She lifted an eyebrow. “Guess she’s had some practice then.”
Her father swiveled in her direction. “Are you pregnant?”
“Surprise?” she asked. It’s not as if she was trying to make light of it, but her mother at least eased some of her fears.
There wasn’t anything she could do about it anyway.
“Is she joking, Vanessa?”
“No,” her mother said. “We’re going to have another grandchild in about seven months.”
“What about another wedding?” her father asked.
“Dad. One thing at a time. Times are different.”
“Not so different that I don’t want my daughter to be married before she has a child. How come Arik isn’t here with you? Is he afraid I’d return to the garage for my shotgun?”
Thiswasn’t going as well as she’d hoped.
“No. I asked him to let me come alone. But we can come to dinner and talk to you both. He’s very excited. We’re in love with each other.”
“That’s the first step to a ring on the finger.”
“Joe Bond, cut it out. You’re going to make Natalie self-conscious.”
Too late.
“I’m speaking the truth. I know my daughter. This isn’t what you want, is it?”
“I’ve learned that what I want in life isn’t always what I get. Or at least not in the order I thought it’d fall. As Mom saidrecently, life happens and it’s happening to me. We love each other. He’s not going anywhere and I believe that. We’ve got months to figure the rest out.”
“You’ve always known your mind,” her father said. “Right or wrong, you did your thing.”
She always did the right thing and that might be why her father was reacting the way he was now.
“That’s right. I have and I will again. I’ve got a good job and Arik is more than financially secure. None of that will be an issue.”
“I didn’t say it would be. You don’t even live together. How do you know he won’t get on your nerves? When the baby comes, I’m going to assume you’ll be living together because I expect you to be married.”
“Joe! Stop picking on Natalie.”
“He’s not joking,” she said.
“Yeah, I am,” her father said, sighing. “I don’t want to be, but I can’t force anything. I’m not joking about the fact you could get on each other’s nerves. You’re pretty... particular about the way you do things.”
“I am and he knows it. He’s a slob. We’ve had this discussion. It’s why he’s got a cleaning person who comes in twice a week.”
“You wouldn’t want that,” her mother said. “Someone going through your private things.”
“I don’t live with him.”
“Now,” her father said.
“Now,” she agreed. “But I’m not going to be his maid. We’ll have a lot of things to work out, but nothing that has to be done today. I wanted you both to know. I’d like to keep it a little quiet. I’ll tell Carter, Avery, and Grayson this weekend. No one else until I’m out of the first trimester.”
It’d give them more time to get a better handle on their future.
40
