“I was thinking about cutting back on my work. I could get on the PRN list and not keep working the long hours I am.” She was always afraid to bring up any topics related to money with him, never knowing how he’d react. He wanted her to work to make money, but he didn’t want to use the money they already had. He truly baffled her most of the time.
“What’s the PRN list?” he asked, not recognizing the term.
“As needed. So I would agree to work Monday through Friday to cover for someone who was out sick, but that would be a day or two per week and not the kind of hours I have been working.” She put her hand on her belly, which was already huge. “I’m getting a little too big to be on my feet all the time anyway.”
Tony studied her for a moment. “Is that what you want to do?”
“I don’t know! I just feel like we’re never together, and I worry that without more time, our marriage is going to fall apart. We never see each other!” She was so confused about what to do, she didn’t have any answers.
“I don’t want you to have to give up your career so we can spend time together.”
“I don’t either,” Jenni responded. “I would be able to keep my finger in the pie this way, though. It’s not like we need the money.”
He frowned. “I don’t want to keep using your trust fund money. I feel like we should be using the money we earn to get by, not the money you have set aside.”
“Why?” she asked, more than a little frustrated with the topic. “I have more money than I know what to do with. I work because I need to feel like I’m going somewhere—like my life is worth something. Not because I need to.”
He shrugged. “I don’t feel like we should use that money for living expenses. It just feels wrong.”
“Why don’t you call my dad and see what the money was meant for? He was a trust fund baby too, and Mom has never worked a day in her life. Not real work anyway. She’s done the charity ball thing, but that’s about it.”
“But I should provide for us.”
“Why? Seriously, I don’t understand. If I was a famous singer, would you feel the need to avoid using any of my money I made? You’re making me crazy with the money thing. We have it. I’m not going to burn it, so we should use it.”
“How much is your allowance per month?” he asked, trying to get a real handle on what she could do with her money.
She sighed heavily. “We can take out thirty-thousand a month and the money will still grow. We have no house payment, so we should never really need that much.” She’d always gotten the impression he didn’t want the exact figure, so she was doing her best not to say it, but they could take a lot more than that out from just the interest on the money she had.
“What do you mean it’ll still grow?”
“I mean you don’t need to worry about money at all. Just trust me on this. Talk to Dad if you need to. The amount of money I have in that trust fund is more than I can begin to comprehend. You might be able to understand it given your line of work, but it’s just sitting there collecting interest. Let’s use some of that interest. I’ll stay home with the baby. I’ll do what needs to be done. You need to stop worrying about finances.”
Tony looked at her. “I don’t know if that’s even possible.” He’d worried about money for so long, it was a way of life.
She took his hand in hers. “Look, we could live for the rest of our lives on the interest from my trust fund, and we could live very well on that interest. I think it’s best for me to go to PRN for now. Is that all right with you?”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked, frustrated more than she could possibly express. “Give the money to a random stranger so we can work harder and raise our child with only what we make? I don’t know what you want from me!” Between them, they made decent money, but why should they throw away the money she already had?
“I don’t know either. I feel like I’m going against my principles by letting you pay for things that I think I should pay for, but I don’t think I should give up my children’s inheritance.” He shrugged. “I have no clue what I want. I wish I did.”
“You sound angry with me over the money situation, and I really don’t know what I should do. I feel like you don’t want me around anymore.”
He shook his head. “Of course I want you around.” Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “Give your notice at work and do the PRN thing. We’ll make it work.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded, picking up his fork and pushing the situation to the back of his mind. “And eat your supper. I want some time in the pool before we got to bed.”
“You do?” She was surprised because he had been spending very little time in the pool with her.
“Yup. It’s ours. We own it. Why am I depriving myself of something I’d enjoy just because I didn’t earn it with my own two hands?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been wondering that for a long time.”
He loaded the dishes into the dishwasher while she changed into her bathing suit. They’d made a deal early on that whoever did the cooking didn’t do the dishes. When he went out to the pool, she was already swimming laps. He dove in after her, moving quickly to where she was in the pool.
“You really like swimming, don’t you?”
She stopped, treading water. “I was never athletic in any way, except for swimming. I was on the swim team in high school.”
“Not in college?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I was really devoted to my studies in college. I didn’t do a lot of extracurricular activities.” She hoisted herself up to the side of the pool and sat with her feet dangling, enjoying the slight breeze after the hot day. Even at seven at night it was over ninety degrees. “What about you? Did you do a lot of extracurriculars?”
He shook his head. “No, I went to college in Massachusetts, and I had two best buddies there. The three of us did everything together. One of the friends came up with this concept for an internet dating site, and all three of us worked on it for the rest of our college years. I kept the books. It was my role. I still fly out there on occasion to help straighten out a mess when necessary.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
“That’s how I know Seth, Slade’s twin.”
