The Heart's Game (The Kelly Brothers, Book 4) (13 page)

The garage door opened, and Dan grabbed her suitcase. “Right on time,” he said with a grin.

Jenny offered a quick prayer to whatever god was listening that this first introduction would be smoother than the one time he’d met her family.

She studied the man coming toward them. He was bigger than Dan, maybe three or four inches taller with broad shoulders and well-muscled arms. His hair was as black as hers, and his eyes were more gray than blue. But when he smiled, she could see the family resemblance. The brothers hugged before coming toward her door.

Dan opened it and helped her out. “Jenny, this is my brother Ben.”

She tried to keep her voice from shaking as she said, “Nice to meet you, Ben.”

“Same here. I was a little surprised when Dan told me he was bringing his girlfriend, but I’m glad you decided to come.” He shook her hand. “Sorry the visit has to be so short, but I have to play in Ottawa tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. I’m on call this weekend anyway.” Dan glanced back at her. “Ben plays for the Whales.”

He said it like she was supposed to know what he meant. “The Whales?”

Ben laughed, but without any hint of mocking. “I take it you’re not a hockey fan?”

She shook her head, wishing she was smaller than she already felt in his presence.

His eyes crinkled in amusement. “I suppose Hailey can give you a quick intro to hockey, then. After all, she’s the better player of the two of us.”

“Still a bit sore over Sochi, eh?” Dan gave his brother a playful shove.

Ben shook his head. “She may have taken home the gold medal, but I got the only gold that counts.” He held up his left hand so the light reflected off his wedding band.

The evident love Ben had for his wife chased away the nervous chill that surrounded Jenny, and her lips rose into a smile. So far, she liked his family. Hopefully, the rest would be as friendly and welcoming as Ben.

“I’ll get your things,” Ben offered. “Mom’s anxious to see you.”

Jenny wasn’t sure if he meant her or Dan, but it didn’t matter once he took her hand. They’d go into the house together.

A low, deep bark greeted them when he opened the door, followed by the galloping thump of paws on hardwood floors. Just like that day in the park three weeks ago, Dan jumped in front of her, shielding her from the approaching dog with his body.

“Jasper, come back here,” a woman called from the other room, but that didn’t stop the mass of white fur coming toward them.

The dog jumped up in his hind legs, his paws landing on Dan’s chest with enough force to make him stumble back a step, and began licking Dan’s face.

He laughed and scratched the dog behind his ears. “Good to see you, too, Jasper.”

Jasper sniffed the air and turned his soulful dark eyes on her. He jumped down and wove around Dan.

Jenny’s muscles tensed, bracing for the same greeting from the massive dog, but instead, he merely sat at her feet, licked her hand, and leaned his head against her stomach.

Jenny ran her hands through the dog’s soft fur and smiled. If this was the breed of dog Dan was thinking about getting, she was all for it.

“I’ve never seen him do that before,” the same feminine voice that had called him a minute ago said. A woman with a sleek gray bob stood on the opposite side of the living room and crossed her arms. “Usually Jasper’s so excited to see someone, the goofball knocks them down.”

“Maybe he knows to be gentle with Jenny.” Dan crossed the room and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek. “How are you, Mom?”

“Good as I can be with all of my boys gone,” she replied with a heavy note of guilt.

Jenny hid her grin as she started unbuttoning her coat. It seemed her mom wasn’t the only one skilled at the guilt trip.

“It’s only been four months since I left Chicago.” Dan rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Jenny. “Mom, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Jenny.”

She took a deep breath and hoped she’d make a good first impression. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelly.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Her warm smile mirrored her sons’, and she took Jenny’s hand in both of hers, pulling her into a hug.

But the second her bump collided with Mrs. Kelly’s stomach, the atmosphere changed. Dan’s mother stiffened and pulled away, her hand falling to the obvious bulge hiding under Jenny’s dress. Her eyes widened, then narrowed at Dan in accusation.

Jenny’s skin grew warm, the flush in her cheeks matching the color she saw creeping into Dan’s. She backed away from his mother and moved to his side. It wasn’t the first time she’d been the elephant in the room, but the silence grew more nerve-wracking with each passing second.

A tall, blond woman entered the foyer and did a quick survey of the scene before moving between Mrs. Kelly and her and Dan. “Hi, I’m Hailey, Ben’s wife. Why don’t I take you upstairs so you can freshen up a bit?”

Hailey took the suitcase Ben had just brought in, looped her arm through Jenny’s, and dragged her up the stairs before anyone could stop her. It wasn’t until they’d reached the landing that she slowed down. “Sorry about that. I figured you needed a little rescuing.”

Judging from the muffled conversation coming from below, she’d gotten out just in time. It sounded like Dan was getting the third degree from his mother. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Hailey shrugged and continued down the hallway. “I’ve been in your position before.”

Jenny trailed behind her. “You have?”

“Yeah. It’s one thing to explain a pregnancy if you’re married, but it’s an entirely different situation when you’re single.”

“You have a child?”

Hailey stopped short, her should blades squeezing together. “Had. Zach passed away a couple of years ago.”

A new wave of embarrassment washed over Jenny, but for an entirely different reason. “Now I’m definitely the one who should be apologizing.”

“No need to, Jenny.” She gave her a smile that didn’t quite chase away the sadness lingering in her eyes. “I’ve set up this room for you. I hope you like it.”

Jenny shrugged off her coat and looked out at the perfectly groomed gardens outside. “It’s lovely.”

“And Dan will be across the hall,” Hailey added with a wink. “Maureen insisted you have separate rooms.”

She giggled in spite of herself. Dan had been sleeping over at her place almost every night for the last three months. She doubted she’d be alone for long.

