The moment they pulled into the drive, Tina was running from the house to open Jenna’s door. Logan was right behind her and exchanged a quizzical look with Riley. Jenna smiled. They probably wondered why they would be so happy to see each other when they’d only been together the day before. So much had happened, though, since then. They would have a lot to talk about.
“I wasn’t sure when you would come. I know you take a nap in the afternoons,” Tina was saying.
“I took it earlier today since I knew I was coming here for dinner.” She turned to grab the bag from the seat only to find Riley already had it.
“I’ve got it. I’ll go put it in the fridge,” he said.
“We brought wine and some grape juice for me,” she explained to Tina.
“Goodness, I hadn’t even thought about that. I have Diet Coke and milk. I forgot you wouldn’t be able to drink beer or wine coolers.” Tina looked worried.
“Riley thought about it and bought the grape juice for me. I’ll be fine.”
Jenna followed Tina inside. They relaxed on the couch as the men disappeared into the kitchen. She could hear them talking seriously about something, but they were too far away for her to eavesdrop. Not that she would of course. She looked over at Tina and realized they were both trying to do the same thing and burst out laughing. Tina grinned, as well.
“They’ll go outside in a minute to work on the grill then we can talk,” Tina said.
Sure enough, the men reemerged from the kitchen with beers in their hands and slipped outside through the sliding glass door.
“Now, spill it. What’s going on?” Tina asked.
Chapter Twenty
“So she’s still refusing to marry you?” Logan leaned back against the picnic table and took a sip of his beer.
“Yeah. She seems fine with my living with her but balks at making it official. I don’t get it.”
“What exactly did she say?”
“That I wouldn’t have asked her to marry her if she hadn’t been pregnant. You know that isn’t true. I was planning on asking her as soon as I found a job.” Riley shook his head.
“Well, start small. Move in and get her so hung up on you that she can’t say no.” Logan’s idea was almost funny.
“Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to help. She told me she loved me earlier. That’s as good as it gets.” He lifted the beer to his mouth.
“Yeah, it is.” Logan was silent for several minutes then a thought seemed to occur to him. He stood up and looked Riley straight in the eye.
“Have you told her you love her yet?”
“Huh?” Riley just looked at him, his beer temporarily forgotten.
“She’s told you she loves you. Have you told her you love her?”
“Well, of course I have. I told her I couldn’t live without her.” Riley shoved his hands in his pockets, uncomfortable with the turn of conversation between him and Logan.
“It’s not the same thing. You need to tell her, use the words.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I’m serious. Tina didn’t believe me at first because I told her sooner than she expected me to. You haven’t said them soon enough. You need to tell her.” Logan put his hands on his hips.
“Okay. I’ll tell her right now and get it over with.”
Logan grabbed him before he could walk inside. “No you don’t. This is something private. You tell her when you get her back home. Make it romantic.”
“I’ll lose my nerve, man. Telling her I love her will be tough enough. Thinking about telling her the rest of the night is going to be pure hell.”
Logan just laughed and shook his head. “You don’t have a clue what all is going to happen in the next few months, and you’re nervous about telling the woman you love that you love her? Man, you’re twisted.”
Riley grinned. “Yeah, guess I am.”
Logan lifted the lid of the grill and started arranging the grates.
“So, what about you and Tina? Are you getting married any time soon?” Riley asked.
“She wants to wait until the first of December. I’d rather go ahead and get it over with, but that’s a no-no with women. You don’t want to ‘get it over with’ because that sounds like you really don’t want to get married at all. Don’t make that mistake with Jenna.”
Riley grinned. Evidently, poor Logan had already learned a thing or two the hard way. He’d use all the help he could get from his friend.
“So what are you planning to do about Tina’s house?”
“She plans to sell it eventually. I think she wants to wait until after the wedding to actually put it on the market. I guess she’s nervous about it actually happening.” Logan closed the grill.
“I was thinking about maybe buying it and moving Jenna over closer.” Riley didn’t look at Logan when he said it.
“No shit! That would be great. The girls would be happier than pigs in a mud bath.”
“I never could figure out where you got your sayings, but I really doubt they would like to hear that you compared them to pigs.” Riley chuckled.
“And don’t you go telling them, either.” Logan pushed the electric start on the grill, and a whoosh could be heard as the burners fired up.
“So you honestly think it would be a good idea?” Riley asked.
“I sure as hell like it. You and I can hide when they go on the war path.”
“So, let me talk to Jenna about it before you say anything to Tina. If she isn’t planning to put it on the market till December, I have some time to talk Jenna into it. The house she has now is nice but too small for a family.”
“I doubt you’re going to have to do much to convince Jenna to move next door to her best friend,” Logan said.
“So when are you and Tina going to have a baby?”
Logan spewed out a mouthful of beer. Wiping his arm across his mouth, he stared at Riley as if he were the son of Satan.
