“You're a pediatrician,” Jenny said. “Don't you want like ten kids?”
“No,” Julie said. “Ethan does, but I'm fine with the four we have.”
Becky stood up and grabbed Jenny's arm.
“Come with me,” Becky said.
“Where are we going?” Jenny asked.
“To get a test so she can prove us wrong. I think she's pregnant too. I haven't had a drink yet, so I'll drive.”
“I'm not pregnant,” Julie said.
“Okay,” Becky said, as she pulled Jenny out the door with her.
The store wasn't far, so they were back about fifteen minutes later. Becky handed over the box and laughed.
“Do your business,” she said.
Julie laughed and shook her head.
“I'm not paying you back either.”
“Not a problem,” Becky said. “Your brother bought it.”
They all laughed. Tara picked the baby up and followed Lisa, Becky, Julie, Jenny, and Sandy down the hall.
“I don't need an audience,” Julie grumbled.
Julie went into the bathroom and came out with the stick in her hand. She held it until the time was up and then shoved it at Becky. They were all crowded together in the hall as Becky lifted the stick to look at it. Becky let out a squeal and covered her mouth.
“What?” Julie asked with a nervous expression on her face.
“I'm going to be an aunt,” Becky said, as she jumped up and down.
“Shut up!” Julie yelped.
She grabbed the stick from Becky and looked down at it.
“Oh shit! I'm going to kick his ass,” she cried out. “The baby's only six months old. I can't even walk into the same room as him without getting pregnant.”
They all congratulated Julie, as they walked back into the living room. Becky reached over and took Julie's drink and her own in the opposite hand.
“Guess you don't need this,” she said with a huge smile on her face.
“You can have him, Jenny,” Julie said.
All of the ladies burst into laughter.
“No, she doesn't need him. She likes someone else,” Becky yelled out over the laughter.
“You know you're happy,” Jenny said.
“Of course I am,” Julie said. “I love his crazy ass. He always finds a way to get what he wants. Wait, who do you like?”
Julie looked over at Jenny with a smirk.
“Nobody,” she answered. “Quiet, Becky.”
“Come on,” Julie begged. “You just found out I was pregnant. Spill it.”
Jenny shook her head.
The front door opened, and the room filled with noise as the men all walked into the room. Kyle looked right at Jenny as soon as he walked in. Jenny saw Becky nudge Julie just before Julie let out a gasp and laughed. Jenny glared over at both of them.
“Not a word,” she snapped.
“Remember your comment about my man all those years ago?” Julie asked.
“Whatever,” Jenny mumbled.
She could feel Kyle watching them and could only imagine what he was thinking.
As soon as Ethan walked through the door, Julie looked up at him.
“You,” she snapped out in a demanding tone, as she pointed at him.
“We better go,” Gavin said toward Becky. “I don't want to see my sister kick her man's ass. Come on, woman. We need to get our babies.”
“I'm staying right here,” Becky said. “Hold on, Julie. Anyone want a drink for the show? Maybe some popcorn.”
“What did I do?” Ethan asked innocently. “I wasn't even here.”
“You were here alright,” Becky said with a laugh.
“I'm going home. I have work to do,” Kyle said to John.
“You don't want to miss this,” Jenny said.
“I'm about to be on a roll,” Julie said, as she looked over at Jenny. “You want some of this too?”
“Nope,” Jenny said, as she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and scooted down on the couch.
Julie stood up and walked over to Ethan.
“I'm pregnant,” she growled out.
“What? Are you serious? That's awesome,” he said, as she grabbed her around the waist and swung her around.
“Put me down right now,” she said, as she smacked at his arms.
“Come on, baby,” he said excitedly. “I'm so damn happy right now. I wanted your ass pregnant so badly. You're a baby doctor. You love kids, remember. You always talk about missing them.”
“I'm going to have five kids under the age of five, Ethan,” she said in a nervous tone.
“We are going to have five kids, baby. I'm right here with you,” he said, as he took her face in his hands and kissed her softly of the lips.
“Unless you have twins again,” Gavin said with a laugh.
Julie turned and shot a dirty look his way.
“Look, dear brother,” she shot out at him. “Your wife doesn't need you that bad. That was Ethan's fault. I should have known that he had super swimmers. Damn things even got through my birth control.”
“Listen, baby,” Ethan said, as he pulled her in against his chest. “You know I get what I want. The twins are all on you. There are none in my family. Your brother right there has a set as well. That's on you and your side of the family.”
“I should have stayed away from your bad ass from the start. I knew you were trouble,” she said, trying to pull away.
He held his arms around her and kissed her softly on the lips again.
“You could always give me to Jenny,” he said with a smirk.
Kyle coughed while Becky and Julie burst into laughter.
“I don't want your ass,” Jenny blurted out.
“I'm not giving you away. I need help with all these kids,” Julie said.
“You know you love me,” Ethan said.
Julie leaned in and kissed him.
“I do,” she said. “I'm keeping my legs closed tight from now on.”
“Not for the next eight or so months you're not,” Ethan said. “My woman is sexy as hell when she's pregnant. I'm going to be buried balls deep every single night.”
