothers since his birthday was in a few weeks. He would turn thirty-five.
“Tae, you’re still not listening.”
“Sorry!” She squeaked in alarm. “I was thinking about your birthday and what we’ll do.”
He smiled. “We don’t have to do anything.”
“We can afford something, Jax. All our money is going to bills and savings, but you’ve been good to me. I want to do something special.”
Tension around his mouth worried her, but he turned his hand face up to link with hers. Then he drew hers to his mouth to kiss. “We’ll talk about it later. I have to check out a few things while you’re at the doc, so this time I’m not staying, but I’ll be back to pick you up, okay?”
She sighed. “Okay.”