“That’s cool.” She frowned. “I feel like I barely know you at all. I didn’t know something as simple as whether or not you did extra stuff in college. Why haven’t we talked about those things?”
He shrugged. “It really bothers you, doesn’t it?”
“It does! I feel like I should know everything about you by now, and I know nothing. We’ve been married almost five months.” She patted her burgeoning belly. “There’s proof!”
He stared at her stomach for a moment. He’d been so careful not to have a lot of physical contact with her, and she’d worn such loose clothes for months, that he hadn’t really noticed how big she’d gotten. “I don’t even know what to say to that. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Jenni sighed. “The problem is, I don’t know exactly what I want to know. I just feel like I should know everything! So much of this stuff would have come out naturally during the course of dating, but we never dated!”
Tony climbed out of the pool to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Do you regret marrying me?” He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
She shook her head immediately. “Of course I don’t regret marrying you. I’m just not sure what to do now! I regret not spending more time with you, but you were busy, and I was busy, and… I think we need more time together. A lot more time together.”
He nodded solemnly. “If you’re not going to be working on the weekends, why don’t we make Saturday night a date night every week. We’ll go out and do stuff. Maybe we can go out with Heidi and Slade. Seth says Slade does this really cool thing where he rides a mechanical bull standing up. I can’t imagine how anyon
e could really do that, but it sounds fun to me.”
Jenni nodded. “That sounds good. I’m going to give Vicki my written notice on Monday.”
“Vicki?”
“Yeah, she’s the DON.”
“What’s a DON?” Tony was constantly confused by her use of acronyms when it came to her job. It seemed to him that there were dozens of terms that were only for nursing.
“Director of nursing. She’s in charge of the entire staff for the nursing home.”
“Will she be upset?”
Jenni shrugged. “She won’t be happy. We’re always short-staffed, so it’s going to be a pain to have me quit, but having me PRN will help a lot, I’m sure.” She knew Vicki was always needing someone good to take over shifts, and it was easier to hire someone full time than it was to have someone who wanted to just work as needed.
“Okay. Are you sure that’s what you want?” He tilted her face up to his, looking into her eyes. “I’m worried you won’t be happy if you’re not working.”
“I won’t be happy if our marriage fails because we haven’t taken any time to get to know each other. I can still work on occasion, and see the people I love so much, but I won’t have to be there all the time. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and it seems to be the only good solution.”
He stood up and helped her to her feet. “I’m going to shower the chlorine off.”
“Me too. May I go first?”
“Of course. I’ll just use one of the guest bedrooms to shower.” He raised an eyebrow. “Or we could shower together?” He liked that idea a lot.
She shook her head. “Maybe after the baby’s born, we can play that game. Right now I feel huge and don’t want anyone seeing me.”
“You didn’t want me seeing you even before you were pregnant. Don’t try that excuse on me.”
She grinned, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. “I guess you know me a little if you don’t buy my sad excuses.”
He caught her shoulders and held her to him, feeling her belly pressed against his stomach. It felt strange to him, and he couldn’t wait to explore her body. She’d given him permission to touch at supper, and if it really wouldn’t hurt her, he was going to do it. He’d have to google it first, though. He didn’t want to risk anything with their baby.
Thirty minutes later, Jenni came out of the bathroom to find him using his phone. “Checking email?” she asked, drying her hair with a towel, dressed in a nightgown which came to past her knees.
“Just searching for something,” he responded. When she got into bed beside him, he put his phone on his nightstand, turning to her completely. “I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t desire you, because nothing could be further from the truth.”
She sighed, leaning toward him to rest her cheek against his bare shoulder. “I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. I didn’t know what else to think.”
“Well, from now on, always go with the ignorant man excuse. I had no idea I could touch you or that you’d want me to. You were vomiting all the time, and now you’re not, but I don’t know what you’re feeling.”
She shrugged. “I’m feeling big. The baby is starting to move. I felt flutters today.”
“Flutters?” What did that even mean?
She nodded. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s like there’s this little butterfly wing inside you.” She bit her lip, trying to come up with a better way to explain. “Do you know what a butterfly kiss is?”
“You mean when someone puts their eyelash close to your cheek, and they blink so you can feel the eyelash, and it tickles?”
“Yes. That’s kind of how it feels. Like a butterfly kiss.”
“Can you feel it from the outside?” He pulled away a bit, looking down at her stomach, expecting it to do—something—he had no idea what.
She shook her head. “Not yet, but I should be able to within a month or two.”
Tony frowned. “I still have a hard time believing there’s a little human in there.”
Jenni shrugged. “You need to start believing it, because it’s not going to be much longer, and that little human will be out here, and we’re going to have to figure out what to do with it.”
He pulled her close again. “Well, until it comes out to see us, we can make love? When do we have to stop?”
