Vulnerable Pieces (Cape Isle, #4): A Cape Isle Novel Read online

  She stirs and Coconut lets out a quiet meow, almost like she is telling me to be gentle with Jenna. I shed my suit jacket and my button up shirt. I toss them on the chair in the corner, before pulling my shoes and socks off. I quietly make my way to the side of the bed and crawl in behind her. Coconut lifts her head again and looks at me before jumping down. Jenna makes a little sigh in her sleep as I wrap my arm around her and pull her close to me.

  I bury face in her hair and breathe in her scent. My mind has been going a thousand miles a minute all afternoon, but now that I’m holding her everything quiets.

  “Parker?” she asks in a sleepy voice.

  “Yeah, Freckles?”

  “You came back.”

  It’s not said as a question, but I answer her anyway. “I will always come back. You can try to push me away Jenna, but I’m not ever going to truly leave you. I meant what I said this morning. I’m falling in love with you.” I let my hand drift down to her flat stomach that’s holding our baby. “We will get through this and we will figure this out, but can we please do that together?”

  Her hand comes down to her stomach and tangles with mine. She’s quiet for a long minute before nodding her head. “Yeah, together,” she says quietly.

  I let out a long breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. Thank Christ.

  I kiss her neck and move our joined hands slowly across her belly. “How are you feeling, baby?”

  “Hungry. I’ve been sleeping most of the day. I feel so tired. What time is it?”

  “About nine o’clock. I brought you some soup and that tea the doctor recommended.”

  She lets go of my hand and turns over to face me. Those beautiful whiskey eyes look up at me and I swear I can see the same emotions I feel in them.

  “You brought me soup and tea?”

  I put my hand on her back and pull her tightly against me. “Of course I did. I knew you didn’t have food here and I guessed that you hadn’t gotten the tea. I also looked some stuff up online and they say saltine crackers help with morning sickness too, so I picked some of those up. There are a few other things, but I’ll let you read the article.”

  Her mouth opens and closes but no words come out. She leans up and lays her lips against mine. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, Freckles.”

  I gently slide my hand to the side of her face and kiss her softly. I slip my tongue inside and taste her. Our mouths move together slowly and deeply. I feel like we are saying all that needs to be said in this kiss. Eventually we separate, breathing heavily.

  “How about we go to the kitchen and I warm that soup up and make that tea? Or I can bring it in here to you?”

  “No, I need to get up. I’ll meet you in there.”

  I nod my head and kiss her forehead before crawling out of the bed.

  Once I’m in the kitchen, I put the soup in the microwave before reading the directions on the tea. I have a Goddamn law degree, but I can’t figure out how to make hot tea. Isn’t that some shit.

  Jenna walks in wearing just a t-shirt and panties. Her hair is mussed from sleep and she looks fucking adorable. She smiles a small smile at me and walks over to take the box of tea from my hands.

  “I’ll do this. You can fix our soup.”

  “Deal because I have to be honest, that shit was confusing the hell out of me. I’ll watch what you do and try to do it next time.”

  She chuckles and shakes her head as she reaches for a coffee mug. That best sound in the entire world is Jenna’s laugh and I am so damn happy to hear it again.

  If she only knew how deeply I cared for her, she would know that everything is going to be fine. I can tell her over and over again what I feel for her, but I have a feeling that Jenna only believes actions not words. So I swear to myself right then that I will do whatever it takes to make sure this woman knows I’m here for her and whatever she needs. I make a promise to myself that no matter how hard she tries to push me away, I will convince her of how amazing we will be together.

  Jenna is it for me and I refuse to let her slip through my fingers.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jenna

  I HANG THE PHONE UP and stare down at it for a second. I just called the OBGYN and scheduled my appointment. The nurse said that they usually would schedule me four weeks from now, but since I explained my extreme nausea and vomiting and I practically begged her to let me come in early, she agreed. I know that the doctor already confirmed the pregnancy, but I still need to hear it again.

  Pregnant. Jesus! That’s a word I would not have thought I would be using to describe myself anytime soon. I guess things don’t always work out the way we plan them to. I mean, I guess I knew there was always that chance. Like the doctor said, no birth control is one hundred percent effective, but it’s just my luck that the first time in years that I start having sex with a man and I would pick the one who has super sperm.

  I lay my hand down over my stomach and think of Parker. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be an amazing father. I just don’t know where we stand. This was suppose to be a simple arrangement, but now it’s turned into so much more. No one even knows that we were together. My once very predictable life is now a complete mess.

  “Whatever happens you will always be loved, little one,” I whisper to my stomach.

  “Who are you talking to?”

  I jump and my hand flies to my mouth as I try to hold back the scream that is wanting to escape. I look up towards the door way and see Lexie looking at me like I’m nuts. “No one. I was just thinking of something.”

  “And needed to say it out loud?”

  “You’re such a bitch,” I mumble as I stand up and slide my phone into my back pocket.

  “You love me.”

  “Whatever.” She moves out of the doorway and I walk back into the kitchen.