But the sounds of the conversation continuing downstairs chased away her mirth. The baby moved inside her, and her hand reflexively fell to her stomach, even though she knew it was too early to feel the kicks from the outside. “Maybe I should stay up here the rest of the evening. It sounds like Dan hadn’t told anyone about me.”

“None of us were expecting it, and I have a feeling Maureen just got the shock of her life. But she’s not the type to overreact. I’m guessing by the time we go back down, everything will be fine again.” Just as the words left Hailey’s mouth, the conversation below quieted.

“Maybe, but perhaps I should give them a few more minutes before returning.” She decided to change the subject. “Ben mentioned you’d gotten a gold medal.”

Hailey stood a little taller, her smile beaming with pride. “Would you like to see it?”

“I’d love to.”

***

Dan’s pulse pumped through his body as the full wrath of his mother’s icy glare fell on him.

Thankfully, she waited until Hailey had absconded with Jenny before ripping him a new one.

“Daniel Oliver Kelly, you have some explaining to do.”

Shit!
He hadn’t been called by his full name since he was seven. Usually, it was Frank who was getting the third degree from their mom. He’d always been “the smart one,” the one who never got into trouble. He was just waiting for his mom to grab him by the ear and drag him to the corner, the way she had when he was little.

But despite the anger simmering in her voice, she didn’t raise it above the level of normal conversation.

He retreated until he was backed against the kitchen counter and rubbed the back of his head. “Um, what about, Mom?”

“You know damn good and well what I’m talking about.” She closed the space between them, every inch the prosecuting attorney she’d been before she married his dad. “How far along is she?”

He’d been dreading this conversation since the moment he’d found out about the baby, but now that his mom knew, there was no getting around it. He counted back in his mind, wishing he had one of those pregnancy wheels that had gotten him through his OB rotation in med school. “Her due date is April eighth, so that would make twenty weeks and a few days, I believe.”

“Twenty weeks? She’s already halfway through her pregnancy, and you didn’t tell me?”

He looked to Ben for help, but his older brother just grinned and gave a subtle shake of his head, obviously enjoying the show.

Great. I’m in this alone
. “If it’s any consolation, I just found out a few weeks ago myself.”

“What do you mean, you just found out? How long have you been dating her?”

“Define dating.”

Even though his mother kept her demeanor quiet and contained, the anger exploding inside manifested in the twitch of her eye and the thinning of her lips. And his response had just tripped her over into the danger zone.

Thankfully, that was when Gideon decided to come in through the back door. His younger brother looked at their mom and let out a low whistle. “Uh-oh, someone’s in deep shit.”

“Watch your language,” their mother snapped, diverting some of her ire toward Gideon, much to Dan’s relief.

“Dan decided to bring his pregnant girlfriend to Thanksgiving dinner,” Ben said, still wearing that amused grin.

Time to wipe that smirk off his face. “Well, it’s not like I’m the first one of us to knock up a girl during what was supposed to be a one-night stand.” Dan jerked his head toward Ben.

Ben’s grin fell, and an aching look of regret filled his eyes. His son, Zach, had died before he had a chance to know him, and he knew his brother still mourned him.

Dan cussed under his breath. “Sorry, Ben, I shouldn’t have gone there.”

“But you’re right,” he replied in a quiet voice. Then he turned to their mother. “Mom, you should at least give Dan some credit for staying with her.”

“Exactly, Mom. Trust me when I say that no one was more shocked than me to learn about the baby, but it’s my kid, and I want to try and make this work with Jenny. So please, don’t do anything to scare her away. She’s already nervous about meeting the family, and she doesn’t deserve the third degree for my mistake.”

His mother blinked several times and backed away, her lips parted in surprise.

“And look on the bright side,” Gideon added. “You’re finally going to become a grandmother.”

The last traces of anger melted from their mother’s rigid posture, and she clasped her hands together like an excited child about to receive a present. “That’s right.”

Dan shot a look of thanks to Gideon.

“So, are you going to marry her?” his mom asked.

His throat tightened, and he coughed to clear it. “Haven’t there been enough weddings this year?”

“Daniel.” Her voice rose in warning.

“What?” He squirmed under the pressure of her glare. “Just because we’re having a kid together doesn’t mean we have to get married. This is the twenty-first century, after all.”

“I raised you better than that.”

“Mom, please, I’d rather not rush into things.”

“It’s a little late for that.”

“Yeah, and lots of couples get married after the baby’s born.” But his argument seemed to be getting nowhere with his mom, so he took a deep breath and decided to lay it all on the line. “Listen, I know this is a bit out of order, but I really do like Jenny. I think I’m even falling in love with her, so yeah, there’s a good chance I’ll ask her to marry me. Hell, why do you think I decided to subject her to a holiday with the family? I wanted her to feel comfortable around you and to know she’s welcome in the Kelly clan, so please, just give her a chance, get to know her, and please don’t do anything to screw things up between us.”

His mom stayed silent, patting Jasper on the head while she appeared to mull over his confession. Then she nodded. “I think that’s the first smart thing that’s come out of your mouth all day.”

Jasper woofed and took off for the stairs. Jenny’s laugh echoed from the next room over, and a moment later, she reappeared with Hailey. Her dark eyes glowed with excitement. “I got to hold two Olympic medals.”

Then she spotted Gideon and paled. Her voice shook as she asked, “What’s he doing here?”

Jenny may not have recognized Ben, but there was no way she couldn’t have known his young brother. Gideon’s face was everywhere.

Dan crossed the room and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Jenny, this is my brother, Gideon.”

“Your brother is Gideon Kelly?” Her breath came in shallow pants, and her hand trembled until she took his and squeezed it.