Read Online And Then Forever by Shirley Jump - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shirley Jump
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Kincaid said. Just as he’d said a dozen times before.
“I know that. It’s still scary as heck, though. I mean, he’ll have a right to the baby—”
“Supervised visits, the lawyer said. There’s enough evidence of…” Kincaid’s voice trailed off and he gestured toward her arms. The bruises had yet to fade, ugly, purple reminders of that last fight. Her ribs still ached, but she didn’t tell Kincaid. He’d want to bring her to another doctor, and the last thing Abby wanted was to tell her story to one more stranger.
“You don’t have to stay here,” she said. “You can go back to New York.”
Kincaid stared into the dark nothing that stretched forever, maybe all the way to Lisbon, or Saint-Nazaire. Maybe they should have gone there, as far across the world as a plane could reach.
“There’s nothing I want in New York.”
“Working for Dad isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?”
Kincaid chuckled, but it was a dark, bitter sound. “Definitely not. When I started at the firm, I thought maybe it would bring us closer together.”
She arched a brow. “Closer?”
“Well, less distant.”
Abby snorted. “Both of them have always been as distant as the moon from the earth. I swear, we should ask for DNA tests, because sometimes I find it hard to believe Mother and Father had children at all.” She sighed.
Kincaid’s arm tightened, and he dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I know what you’re thinking, and you are going to be a fabulous mother.”
She worried about that all the time. The two of them had been brought up by a staff, not parents. Butlers and maids, a constant rotation of nannies and tutors, with their parents making rare appearances, like guest actors on a long-running series. “I hope so.”
“Well, in a few weeks, you’ll find out for sure. Either way, I know you’re going to be an amazing mother, Abby. You’re amazing at everything you do.”
She ran a lazy hand over her stomach. The baby bulged inside her, seeming big enough already to be delivered. Thankfully, Abby hadn’t had much morning sickness or discomfort, but as she eased into the last couple weeks of her pregnancy, the word “comfortable” had left her vocabulary. Every move she made required a new twist, to accommodate her expanding belly. But she wouldn’t have traded a second of the experience for anything else in the world. This was her child, her daughter or son, and she was going to love this baby in the best way she could. Even though Gordon had insisted he wanted to know the gender, telling her it made everything easier to plan for, Abby had refused. She’d lain there on the vinyl mattress in the gynecologist’s office while the tech swirled cold gel across her belly and told Gordon no. He’d been angry at being thwarted and, as if he were ten years old, stomped out of the room before the ultrasound even started. That had been the beginning of the end for Abby, and the moment she’d realized her child came first. Regardless of what gender this baby would be.
Abby figured there were few real big surprises one could have in life, and this one, this very first special one, she wanted to hold onto for as long as possible. So she and her brother kept up the ongoing boy/girl debate, while Abby waited with happy anticipation for the answer. “Thank you, Kincaid.”
“You’ve said that a hundred times. No need to say it again. I’m your brother. What else would I do but help you?”
“Live your own life.”
“I am.”
But he hadn’t been, and she knew it. Kincaid worked, helped her, and did nothing else. The last relationship he’d had meandered along for months out of convenience. Abby couldn’t even remember the girl’s name now. Her brother had been there through all her drama and changes, but he had never said a word about his own needs or wants. The only time Abby had ever seen Kincaid truly happy, doing things he wanted to do, spending his days with someone who made him
“I know that. It’s still scary as heck, though. I mean, he’ll have a right to the baby—”
“Supervised visits, the lawyer said. There’s enough evidence of…” Kincaid’s voice trailed off and he gestured toward her arms. The bruises had yet to fade, ugly, purple reminders of that last fight. Her ribs still ached, but she didn’t tell Kincaid. He’d want to bring her to another doctor, and the last thing Abby wanted was to tell her story to one more stranger.
“You don’t have to stay here,” she said. “You can go back to New York.”
Kincaid stared into the dark nothing that stretched forever, maybe all the way to Lisbon, or Saint-Nazaire. Maybe they should have gone there, as far across the world as a plane could reach.
“There’s nothing I want in New York.”
“Working for Dad isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?”
Kincaid chuckled, but it was a dark, bitter sound. “Definitely not. When I started at the firm, I thought maybe it would bring us closer together.”
She arched a brow. “Closer?”
“Well, less distant.”
Abby snorted. “Both of them have always been as distant as the moon from the earth. I swear, we should ask for DNA tests, because sometimes I find it hard to believe Mother and Father had children at all.” She sighed.
Kincaid’s arm tightened, and he dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I know what you’re thinking, and you are going to be a fabulous mother.”
She worried about that all the time. The two of them had been brought up by a staff, not parents. Butlers and maids, a constant rotation of nannies and tutors, with their parents making rare appearances, like guest actors on a long-running series. “I hope so.”
“Well, in a few weeks, you’ll find out for sure. Either way, I know you’re going to be an amazing mother, Abby. You’re amazing at everything you do.”
She ran a lazy hand over her stomach. The baby bulged inside her, seeming big enough already to be delivered. Thankfully, Abby hadn’t had much morning sickness or discomfort, but as she eased into the last couple weeks of her pregnancy, the word “comfortable” had left her vocabulary. Every move she made required a new twist, to accommodate her expanding belly. But she wouldn’t have traded a second of the experience for anything else in the world. This was her child, her daughter or son, and she was going to love this baby in the best way she could. Even though Gordon had insisted he wanted to know the gender, telling her it made everything easier to plan for, Abby had refused. She’d lain there on the vinyl mattress in the gynecologist’s office while the tech swirled cold gel across her belly and told Gordon no. He’d been angry at being thwarted and, as if he were ten years old, stomped out of the room before the ultrasound even started. That had been the beginning of the end for Abby, and the moment she’d realized her child came first. Regardless of what gender this baby would be.
Abby figured there were few real big surprises one could have in life, and this one, this very first special one, she wanted to hold onto for as long as possible. So she and her brother kept up the ongoing boy/girl debate, while Abby waited with happy anticipation for the answer. “Thank you, Kincaid.”
“You’ve said that a hundred times. No need to say it again. I’m your brother. What else would I do but help you?”
“Live your own life.”
“I am.”
But he hadn’t been, and she knew it. Kincaid worked, helped her, and did nothing else. The last relationship he’d had meandered along for months out of convenience. Abby couldn’t even remember the girl’s name now. Her brother had been there through all her drama and changes, but he had never said a word about his own needs or wants. The only time Abby had ever seen Kincaid truly happy, doing things he wanted to do, spending his days with someone who made him
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