  I would have never thought that the smell of baked goods would make me feel sick, but this morning when I walked in, I had to immediately run to the bathroom. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hide the fact that I’m pregnant if I continue to throw up at the slightest little thing. Parker and I haven’t talked about when we would start to tell people, but I know I need to at least get this doctor’s appointment over with and I need to tell my mom and dad before anyone else knows.

  “Are you still feeling bad?” Lexie asks, while sitting down on a stool and grabbing one of the freshly baked cupcakes. I watch as she shoves half of it in her mouth. I feel the vomit rising to the back of my throat and I quickly turn away.

  “I’m okay.” It takes me a long time to answer and I hear Lexie laughing in response.

  “Obviously you’re not.”

  “I’m fine, Lex. Drop it.”

  I hear the door chime and I wave her off as she goes to stand. “I’ll go take care of it. You finish your cupcake.”

  She quirks an eyebrow at me and stares. I know that response is not normal, but I need out of this kitchen. I have been counting down the hours until I can go home and lay down all day.

  Just thirty more minutes.

  I walk through the kitchen door and I’m surprised to see Parker leaning against the counter. He smiles widely when he sees me.

  “Hey, Freckles.”

  “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  “I could lie and say I needed coffee, but the truth is I needed to come check on you. How are you feeling?”

  I walk around to his side of the counter and he has me in his arms quicker than I can blink. He lets out a sigh and buries his face in my hair.

  “I’m okay. What’s going on?” I pull back and look up at his face. He looks exhausted.

  He gently smiles down at me and tucks my hair behind my ear. “It’s just been a long day.”

  I study his eyes for a second and notice how stressed he looks. “One of those clients that is hard to represent?” I ask.

  He nods his head. “Exactly, and I’m worried about you.”

  “I’m fine. Don’t w
orry about me. You have enough stress.”

  He smirks and shakes his head, before bending his neck and kissing me on the forehead.

  “What in the world?”

  I turn to look over at Lexie. She is standing by the kitchen doors with her mouth hanging agape as she looks between me and Parker. I try to pull away, but Parker’s arms lock around me tight.

  “Hey, Lex,” Parker says in a casual voice like this is the most normal thing in the world.

  Lexie’s mouth opens and closes a few times, before she focuses back on Parker.

  “Hey, Parker.”

  He smiles over at her before looking back down at me. “I’m going to leave the office early tonight. I’ll bring dinner. My house or yours?”

  I glance at Lexie out of the corner of my eye, before focusing on him. “My house. I need to feed Coconut.”

  He nods his head. “Alright, Freckles. I’ll meet you there.”

  He kisses my cheek, before letting me go and walking out of the door.

  Lexie and I both watch him go. She’s probably still a little too shocked to say anything, but I’m just enjoying the show. The way that man looks in a suit should be illegal.

  I make my way back around the counter and start wiping down the display case.

  “What in the fuck was that?” she demands after a minute of silence.

  I don’t answer her because honestly what do I say? I still don’t know what we are.

  “Jenna, what was that?” she questions again.

  I look over at her and she looks like she is barely containing her joy at this new development.

  “Parker and I are friends.” I shrug my shoulders like it’s no big deal.

  “Friends don’t look at each other like that.”

  I shrug my shoulder again and continue cleaning.

  “Friends don’t kiss.”

  “He kissed my cheek and you’re one to talk. You and Zack were the most touchy feely friends I have ever seen.”

  She waves her hand, dismissing my comment. “He calls you Freckles. That’s so damn cute.”

  I glare at her and put my hand on my hip.

  “Zack calls you Angel.”

  She nods her head her smile gets wider. “I know. I love it. So, how long have you been seeing each other?”

  I press my lips together and think it over. I really need to talk to Parker about this before I talk to anyone else. I don’t feel comfortable with her assuming we are a couple if we aren’t. Plenty of people raise children together without ever actually being in a relationship, right? That’s completely normal. I want to roll my eyes at my own inner thoughts. There is nothing normal about this.

  I toss the rag into the dirty clothes hamper and make my way to the back. “Let it go, Lexie,” I say over my shoulder.

  “I will for now, only because you have that look on your face that tells me you aren’t saying shit, but soon I will have you spilling every last little detail, Jenna Hudson.”

  The door swings shut behind me and I shake my head, as I get to work cleaning the kitchen. I don’t think she has to worry too much about that. Everyone will know all about it soon enough. You can’t exactly hide a baby.

  * * *

  I’m holding my shirt over my nose while mashing up Coconut’s food later that night when I hear Parker walk through the door. I both love and hate that he’s comfortable here. I love to hear him walk through that door, but I hate the fact of how much I love it or how much I would miss it if he suddenly stopped coming around. I love and hate a lot of things about me and Parker.

  I hear him set the bags down on the counter and I turn to look his way. He still has those worry lines on his forehead and around his eyes, but he is smiling brightly at me.

  “Whatcha doing there, Jenna?”

  I point towards the cat food, hoping he gets my unspoken thoughts.

  “The smell?”

  I nod my head quickly and move out of the way as he walks over to the bowl and finishes fixing it. Coconut winds her way through his feet and he looks down at her. “I think we need to change your food so your mommy doesn’t get sick fixing it.”

