Page 65

She nods back. “Okay. Sweet dreams, honey.”
“Night, Mom,” I reply, then head inside my childhood bedroom.
I’m lying wide awake in bed when the door creaks open an inch.
“Linny?”
I smile at the darkness before sitting up. “Hey, Janey.”
“I amsosorry. I tried to leave earlier.” The crack of light from the hallway expands, illuminating the room enough for me to see thesilhouette of my sister approaching the bed. She flings her arms around me exuberantly, stinking strongly of spirits.
My nose wrinkles. “Smells like it was a fun night.”
Jane laughs as she flops down on the comforter beside me. “It was. We’ll go out tomorrow night. There’s this really cute bar that opened on Spring Street.”
“That sounds fun.” I attempt enthusiasm, but Jane sees right through it.
“What’s wrong?”
I exhale. I wasn’t planning to tell her in the middle of the night, but I don’t want to lie either. “I’m pregnant.”
There’s an accompanying relief when I say it this time. I’ve told everyone whoneedsto know. Kit, my parents, my sister.
An ear-splitting screech shatters the stillness in the room.
“Jane!” My left arm fumbles wildly for my sister in an attempt to silence her. “Shut up! You’re going to wake Mom and Dad.”
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God,” Jane chants. “You’repregnant?Knocked up and growing a babypregnant? I’m going to be an aunt! This is so exciting!”
I’m glad one of us is thrilled about the news.
“It gets better,” I say dryly. “Remember Kit Kensington?”
“Duh.Of courseI do.”
Jane was one of the unfortunate many who fell in love with Kit during his brief visit to Montgomery Hall.
“Well, he’s the father.”
“Holy shit.” Jane’s whispering now at least. “You slept with him? When? And isn’t he, like, uh,your boss?”
I sigh. “He sure is.”
“Holy shit,” Jane repeats.
“Yep. It happenedbeforehe was my boss, which was one of the many reasons I never should have taken the job, but I really wasn’t anticipatingthis.”
“He’s super rich, right?”
“Right,” I confirm.
“So, just quit your job. You can live off the child support and finally start playing again.”
“It’schildsupport, Janey. For the kid, not me. And I don’t want his money.”
I don’t doubt Kit will offer to provide financially. Once his lawyers review the paternity test results, I think he’ll set up a trust fund with a lot of zeroes. And, yeah, it’s comforting to have that safety net. I don’t know much about babies, but I do know they’re expensive.
Money doesn’t hold your hair while you’re throwing up your breakfast though. It doesn’t run to the store and buy your cravings. Doesn’t help assemble a crib or attend ultrasound appointments.