“Enough,” Gavin snapped. “Don't need to hear that shit. That's my fucking sister you're talking about.”
Ethan looked over at Kyle.
“Looks like I really will have to cut back,” he said.
“Fine by me,” Kyle said. “You can let me get some work done now. Just so you know, Julie. I told his ass he needed to give you a minute to breathe before he got you pregnant again.”
“That was sweet of you, Kyle,” Julie said. “What about you. Been kissing anyone lately?”
Jenny gasped and hurried to pat her chest to try and cover it up.
“Nevermind,” Kyle said. “Get her, Ethan. I have to go get some work done. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have had so much time on his hands.”
“So I can blame you as well,” Julie said.
“No,” Kyle said. “It's all on him.”
Kyle turned around and walked out of the house. Becky and Julie looked over at Jenny and started laughing again. Jenny fell back onto the couch and laughed right along with them.
Chapter 15
Kyle
What the hell was that, he wondered? What was that shit about Ethan and her about? Why was Julie bringing up him kissing someone? Did Jenny talk to them about him? What did she say? She was smiling and laughing. He liked seeing her happy like that. The women had all really grown close.
Kyle went to his room and sat down in front of his laptop, but no matter what he did, he couldn't concentrate on his work. He got up and changed into running shorts, a t-shirt, and his shoes. Then he grabbed his phone, put his earbuds in, and turned on his music before leaving the house.
He needed to get her out of his mind and tried to concentrate on his feet hitting the ground harder and harder as he ran. Sweat began to drip down his forehead as the heat beat down on him. When he turned a corner and looked up, he c
ouldn't believe what he saw. She was running ahead of him. She looked so damn sexy as she moved. Kyle stayed behind her until she stopped and leaned down with her hands on her knees. He stopped running and walked up to her. Then he reached out to touch her shoulder. Jenny let out a yelp and jumped as she turned.
“Shit,” he said. “I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you.”
Jenny started to laugh.
“That didn't work. I thought you had work to do.”
“I couldn't concentrate and needed a run,” he said.
“Me too.”
Kyle thought about asking her if she was talking to the girls about him kissing her, but he didn't want her to take off or get upset. They both started walking while they talked about his day of golf and her day with the girls. After a bit, he looked over with a smile.
“Come on,” he said. “Show me those skills of yours.”
Jenny shook her head and stuck her earbuds in that she'd pulled out when she stopped to rest. They both turned on their music and ran together. Kyle was surprised how long she was willing to run for. He thought for sure she would have been done after twenty or thirty minutes. She kept a nice pace and moved as if it took no effort at all.
When they were in front of a store, he reached over to stop her. Then he went in to get them each a drink. They sat down on a bench to enjoy their cold waters. She asked him how long he had been running for. He'd started while he was in college. It helped him get rid of stress and he felt he was able to concentrate better on his school work after he went for a run. He liked the freedom of feeling the sun and fresh air beat against him. It was relaxing for him.
When he asked her about running, she seemed a little hesitant about answering at first. Then she told him it was a way to be by herself and think while she was married. She'd enjoyed it before, but it had really helped her during that time. Once she'd left him, she used it as a type of therapy. She'd use it to get rid of her aggression and to try and clear her mind.
He wanted to ask her more about her marriage, but he didn't think they were close enough for that yet. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to spend more time with her. They'd spent more time together on that vacation than they had the five years since he'd met her.
They ran for another hour before going back toward their houses. He stopped in front of Gavin's and pulled the earbuds from his ears.
“You didn't even lose me,” he joked.
“You're not so bad,” she said.
“I've got skills too,” he said. “Make sure you tell Becky.”
“Yes, you do,” she said. “I'll see you later, Kyle.”
She walked quickly to the house and disappeared inside. He couldn't help feeling like he was in high school again.
The next two days, he worked and hung out on the beach with the kids. He knew once he went home he wouldn't be able to see them often. With Ethan finding out Julie was pregnant, he was sure to cut back on his hours. That would leave Kyle with more work, and he was actually excited about it. It would give him time to prove to Ethan that he would be just fine on his own.
He'd look down the beach and see her playing in the sand or sitting back reading, and he couldn't help but smile. There were a few moments that he knew she busted him watching before she'd quickly turn away.
All of the families got together at Josh and Lisa's the final night for dinner. They had finally bought a house there, and Lisa was so happy. She was so proud to be serving them all dinner in their new home away from home.
Jenny moved around the table helping the kids get their plates. When she looked up, her eyes connected with Kyle's, and he thought he saw sadness in them. He knew he was going to miss seeing her each day, even if it was from just down the beach. When he smiled, she smiled back before looking back at the kids she was helping.
The next morning, Kyle's flight was leaving much earlier than the rest. Heath and Tara were staying another week, as well as Josh and Lisa. John, Ethan, and Gavin's families were all flying home together. Jenny was flying with them. Kyle was up and gone before anyone else had even gotten out of bed.