“What? You’re cursing me now?” Logan blurted out.
“Hey, I just think it would be nice if my little guy has your little guy to play with,” Riley said without looking at Logan.
If he did, he would end up laughing his ass off. He looked over at Logan. The other man was sheet white. He’d only meant it as a joke, but come to think of it, it would be nice if their kids grew up together. Living next door to each other would help that.
“Some friend you are, wishing something like that on me. I mean, in a couple of years maybe, but right now?”
“You’re not getting any younger. You better think about how you’re going to handle a teenager when you’re fifty years old.”
Logan wiped his eyes with one hand. “Good point.”
* * * *
“He still wants me to marry him. I told him maybe later but not right now. I still think the only reason he even asked is because I’m pregnant,” Jenna said.
Tina shook her head and sighed. “I really think you’re wrong about that. I think he loves you. He looks at you as if he can’t stand the thought of losing you. He’s crazy about you, Jenna.”
“Being crazy about me is not the same thing as loving me.” Jenna sighed and leaned back against the back of the couch. “I should be happy and marry him. He treats me like a queen. He doesn’t hit me, and he is unbelievable in bed.”
Tina died out laughing. “You’ll have to tell me more about the ‘good in bed’ part later. If you want the words, then you should hold out for the words. I made Logan tell me. I knew he did in my heart, but I needed to hear him say it.”
“He’s going to drive me crazy, though, about eating. He keeps trying to push food down my throat,” Jenna complained.
“Someone needs to worry about your eating. I sure did. You’ve lost so much weight, Jenna. You really look ill.” Tina winced after she said it.
Jenna frowned. “Gee, thanks for the encouraging words, girlfriend.”
“You know what I mean. By the way, you must have gone shopping ’cause those j
eans look good on you.”
“Yeah, Riley insisted I have some that fit. It is more comfortable than all that material bunched up around my waist.”
“How is the morning sickness?” Tina asked.
“Still there. Not any better really. The doctor said it should be getting better soon. I sure hope so. I’m tired of puking my guts up every morning,” Jenna said.
“Didn’t the crackers help you some?”
“When I wake up early enough to eat one, it works fine, but lately, I haven’t woken up before I needed to be in the bathroom. I guess I could set an alarm or something. Sheesh, how pitiful is that?”
“If it would help, I wouldn’t care how bad it sounds.
“How about something to drink?” Tina asked, standing up.
“I’ll take a Diet Coke,” Jenna said.
“Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
“Hey. Do you have anything planned tomorrow?” Jenna asked.
“Not really. What did you need?” Tina called from the other room.
“I want to buy Riley some things. He doesn’t have anything but a few changes of clothes. I don’t know if he has some somewhere else, but…” She let it trail off.
Jenna wasn’t sure she wanted to confess her worry that Riley might have some at another woman’s house somewhere. She really didn’t want him to go back and get them if he did.
“You don’t want him to leave and go get them. I don’t blame you. Sure, we can go do that. Do you know his sizes? If not, you need to check when he is in the shower or something,” Tina advised as she handed the can of Diet Coke to her.
“I already did. Do you think he’s going to get pissed at me for doing it?” Jenna asked.
“Probably, but he’ll get over it. Most men could care less about clothes, so once he gets it out of his system that you bought him stuff, he’ll forget about them.”
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Jenna took a sip of the Diet Coke.
“Sure.” Tina eased down on the couch with her wine cooler.
“Have you decided yet if you’re going to sell your house?”
“Yeah, I plan to sell it. I was thinking about waiting till after the wedding, but now I’m not so sure about waiting that long.”
“You still have your heart set on a December wedding?” Jenna teased.
“Yeah, I don’t know why, but I’ve always wanted to get married then.” She smiled then grinned an evil smile. “We could make it a double wedding, you know.”
“Bite your tongue.” Jenna laughed. “Even if he were to tell me he loved me tonight, I’m not getting married with you. That’s your special time.”
“It would be even better if you were getting married with me,” Tina pleaded.
“No.”
Tina sighed and shook her head. “Okay, okay. So what were you wanting to talk about?”
“How would you feel about selling your house to me and Riley?” Jenna waited, holding her breath.
“You’re kidding, right? I would love for you two to move next door to us!” Tina jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jenna, nearly spilling her drink all over them both.
“Well, I guess that tells me how you really feel.” Jenna laughed.
“You can have it whenever you want it. I can move my stuff out in a couple of days.”
“No, don’t do that yet. I need to talk to Riley about it. I just wanted to know how you felt about it before I brought it up. I don’t know how he’ll feel about it. He might not want to live next door to Logan. Men can be weird,” Jenna said.
“You’re telling me, especially when you start talking feelings. You know and I know that Logan and Riley love each other, but tell them that and you’ve broken some sort of man rule.” Tina shook her head.
