supposed he and his old friend had made some progress. “I guess the plan changed. He’s still at the bar.”
That news seemed to settle the rest of the kitchen staff, and Grace nodded and led Jordan to the break room. Cookbooks and magazines lined the shelves on one wall. Posters from Italy graced another. Grace pulled out two sparkling waters from the small mini-fridge beneath the shelves, and they sat at the table in the middle of the room.
He opened the bottle she gave him, the hiss sounding between them as the carbonation released. Jordan wasn’t sure where to start, so he went with his biggest concern. “How are you feeling?”
He watched her throat work as she swallowed. The new haircut made her neck seem more vulnerable. It was still a shock to see this new Grace.
“Fine. I hope you and the guys had fun.” She clenched her hands in her lap.
Fine? He put his water down, shaking his head. Sometimes straight up the middle was the only way to make the play.
“We did, but I had trouble relaxing because all I could think about was you…us…the baby. I even won the Smuck award, so I had to parade around D.C. in a rainbow tutu. So, let’s not beat around the bush. I’m not fine, and you’re not fine.”
Her green eyes widened.
“Look, if Tony hadn’t said something, I would have seen it for myself. I thought it was the stress of telling me the other night, but you look pale and fragile. I’ve never seen you like this.” And it made his stomach clench.
She glared at him. “I know how I look. Do you think I’m happy about it?”
He hated to push her buttons, but maybe it was the only way he could get through to her right now.
“Do you really want this baby, Grace?” he asked harshly.
“What?” she asked, blinking.
“I know it’s a little late, but I would understand if you didn’t. I mean, it sucks, right? We break up after you tell me you can’t wait for me to ask you to marry me and start a family, and then boom , you find out you’re having my kid. This certainly isn’t your dream life, and here I am again, making you miserable.”
“You have a nerve, talking to me like this,” she said, the words close to a snarl.
“Do I?” He kept his face straight. “I mean, you deserve credit for that type of thing. It must be awful, being such a martyr.”
He watched her raise her hand and waited for the shove.
“A martyr?” she cried. “Where do you get off calling me that? Or telling me that you’d understand if I don’t want this baby? Of course I want this baby! You do too.”
“You’re damn right I do!” he said, raising his voice.
Grace leaned back in her chair as if the wind had been taken out of her, eyes suspiciously wet. “Then why are you saying all of this?”
“Because I want you to start taking care of yourself. Grace, it kills me to see you like this. And it makes me feel even guiltier than I already do.” He paused, putting up both hands. “That’s my problem. But this isn’t going away. We need to deal with it.”
“I know that, Jordan. Do you think I like feeling like this?”
He took her hand out of instinct. She froze and started to pull it back.
“ Stop .” He pursed his lips, fighting emotion. “I can’t take you pulling away from me like that. Okay, I’ve done a lot of thinking. I know you won’t marry me, but I have a suggestion. Will you just listen?”
Her hand went lax in his, but she didn’t let go. “I’m listening.”
“You and I used to be best friends. Hell, we grew up together. Your mom and mine were close. I worked for your dad. I was part of your family. I’m not saying that we can get back to that, but we’ve got to find a way to be friends again, Grace. We have a baby coming.”
She blew her breath out slowly. “I know.”
“I spent most of my vacation thinking about what we were going to do. I know you’ll want to be a good mom and spend lots of time with the baby when you’re
That news seemed to settle the rest of the kitchen staff, and Grace nodded and led Jordan to the break room. Cookbooks and magazines lined the shelves on one wall. Posters from Italy graced another. Grace pulled out two sparkling waters from the small mini-fridge beneath the shelves, and they sat at the table in the middle of the room.
He opened the bottle she gave him, the hiss sounding between them as the carbonation released. Jordan wasn’t sure where to start, so he went with his biggest concern. “How are you feeling?”
He watched her throat work as she swallowed. The new haircut made her neck seem more vulnerable. It was still a shock to see this new Grace.
“Fine. I hope you and the guys had fun.” She clenched her hands in her lap.
Fine? He put his water down, shaking his head. Sometimes straight up the middle was the only way to make the play.
“We did, but I had trouble relaxing because all I could think about was you…us…the baby. I even won the Smuck award, so I had to parade around D.C. in a rainbow tutu. So, let’s not beat around the bush. I’m not fine, and you’re not fine.”
Her green eyes widened.
“Look, if Tony hadn’t said something, I would have seen it for myself. I thought it was the stress of telling me the other night, but you look pale and fragile. I’ve never seen you like this.” And it made his stomach clench.
She glared at him. “I know how I look. Do you think I’m happy about it?”
He hated to push her buttons, but maybe it was the only way he could get through to her right now.
“Do you really want this baby, Grace?” he asked harshly.
“What?” she asked, blinking.
“I know it’s a little late, but I would understand if you didn’t. I mean, it sucks, right? We break up after you tell me you can’t wait for me to ask you to marry me and start a family, and then boom , you find out you’re having my kid. This certainly isn’t your dream life, and here I am again, making you miserable.”
“You have a nerve, talking to me like this,” she said, the words close to a snarl.
“Do I?” He kept his face straight. “I mean, you deserve credit for that type of thing. It must be awful, being such a martyr.”
He watched her raise her hand and waited for the shove.
“A martyr?” she cried. “Where do you get off calling me that? Or telling me that you’d understand if I don’t want this baby? Of course I want this baby! You do too.”
“You’re damn right I do!” he said, raising his voice.
Grace leaned back in her chair as if the wind had been taken out of her, eyes suspiciously wet. “Then why are you saying all of this?”
“Because I want you to start taking care of yourself. Grace, it kills me to see you like this. And it makes me feel even guiltier than I already do.” He paused, putting up both hands. “That’s my problem. But this isn’t going away. We need to deal with it.”
“I know that, Jordan. Do you think I like feeling like this?”
He took her hand out of instinct. She froze and started to pull it back.
“ Stop .” He pursed his lips, fighting emotion. “I can’t take you pulling away from me like that. Okay, I’ve done a lot of thinking. I know you won’t marry me, but I have a suggestion. Will you just listen?”
Her hand went lax in his, but she didn’t let go. “I’m listening.”
“You and I used to be best friends. Hell, we grew up together. Your mom and mine were close. I worked for your dad. I was part of your family. I’m not saying that we can get back to that, but we’ve got to find a way to be friends again, Grace. We have a baby coming.”
She blew her breath out slowly. “I know.”
“I spent most of my vacation thinking about what we were going to do. I know you’ll want to be a good mom and spend lots of time with the baby when you’re
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