Luke had told her things James had confided in him after making her promise not to say anything to Lisa, no matter how desperate the situation got. He had promised, if it got bad enough, he would tell Lisa himself. At least that way the only person James had to be mad at was him. He figured, if he was going to betray his trust, he didn’t need to take anyone else down with him.
Of course, Mindi was so sure, when it was all said and done, James would be so happy with the end results, he wouldn’t feel betrayed at all. He would have what he wanted, and this crazy situation would be over.
Even with all that she knew, she knew deep down, Lisa was going to have to do this her way. “Sis, you’ve come this far. Don’t cave now. He’ll get it. I know he will.”
“What if he doesn’t love me? What if he only wants to marry me for the baby? You know it’s a possibility. You know how he feels about children.”
“Lisa, it’s not the baby. I mean, yes, he wants the baby. We all know he loves children. But he wants you too. He wants to be married to you. He wants to spend the rest of his life with you. You wouldn’t be pregnant with his baby if he didn’t.”
“You have no way of knowing that,” Lisa said, desperately wanting to believe her sister.
“Yes, Lisa, I do.” Mindi looked at her sister, trying to figure out how to give her enough to give her hope, without betraying Luke’s trust. “I know something that I cannot tell you. I promised I’d keep it to myself, but you’ve got to believe me, when you find out, you’ll understand why I’m saying this. He loves you. He always has.”
*******
Lisa and Mindi had finished working on the flowers for Mindi and Luke’s wedding. Once they had cleared everything off the table and put it all away, they had started helping Jamie get dinner together.
Jamie had sent Mindi to the store for some missing ingredients, and was now in the pantry gathering up everything else. Lisa went ahead and started setting the table. They would just have to wait till Mindi got back to start cooking.
That was why she was now standing on the step ladder her mom kept in the kitchen for reaching the top shelves. She had her back to the door and didn’t see when James walked in through the swinging doors.
Not wanting to startle her and cause her to fall, he didn’t say anything. He just walked over and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.
When she looked up at him, she knew instantly she was about to get a lecture.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting the plates down for dinner. Why?”
“You have no business standing on that step ladder. You know your balance is off right now. The baby’s gotten big faster than was expected. What were you thinking?”
Just then her mom walked out of the pantry. Lisa could tell she was having a hard time fighting not to laugh. “Hi, James.”
She walked over and sat the stuff she had in her hands down on the counter, turning her back to them. “I told you, you needed to have one of your brothers do that. You knew you were going to be in trouble if he caught you,” she said, knowing Lisa was going to be in even more trouble. “You know he worries a lot, and how overprotective he can be.”
“So, your mom had already told you, you didn’t need to be on that thing, and you still got up there?”
She just gave him a sheepish look, unable to say anything in her defense.
“I know you’re not used to being unable to do everything for yourself, but while you’re pregnant, please stay off that thing. If something happened to you or the baby, it would kill me. I don’t want either one of you to get hurt.”
“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”
“Thank you,” he said, giving her a kiss to warm her insides before sitting her down.
She just smiled up at him. And just like that, he managed to make her forget all her doubts and worries about whether or not he really loved her. At least for a little while.
Chapter 16 – Tuesday, December 25 – Christmas Day
It was only seven in the morning, but Christmas at the Townsend’s started early. The entire family was already there and up. All the older Townsend children had started showing up around six. Jamie, Mindi and Lisa were already in the kitchen cooking breakfast, and Lisa was cracking eggs into a bowl when James walked in.
“Hey, ladies, is there anything I can do to help?” he asked as he walked over to Lisa, and placed a kiss on top of her head.
Jamie gave him a big smile and asked, “Can you set the table?”
“Sure thing. Are we using the Christmas dishes this morning?” he asked as he turned toward the china cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. He cleared the kitchen door just in time to avoid being ran over by a bunch of the smaller Townsend children.
“Mom, can we open presents now? Dad said we had to ask you,” Nathan said, almost pleading.
“That’s because he’s passing the buck. He knows the answer is no. Not until after we’ve eaten and read the Christmas story.” Jamie turned to look at her young son. “And you know better than to even ask.”
“Mom, come on, please. We want to open them now.” Nathan was starting to whine, and Jamie just gave him a stern look.
Zoe tugged on her brother’s shirt. “Bubby, don’t whine. You know how Mommy hates that.”
James couldn’t help but laugh. “Smart kid. She learns fast.”
When Nathan heard James’ voice, he turned and glared at him. “Why haven’t you married Lisa yet?”
“She won’t marry me,” James said, looking over at Lisa with a grin. “Why don’t you try to talk her into it? Maybe she’ll listen to you.”
“Well, if you would just...”
“Nathan, that’s enough. That’s between the two of them. Keep your mouth shut.”
“Mom, they need to get married,” the little boy said, looking and sounding way beyond his years. “Why can’t I tell him?”
“Lisa doesn’t want him told. And it’s her decision,” she answered in a stern tone. “Now, no more. Out.”
Jamie started ushering the smaller children back out of the kitchen. “Go play, unless you want to help cook.” With the threat of having to help fix breakfast on Christmas morning ringing in their ears, the five younger Townsend children turned and ran back through the batwing doors.