He'd really had a nice vacation and knew it was somewhere he'd want to go often. The beach was beautiful and there were so many places to run, walk, picnic, and just enjoy the outdoors. The more he thought about it, the more he knew how much he was going to miss it. He was on a plane flying away when he made a decision. As soon as he got home, he needed to make some calls.
Chapter 16
Jenny
Jenny knew that Gavin and Becky were flying home with John, Sandy, Ethan, and Julie. For some reason, she had assumed Kyle would be flying with them. She was looking forward to seeing him one last time before getting back to real life. When they walked outside to meet their cars, he wasn't there. She wanted to ask John without trying to be obvious. When he told her Kyle had flown out earlier in the morning, she felt her heart sink. She wouldn't be able to see him after all.
The flight home seemed so long and gave her time to think about her life. She knew it was time to get back out on her own and start her life over. She wanted to find a place of her own so she could have some time to herself and Gavin and Becky could have their house and privacy back. They had been so good to her and never once suggested she should leave, but she knew that after six months, it was time. She thought that maybe it was time to get out there, make some new friends, and possibly go on a date or two. The guy buying her a drink in the bar was creepy, but being around Kyle and spending time with him was nice. He might not be interested in her in that way, but she was sure she would find someone to spend a little time with. Jenny didn't want to get into a serious relationship, but the thought of making friends and hanging out with someone more her age sounded good.
Everything was back to normal as soon as the plane landed. Monday morning was right around the corner, and Gavin was back in work mode. Jenny spent the rest of the day in her room preparing for the following morning. She went over Gavin's schedule to make sure she was ready to jump back in.
Monday morning was busy. Everyone seemed to have questions for her about Gavin's week and when he was available. He definitely was good to his employees. They never felt strange going to him with things. It made his days twice as busy, but it kept his employees with his company. There was barely ever turnover, and Jenny was proud to work there as well.
Things had calmed down by the afternoon, and she found herself online looking for apartments. She reached up to rub her neck as a shiver spread across her shoulders. When she heard a throat clear, she jumped and looked up to find Ethan and Kyle standing in front of her. She couldn't help but look Kyle up and down. He was right back to business in his suit and tie.
“Sorry,” she said nervously. “I didn't hear you walk up and didn't know you were coming. Gavin didn't mention he had a meeting with you today.”
“We're special,” Ethan said with a smirk. “Don't need an appointment.”
She didn't have time to think before Gavin walked out of his office and stood behind her. With Kyle standing in front of her, she'd forgotten what she had been doing.
“What are you doing?” Gavin asked.
Jenny turned around to look at him. He was looking down at her. She thought he was talking to Ethan.
“What?” she asked.
“Are you looking for an apartment?” he asked. “We aren't in a hurry for you to leave, Jenny. We like having you there. You're family.”
“I know,” she said, quickly closing the browser on her screen. “I think it's time to give you and Becky back your home. It's also time for me to go it alone.”
“Come on, Gavin,” Ethan said. “What if she goes out or something? She's not going to bring a guy back to your house.”
“She doesn't need to be doing that,” Gavin said. “I'll be watching the next guy. I should have done it with the last one.”
“I'm a grown woman,” she interrupted.
“You're family,” he replied.
“You should h
ave seen his ass when he found out I was with his sister,” Ethan said with a laugh. “I thought his head was going to explode. I'm glad he has you to worry about now.”
“I'm still watching your ass,” Gavin snapped at Ethan.
Gavin looked down at Jenny.
“You should have said something. I could have found you something awesome and gotten you a good deal.”
“I need to do this on my own,” she said with a smile.
“Why?” he asked.
“I just do,” she said.
Gavin grumbled something, but Ethan pulled him away to the conference room to talk with him and Kyle.
After a few minutes, Jenny got up and walked to the conference room. She opened the door quietly and leaned in a bit.
“Did any of you need something to drink?” she asked.
“Water,” Ethan said.
“Coffee,” Gavin said.
“I'm good,” Kyle answered.
She walked away to get there drinks. When she walked back into the room, she set a water down in front of Ethan, a coffee down in front of Gavin, and a water down in front of Kyle.
“Just in case,” she said with a smile.
“See, you need an assistant, Kyle. He doesn't want one. I tell him how much easier she would make his life. Tell him, Jenny. You help Gavin a ton. Without you, he'd be lost. He treats you good, right?”
“It's great,” she answered sarcastically. “All he has to do is go where I tell him. Maybe after nine years, you can put your nose into her love life too.”
“Jenny,” Gavin snapped.
“I'm kidding, a little. You've been there for me when I had nobody. I could never thank you and Becky enough for all you've done to help me. I'll let you guys get back to work. Isn't Ethan supposed to be home with his pregnant wife?”
“Get back to work,” Ethan said with a laugh.
She saw Kyle look at Ethan out of the corner of his eye.
“I'll be back,” Kyle said, as he stood up and walked right by her and out of the room.
Jenny joked around with Gavin and Ethan for a minute before walking out and down the hall. Kyle walked by her. She reached out and touched his arm to stop him. He was so close. She wanted to grab him by the tie and pull his lips to hers, but she knew she couldn't.
The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6) Page 6