  The way he says ‘mommy’ makes my heart do a flip. He probably didn’t even think anything of it, but I can imagine him using that same soft voice on our child. I mean, maybe not exactly the same voice because he is talking to a cat right now, but it still makes my eyes tear up.

  Oh my God, I’m losing it.

  I start crying and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. The tears start streaming down my face and I must make a noise because Parker turns to look at me in confusion.

  He sees my tears and he sets the bowl down on the floor before walking straight over to me. He wraps his arms around me and picks me up, setting me on the counter and stepping between my legs before I even know what’s happening or have time to respond.

  He pulls back and pulls the shirt down away from my nose, before he cups my face in his hands.

  “What’s wrong, baby?”

  His voice is so gentle and caring that I immediately start crying harder. Jesus! I’m a hot mess.

  I honestly don’t know what’s wrong.

  “Are you sick?”

  “No,” I sniffle.

  “Did something happen at work?”

  “No.”

  “Was it something I said?”

  “I don’t know,” I cry, as I bury my face in his neck.

  He rubs his hands up and down my back, trying to soothe me as I continue to cry into his shirt. I finally settle down and I pull back to look at him.

  He stares at my face for a second before smiling. “Those hormones are really taking a toll on you, Freckles. I think you just cried because I fed your cat.”

  I roll my eyes, but chuckle and nod my head. “Yeah, I think it was the word ‘mommy’ too. Damn hormones. Sorry about that.”

  “Never ever be sorry for showing your emotions with me, baby.” His voice drops to a whisper. “You are going to be the best mommy ever.”

  My eyes start to tear up again and he shakes his head, with a gentle smile. He uses the pad of his thumb to wipe under my eyes. “No more tears. Are you ready for some Pizza? No wine for you this time, but I do have ginger ale.”

  My smile is immediate as I nod my head. “Yes, I’m starving.”

  “If I’d have known that pizza would make you smile like that, I would have announced it as soon as I walked in.”

  I lean forward and lay my lips against his. “You know for next time.”

  I feel his smile against my mouth and as corny as it sounds, my heart skips a beat. I don’t know what it is about Parker that is so different from every other man that I turned down over the past few years. Maybe it is his persistence. Maybe it’s the way he looks or the way he acts. Maybe it’s just that on some level my soul knows him. I’ll probably never know exactly what it is about him that made me drop my walls, but I’m so happy I did. Having a child right now is shocking, but if it could be with anyone, I would want it to be with this amazing man standing in front of me.

  “I’ll know for next time, Freckles,” he whispers against my mouth.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Parker

  “WHY ARE THESE CHAIRS ALWAYS so small?”

  Jenna looks over at me and smiles. “I don’t think the problem is the chair being too small.”

  No, the problem is probably that I can’t sit still I’m so nervous. I am usually cool, calm, and collected. I rarely get nervous, but sitting here in this doctor office waiting to go back for Jenna’s first checkup is making me want to crawl out of my skin. In my defense though, these chairs are really fucking uncomfortable.

  Another nurse comes through the door and calls Jenna’s name. I’m up out of my chair before the name is even completely out of her mouth. She gives me a small smile and I hear Jenna chuckle beside me. I mentally tell myself to calm the fuck down.

  I place my hand on Jenna’s lower back and lead her towards the door. I watch as they check the same
stuff the other doctor did, and I’m happy to see that she’s gained a little weight back since last week.

  “Did you just look at my weight?”

  “What?”

  “You just checked my weight,” she says pointing at the machine.

  “Umm… maybe?”

  “Maybe my ass,” she mumbles as she walks past me to the bathroom.

  I don’t know what the big deal is, I’ve seen her naked and I’m pretty sure I’ve kissed, licked and touched every inch of her body.

  The nurse shows me to the exam room and I sit down in one of the chairs while she puts Jenna’s chart on the table. She gives me another small smile before walking out the door.

  My leg starts bouncing up and down as I look around. Before I can start trying to make out the weird art work on the walls, Jenna walks back in.

  I watch as she slides her clothes off and starts putting on the gown the nurse provided.

  “Stop looking at me like that.”

  I shake my head and smirk. “I can’t help it.”

  “We’re at a doctor’s office,” she reminds me.

  “Jenna, I don’t care where in the hell we are, if your beautiful body is naked, I’m going to fucking look at it,” I laugh.

  She rolls her eyes and finishes tying the gown before sitting down on the exam table. “Are you comfortable being back here with me?”

  That’s a strange question. “Why would I not want to be back here with you?”

  “Because they will be doing an exam, Parker.” She says it slowly like I’m not getting it.

  “Yeah, that’s why we came here, Freckles, to make sure you and the baby are okay.”

  “Your completely fine with sitting there while he does a pap smear on me.” She quirks an eyebrow up in question.

  “He? That’s the only thing I heard wrong in that sentence. I’m not fucking thrilled to sit here while I watch another man check between your legs, but there’s no way in hell I would rather be anywhere else right now.”