properly taken care of, but now he was pointing out things that needed to be tended to before she was even aware of them. She loved this new side of him , and she was finally beginning to believe the old, indifferent Adam Kincaid had disappeared for good.
“Here you go.” Kincaid said as he emerged from the house.
She took the small plate of toast and settled it on her lap before reaching for the cup of tea. “This is very sweet of you. Are you going to grab your breakfast and join me?”
“Sorry, sweetheart, you’re on your own. The boys will be here any minute clamoring for food and I promised Kenny I would set the table.”
Jessie almost choked on the tea she’d just sipped. “Adam Kincaid doing a household chore? The world must be coming to an end.”
“Don’t forget to duck when the sky starts falling,” he laughed, “because I also promised to help with dinner.”
She shook her head in disbelief when he left her to go help Kenny and was still sitting there with a stunned look on her face when the ranch hands started piling onto the porch. For a moment they surrounded her, asking how she felt and assuring her they would take care of everything until she was better. It warmed her heart to have all of them hovering over her acting like mother hens even though she was certain it was nothing more serious than a virus.
“Go on, the lot of you,” she shooed them inside.
Only Del lingered behind, eying her with concern. “I need to ask you something, Jess, but I’m worried it will upset you.”
She smiled up at him. “Don’t be silly, we’ve been friends a long time, you can ask me anything.”
He glanced back at the door before directing his gaze back to her. “It’s just that…well, you know I have three sisters and they’re all married…with kids…so I’ve been around them when…” He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet.
“Oh, for Heaven sakes, out with it Del. Is this a family thing? Do you need time off to visit your sisters?”
“No, no it’s not that.” He looked up at her again. “What I’m trying to say is that I’ve been around my sisters when they were pregnant.”
Jessie’s smile broadened. “One of your sisters is pregnant again? That’s wonderful, Del!”
He let out a low groan. “No, Jess, what I’m getting at is…you’ve got the same symptoms; the queasy stomach, weight loss, being tired all the time. I thought…is it possible you’re pregnant?”
Jessie laughed, shaking her head. “There’s no chance of that. Kincaid had a vasectomy four years ago. It’s incredibly sweet of you to worry about me , but I promise it’s just a bug , not a baby.” Instead of being relieved by the news she couldn’t possibly be pregnant, Del seemed saddened by it.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t mean about not being pregnant, it’s just that I know you wanted to have children someday.”
Jessie’s mood sobered. “I do, or at least I did. I guess sometimes you have to let go of one dream in order to have another. I know you never cared much for Kincaid , but he’s changed and I really think he’s going to stay this time.”
“You’re right, I never liked him. I didn’t think he was good enough for you, but even I have to admit there’s something different about him. He treats you right, the way you deserve, and I believe he genuinely cares for you.”
“You don’t know how much it means to hear you say that.”
“All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Jess.”
“I am happy, deliriously so.”
“I can see that.” Del leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I’d better get inside before Kincaid busts my jaw for spending too much time with his woman.”
Jessie grinned. “It doesn’t hurt to keep him on his toes.”
“Easy for you to say, it’s not your bones he’ll be breaking.”
It wasn’t until
“Here you go.” Kincaid said as he emerged from the house.
She took the small plate of toast and settled it on her lap before reaching for the cup of tea. “This is very sweet of you. Are you going to grab your breakfast and join me?”
“Sorry, sweetheart, you’re on your own. The boys will be here any minute clamoring for food and I promised Kenny I would set the table.”
Jessie almost choked on the tea she’d just sipped. “Adam Kincaid doing a household chore? The world must be coming to an end.”
“Don’t forget to duck when the sky starts falling,” he laughed, “because I also promised to help with dinner.”
She shook her head in disbelief when he left her to go help Kenny and was still sitting there with a stunned look on her face when the ranch hands started piling onto the porch. For a moment they surrounded her, asking how she felt and assuring her they would take care of everything until she was better. It warmed her heart to have all of them hovering over her acting like mother hens even though she was certain it was nothing more serious than a virus.
“Go on, the lot of you,” she shooed them inside.
Only Del lingered behind, eying her with concern. “I need to ask you something, Jess, but I’m worried it will upset you.”
She smiled up at him. “Don’t be silly, we’ve been friends a long time, you can ask me anything.”
He glanced back at the door before directing his gaze back to her. “It’s just that…well, you know I have three sisters and they’re all married…with kids…so I’ve been around them when…” He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet.
“Oh, for Heaven sakes, out with it Del. Is this a family thing? Do you need time off to visit your sisters?”
“No, no it’s not that.” He looked up at her again. “What I’m trying to say is that I’ve been around my sisters when they were pregnant.”
Jessie’s smile broadened. “One of your sisters is pregnant again? That’s wonderful, Del!”
He let out a low groan. “No, Jess, what I’m getting at is…you’ve got the same symptoms; the queasy stomach, weight loss, being tired all the time. I thought…is it possible you’re pregnant?”
Jessie laughed, shaking her head. “There’s no chance of that. Kincaid had a vasectomy four years ago. It’s incredibly sweet of you to worry about me , but I promise it’s just a bug , not a baby.” Instead of being relieved by the news she couldn’t possibly be pregnant, Del seemed saddened by it.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t mean about not being pregnant, it’s just that I know you wanted to have children someday.”
Jessie’s mood sobered. “I do, or at least I did. I guess sometimes you have to let go of one dream in order to have another. I know you never cared much for Kincaid , but he’s changed and I really think he’s going to stay this time.”
“You’re right, I never liked him. I didn’t think he was good enough for you, but even I have to admit there’s something different about him. He treats you right, the way you deserve, and I believe he genuinely cares for you.”
“You don’t know how much it means to hear you say that.”
“All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, Jess.”
“I am happy, deliriously so.”
“I can see that.” Del leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I’d better get inside before Kincaid busts my jaw for spending too much time with his woman.”
Jessie grinned. “It doesn’t hurt to keep him on his toes.”
“Easy for you to say, it’s not your bones he’ll be breaking.”
It wasn’t until
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