Lisa had been quiet during the whole exchange between James and Nathan. She was glad her mom had jumped in and stopped him from finishing his thought. She had been certain he was about to tell James what he needed to do to get her to say yes. It sounded like some of her younger brothers and sisters had been eavesdropping on some of the adult conversations. In the future, they would need to be more careful when talking about things the smaller kids weren’t supposed to hear.
Lisa had her back to the room, standing at the stove stirring the scrambled eggs. When she felt his arms come up around her waist and his hands spread across her rounded belly, it made her wonder if he was thinking about it again. His hands were shaking, and when he spoke, he sounded like he was nervous. “So, even your little brother knows. Is there anyone who doesn’t, except me?”
“He wasn’t supposed to know,” she said, laying her free hand over his. “My guess is, he’s been eavesdropping.”
“Well, actually, no he hasn’t.” Jamie looked like she was bracing for a battle.
Lisa turned and looked at her mom, causing James to drop his arms and step back. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it was for James’ sake. That was only a small taste of what it would have been like if we hadn’t told him.” She laughed, “He’s very protective of you girls. He misunderstood something I said to Mindi one day, and I thought he was going to go after Luke. It was after one of Mindi’s encounters with Tracy. I had told her she didn’t need to be using sex to distract Luke. Nathan thought they’d had sex and he started getting up in the air. So, you can imagine how he reacted when we told them all you were having a baby.”
“But why did you have to tell him what James needs to do?” L
isa just felt even more puzzled, so she turned back to the stove to stir the eggs.
“When we told him, you were having a baby, he asked who’s it was. So, we told him it was James’. He asked Zane to take him to see him. He said he was going to kick him in the shins until he agreed to marry you. This was after nearly shouting the roof off the house. I think your little brother telling him were babies come from has caused some serious views on sex and marriage. And he doesn’t even know the mechanics of it. Just that, that’s how babies are made. I don’t think I’ll ever have to worry about him when he starts dating.”
Lisa turned back to her mom and looked at her like she had lost her mind. “I still don’t understand.” She turned back to finish the eggs.
“Okay. Obviously, he couldn’t really hurt James, but he could drive him crazy. So, we had to explain why you weren’t getting married yet. That you were waiting for something. We figured James has enough stress trying to figure you out without Nathan kicking him in the shins all the time.”
“He’s starting to sound like a smaller version of Phillip and Zane. He may be worse.” Lisa was really having a hard time not laughing. “Can you imagine what he’s going to be like when Zoe and Emily start dating if he doesn’t change his point of view? He’s not going to be kicking guys in the shins for long. He’s already pretty big.”
“Yeah, I guess we’ll see who he ends up being more like. Phillip or Zane,” Jamie said with a grimace. “Now that you’ve got me thinking about it, I’m feeling kind of sorry of Zoe and Emily. And any guys they ever try to date.”
Just then the timer for the biscuits went off, and the subject was dropped. James got the biscuits out of the oven for Lisa, and Mindi finished the gravy. Everything was moved to the table, and Jamie hollered for the rest of the family to come eat.
Once everyone was seated, Lisa looked over at Phillip. “Apparently you may have a clone in the making.”
“Nathan. Yes, I’m quite proud of him,” Phillip said, grinning at her.
“You would be,” she said, giving him a grimace.
“Well, he could end up more like Zane.” Now Phillip was the one with a grimace. “Of course, I think his personality may be more on the serious side.”
“Let’s hope he’s not more like Zane. I don’t think the world is big enough for another Zane,” Jenny said, biting her bottom lip.
“Look who’s talking,” Zane said, tossing part of a biscuit across the table at her.
“Have you taught him the finer points of keeping his younger siblings out of trouble yet?” Lisa asked, turning the conversation back to Phillip.
“He’s learning. So, what brought this conversation on? Is he giving James trouble?” When Phillip looked over at James, he actually looked sympathetic.
“Not much. I’m guessing it was Mom and Dad who told him why we haven’t gotten married yet.”
“Now see, that just took all the fun out of it,” Phillip said, pretending disappointment.
“Ha, ha,” Lisa said, tossing a piece of biscuit at him.
“I still don’t see why I can’t tell him what he needs to do. He needs to marry her.” Nathan looked like a bull dog, and it made Lisa think again about Zoe and Emily’s future dating life.
“Nathan, this is between Lisa and James. She doesn’t want anyone to tell him. It has to come from him, and him only. Now, drop it. I don’t want to hear another word about it from you.” Jamie gave him her sternest look, knowing, if he kept going, he would reveal too much.
Carl almost said something. That look had crossed James’ face again. God help him, he just needed to stop thinking so much. It always looked like it was right on the tip of his tongue, and before he could get it out, the fear would take over.
Phillip noticed James was feeling stressed, and decided a change in subject was in order. He looked over at Mindi and grinned. “So, Sis, how’s the wedding jitters? Has Luke come to his senses yet?”
This time Luke threw a piece of biscuit across the table, hitting him square in the chest. “Okay, that’s enough. No starting a food fight, or you’ll be in here cleaning the kitchen up by yourself.” Jamie just glared at him for a couple of seconds, then winked. “The rest of us will be in there, opening presents.”