Jenna nearly burst out laughing at that. She couldn’t imagine Riley confessing his love for her much less Logan. Maybe she was asking too much of the man. He had lived on the streets for most of his life when not in the army. Revealing his feelings would come hard for him, Jenna knew. If she waited on him to tell her he loved her, she might be waiting the rest of her life with a man like Riley. It didn’t mean he was a bad man or that he cared any less for her. It just meant he didn’t express his feelings well. It gave Jenna something else to think about.
“So, let’s get together after work one night and talk about it. The house I mean,” she qualified.
Jenna nodded absently, still thinking about Riley telling her he loved her. He was there and hadn’t run off when he found out she was pregnant. That was saying a lot for a man like him. Jenna drew in a deep breath. Maybe she was asking too much of him. She loved him, and he treated her like gold. What more should she demand?
“I’ll talk to my real estate agent and see what needs to be done first,” Tina continued.
“Don’t go to any great lengths right now. I need to talk to Riley about it and see how he feels about it. I’ll talk to you more about it next week,” Jenna tried again.
“You just wait. He’ll be great with it. If I’d have realized you might want to move, I would have already offered the house to you, but I thought you loved that little house,” Tina complained.
“I do love it, but I have to be practical. Even if Riley wasn’t in the picture, I’d need more room with a child on the way. Besides, there’s practically no yard at that house, and it’s not even fenced in.”
“Those are good points. I guess when I look at getting pregnant, I need to think about things like that, too.” Tina was quiet for a little while, sipping her wine cooler.
Jenna wondered if she were seriously thinking about having a baby. It would really be wonderful if their children could grow up together. They’d always have a friend that way. By the dreamy look on Tina’s face, she might not have to wish too hard, Jenna thought.
“What are you girls doing in here?” Logan asked, startling them both.
“Hey, baby. Are Diet Cokes safe for you to be drinking?” Riley asked, a worried look on his face.
“They are fine if I don’t drink too many of them,” Jenna assured him.
Tina and Jenna exchanged looks. She was sure Tina was thinking how cute it was that Riley was so concerned about what she had to drink. “Just wait till you’re pregnant,” she mouthed to the other woman. Tina just grinned.
The four of them relaxed in the living room after dinner, talking about everything from bikes to baby beds. Mostly, the women talked about the things related to babies. Jenna didn’t grunt without Riley wanting to know if she was okay, or if he could get her anything. It wasn’t lost on Logan or Tina, either. They laughed about it, much to Riley’s consternation. Jenna yawned and noticed that it was close to one in the morning.
“You know I hate to break this up, but I’m really tired.”
Instantly, Riley was on his feet. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t think about you being tired. I’ll get you home.”
“Jenna, I’m so glad you two came over tonight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” Tina said.
“Don’t call before noon,” Riley said.
Logan laughed. “Don’t worry. If she manages to wake up that early, I’ll keep her busy.”
Tina huffed out an outraged growl and hit him in the arm. “Bastard.”
Jenna laughed and leaned back against Riley. This was what she longed for, family and friends to spend time with and grow old with. She couldn’t imagine life without Tina and Logan as her friends. She didn’t want to even contemplate a life without Riley. Maybe she should rethink her need for the words. Maybe they didn’t matter that much after all. Words were easy to say and not mean. Actions spoke much louder than words.
* * * *
Sunday morning around six, Riley woke and immediately checked on Jenna. Finding her asleep, he slipped out of the bed and around to pull out a couple of crackers from the package on the bedside table. Then he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. She moaned and woke up with a confused expression on her face at first
.
“Hmm? Is something wrong?” she asked, groggy with sleep.
“No, baby, I want you to eat a couple of crackers, and let’s see if we can outsmart that ole morning sickness guy.” He held out a cracker to her mouth.
He watched as Jenna ate the first cracker and then the second. He gave her the glass of water to wash it down and then settled her back in bed. As soon as she closed her eyes again, he visited the bathroom then climbed back in bed to curl around her. She hummed her appreciation and promptly fell back asleep.
Riley dozed off and on for the next few hours, relieved as time went by and she didn’t get up sick to her stomach. Maybe there was something to the crackers first thing. He could definitely take care of that for her.
“Riley?”
He started when she called his name. He hadn’t realized she woken up.
“Yeah, baby?” He leaned up on one elbow to look down into her upturned face.
“I’ll marry you.”
“What did you say?” He wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly.
“I’ll marry you. If you’ll still have me?”
She sounded so unsure. It tightened something around his heart to hear her sounding insecure in how he felt about her. Riley pulled her into his arms and kissed her as if he’d never get enough of her. When he finally pulled back, they were both panting.
“Jenna, darling. I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world.”
Riley had planned to get on his knees and tell her that. He’d thought long and hard about it while he’d watched her sleep that morning. Now that he’d said it, he wondered why he’d waited so long to do it.
“Do you really? Love me, I mean?” Jenna’s eyes were full of tears.
In The Still of the Night [The Protectors 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 24