She seemed to mull that over, so I pressed on.
“You married Jeffrey because you love him,” I said. “You’re a good match, and you challenge one another in ways that have made you both better people. You got a lifelong best friend and confidant in the process. And that’s just the icing.”
“He used to challenge me,” she said, more softly. “These days he just agrees to everything I say and acts as if he’s on my payroll instead of being my husband.”
I watched her as she watched me, daring me to prove her wrong. “He told you to be nicer today.”
“He asked how I was feeling, and I bit his head off because I’m stressed out. My response pressed his buttons because he’s also stressed out, and he unleashed years of complaints about how I push people away. But I could tell he specifically meant you.”
I made a mental note to hug Jeffrey until he gasped for air the next time I saw him. He was always trying to mend the bridge between Annie and me. Always encouraging her to find joy.
“Ever since I fell, he acts as if I’m dying, and I don’t need that right now. I’m upset enough. Even if I don’t show it like he does.”
My senses went on alert and my muscles tensed. “You fell?”
Did she need a doctor? A hospital? I scanned every visible inch of her across the table, heart rate rising.
“Did you fall today? Before you left home?” A B-reel of terrifying images churned in my head.
“Last month,” she said. “I was carrying a basket of laundry down the steps. I couldn’t see over it and my belly, so I missed a step and slid. Jeffrey wasn’t home. He’d been telling me for months to stop carrying the baskets. But I was on my way down, the basket needed to go, so I took it. I didn’t see the harm because it wasn’t heavy.”
Heat climbed the back of my neck as tears filled her eyes once more. “What happened?”
“My feet slid on the carpet, and I kind of bounced down a few steps on my backside. I bruised my tailbone a little, but it wasn’t broken.”
“The baby?”
“We had an early-morning ultrasound at the hospital the next day. The baby’s okay.”
That must have been the appointment they’d mentioned before I left Willow Bend. I’d known something was wrong. I should’ve pushed for answers.
“I’ve had a little spotting in the weeks since then,” she said, voice cracking slightly. “Nothing too serious, but the doctor is keeping a closer eye on me. I made it past the point of concern as far as gestational age.”
I ran the mental math and frowned. “But you’re not due yet.”
“No, but the baby is big enough to survive on its own now. Premature delivery was the biggest fear.” She released a shaky breath, not sounding at all as if the time for worry had passed. “My blood pressure is elevated, and Jeffrey is supposed to keep me calm, comfortable, and content. Then he picked a fight with me today.” Annie swiped a tear from her cheek and looked away.
My heart broke wide open, and I moved around the table to embrace her. “It’s going to be okay. You and Jeffrey will be great parents. And you and I are going to talk through all our misunderstandings before you go home.”
“I’d like that,” she said, pulling me more tightly against her and leaning her head onto my shoulder.
I’d never been so thankful for Hearthstone Manor and its quiet solitude.
Chapter Thirty
Annie and I talked for hours. I showed her around the manor and stayed close when we walked up the stairs. We changed for bed eventually, but neither of us were ready to say good night.
We settled in the sitting room, faces washed, with eyes swollen from so many shed tears.
I built a fire and brought her a blanket for her legs, then propped her feet on a stack of pillows. “I’m doing this for the baby,” I said, when she tried to push my hands away. “This isn’t for you, because you are a strong, independent woman.”
She laughed. “I’m sorry I’ve blamed you for mothering me and being busy. I was horrible for so long. I don’t know why you still talk to me.”
I sat on the floor and leaned against the couch. “You’re my sister.” I reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I mean, there were days I wanted to buzz your hair off while you slept, and I definitely complained to Mom more than I should’ve. But mostly, I just wanted us to be okay again.”
She released my hand to run her palms over her bump, looking exhausted, emotionally and otherwise.
“Have you called Jeffrey to let him know you’re okay?” I asked, wishing I’d thought of it the moment I saw her, instead of hours later.