“I don’t need any presents,” he said looking at Mindi. “I already have everything I want.”
There was a collective groan around the table, and several pieces of biscuit came flying from as many different directions, pelting him in the head and chest.
“Please, I’m trying to eat. Don’t ruin my appetite,” Zane said, rolling his eyes.
Luke’s eyes never left Mindi. “Just wait. Your time’s coming. And possibly sooner than you realize.”
Luke had come to the realization, this time by the time Zane had lined Amanda’s problems out, they’d be getting married. Zane was so close to the edge this time he wouldn’t be able to pull himself back. She had never been in quite this much danger before. Zane was going crazy.
All the adults at the table laughed except for Zane. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Luke just shook his head and grinned.
*******
A little while later, after they were done cleaning up, everybody had moved to the game room where the tree was. Jamie had finished reading the Christmas Story and Carl was passing out the gifts with Zoe and Emily as his little helpers. Everybody was opening their presents and showing off what they had got.
Hunter had got a new football and had started tossing it up in the air in front of him. Michael made a grab for it, and went head over tea kettle over the back of the couch, almost landing on Zoe. Zoe jumped up, and grabbed the ball and threw it across the room, where it landed in Gabe’s lap.
Unfortunately for Gabe, when he tried to throw the ball back toward Hunter, it hit Lisa, who had stood up to cross the room, square in the chest. Her balance wasn’t the best because she was getting big, fast. She just wasn’t used to her current shape and size.
Thankfully, when she got off balance, James managed to catch her before she fell. “You okay, Tiger?”
“I’m not feeling much like a tiger right now,” she said, sounding a little shaky. “I feel more like a newborn kitten.”
“Okay, Michael, Zoe and Gabe, you know you’re not supposed to throw balls in the house,” Jamie said, standing up. “Take all of your new stuff upstairs and put it away. There will be no playing with it for the rest of the day.”
“That’s not fair. Hunter was tossing it up in the air,” Michael immediately started whining.
“Hunter was tossing it in the air right in front of him. He didn’t ask you to make a grab for it,” Jamie said, all of the sudden wearing a really stern look.
“But I didn’t throw it.”
“You’re the one that started the whole thing. Keep arguing with your mother, and we’ll take your stuff for the rest of the week. And it’ll all be locked in our closet.” Now Carl was wearing a stern look. “You’re lucky James managed to catch Lisa before she fell. Your mom’s going easy on you because it’s Christmas. Now, just do as you’re told.”
Zoe and Gabe, knowing better than to even try and argue, had already picked up their stuff and were headed out the door. Michael stood there for a few seconds with his bottom lip stuck out. Finally, accepting defeat, he picked up his new stuff and ran from the room.
Once the door closed behind him, and the room quieted down, Jenny realized Lisa and James were still standing in the middle of the room under the ceiling fan, where the mistletoe had been hung. “Hey, you two have to kiss. The mistletoe is on the ceiling fan this year. It’s tradition, you know,” she said, trying not to laugh.
Lisa looked up at the offending Christmas decoration and groaned. She wasn’t one for really blatant public displays of affection, and she knew her sister wasn’t going to be happy with a little peck on the lips.
That didn’t stop James from trying though. Knowing how easily Lisa was embarrassed by such things, he leaned down and gave her a q
uick peck on the mouth. Jenny, of course, wasn’t happy. “Oh, please. You two can do better than that. It’s obvious,” Jenny said, gesturing toward Lisa’s belly.
Lisa turned back toward James, not sure what to do. She just looked up at him and waited. He obviously had decided to play along. Either that, or he was just really wanting to kiss her.
Whatever the reason, he pulled her gently up in his arms, and this time when their lips touched, they forgot where they were and that they had an audience that included his parents.
He wasn’t sure how long they had let them go before they all started whooping and hollering. After a few seconds more, he finally let her go and stepped back. Her face was flushed. He wasn’t sure if it was the kiss or the embarrassment. Either way, she buried her face in his chest and groaned. He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close.
“How is it again that he doesn’t know what it is she wants from him?” Hannah asked, looking around the room at everybody else.
Jenny elbowed her in the side. “Hush.”
When Lisa started to turn and walk away, James stopped her, and pulled her back to him. “Hang on. I have something else for you.”
“James, I don’t need anything else. You know what Christmas is about for me.”
“Lisa, this is important. Please, just let me do this.” When she noticed he sounded nervous, she stopped trying to walk away from him, and stood watching him, waiting to see what he was up to.
When she noticed what he was pulling out of his pocket, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head, and she started struggling to breath. If he pulled some crazy proposal, she wasn’t sure she could stick to her decided course.
When he finally started speaking, she managed to drag a breath of air into her starving lungs. “I know an official proposal wouldn’t be enough to get you to go ahead and say yes, but I want you to take this. Accept it as a promise that I will figure this out, and we will get married. Soon.” He took a deep breath. “When I get it right, all you need to do is put this on. Okay?” When he looked her in the eyes, she could tell he was afraid she was going to say no.
Oh, Baby! (The Townsends Book 2) Page 14