She shrugged. “Some doctors advocate sex until you go into labor. Some say you have to stop a little before delivery.”
“Which do you believe?”
“If it hurts, we should stop. Otherwise, I’m enjoying my husband…”
“I like the sound of that.” He leaned down and caught her lips with his, his hands stroking over her body. One immediately went to her belly, and then pulled back, unsure if it would hurt her. “I’m afraid to touch your stomach.”
She laughed. “It’s just like a hard ball. I promise, you’re not going to hurt me even a little bit.” She took his hand and placed it right back on her stomach. “You need to get used to how it feels. When it’s time for childbirth classes, you’re going to be expected to touch it. Often.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are we doing childbirth classes?”
“You’d better believe we are. And you’re going to be my birth coach. You’ll like it.”
He looked down into her eyes with a frown. “Are you sure about that?”
She grinned pulling his head down for another kiss, glad he was touching her. She’d been worried their marriage was too broken to ever be this close again, so it was a relief to her.
A long while later, she rested with her head on his shoulder, her face flushed red from the exertion. “I think I like it better now that I’m pregnant. I wasn’t really expecting that.”
He kissed her forehead. “I got that impression. I’m sorry I wasted so much time when we could have been enjoying each other.”
“It didn’t bother you that I’ve gotten so huge?” That was the base of her worry. That he wouldn’t be attracted to her because she’d lost her figure.
“Never. That’s my baby in there. How could that bother me?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Men are strange, and let’s face it, you’re a little stranger than most.”
He thought about that for a moment before shrugging. “Maybe I am. I don’t mean to be, though.”
“I think most men would have been pleased to realize they’d married an heiress.”
“I guess I am strange then. Because I’d much rather I’d married a penniless woman who was willing to work hard.”
She bit her lip, a tear popping into her eye. Did that mean he’d have been happier if he hadn’t married her? She hoped not, because there was nothing they could do about it now. They had to finish out their year together because of the contract, and she didn’t see either of them giving up custody of the baby she carried. They’d just have to muddle through.
Tony sighed contentedly, holding her close. It had been an emotional evening for them, but a good one. They’d come closer together, and when it came right down to it, he was glad she was going to quit her job. He wanted her around. It wasn’t that he wanted her to do a lot of stuff around the house, because that had never mattered to him.
No, he liked to be with her. He liked the days when he knew she’d be home before him, waiting. She was exactly what he’d pictured in a wife, except several million dollars richer. He was going to be able to get past that. He was sure of it.
Jenni turned her back to him, crying onto her pillow. He still wanted someone who had no money. Would he ever be content with the woman he’d married? Or would she never find a way to be good enough?
Chapter Ten
The last two weeks of working full-time at the nursing home went quickly for Jenni, and before she knew it, it was time to go in to find out the gender of the baby. She and Tony were doing a bit better, spending more time together, but she still felt as if he was deliberately distancing himself, especially after the comments about her wealth.
He came home from work jus
t after lunch on the Wednesday of her appointment. “Do you want me to drive?” he asked, as he came out of the bedroom in shorts and a T-shirt instead of his work clothes.
“That would be nice, if you don’t mind.” She didn’t want to admit it to him, but it was getting harder and harder to get in and out of her truck.
He kissed her softly. “So do you think it’s a girl or a boy?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know really. Does it matter to you?”
They’d talked so little about the baby and how they’d raise him or her, it was scary. They would need to start discussing the important things and not just talk about money. She’d always thought the lack of money was what put stress on a relationship, but apparently with them, it was too much money.
Getting into the passenger seat of his car, she wiggled a little trying to get comfortable. “Are you okay?” he asked, not having noticed her acting uncomfortable at all before.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Baby’s just sitting off to one side funny, and I’m not super comfortable. No big deal.”
“Did you talk to the doctor about it? Is there anything they can do?” His voice sounded slightly panicked.
She laughed softly. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. It’s really no big deal. I’m not in danger, and neither is the baby.”
They’d chosen a doctor there in Southlake, so the drive was only a few minutes. “Have you thought at all about names?” he asked.
“I have no idea. I want something unusual enough that there won’t be fifteen kids with the same name in one class, but normal enough people won’t wrinkle their noses. Does that make sense?”
“It makes a lot of sense to me. I have no ideas for names, whatsoever.”
She sighed. “We’ll go through a baby name website when we get home and we know what the gender is. Will make it easier.”
“Works for me.” He pulled into the parking lot at the doctor’s office. “Let’s go find out what we’re having.” He found he was excited to know what the sex was. He didn’t care either way, but knowing would make the baby seem that much more real to him.
An hour later, he left the doctor’s office, more than a little shell-shocked. He didn’t know why, but he had assumed it was a boy. How was he supposed to know what to do with a little girl?
Teasing in Texas (At the Altar Book 10) Page 10