Rivers Bend (Book 2)

Prologue

July 24th, 2023 

The rain brought a rich hue to each color of the sand as it bucketed down and left ripples on the surface of the ocean, sending water plummeting into the rocks. This is my ideal picture-perfect evening, and the golden ball of fluff sprawled out on my legs makes it ten times better. 

The house was quiet, only the soft creaking of floorboards coming from somewhere inside the kitchen. The lights were dimmed and ambient, but still bright enough for me to read, and the tattering of the rain brought the finishing touches of absolutely perfect to the moment. 

As the creaking of floorboards grew closer to me, I glanced over my shoulder, smiling wide as Jett walked towards me with two plates stacked to the brim with food. He sets them down on the table behind me and ventures around it so he's standing at my side. 

"Let's get some food, ma'am," He says, scooping Tuna off me and placing the puppy on it's one of many beds around the house, next to the sliding door that leads out to the deck. 

Once Tuna is in her spot, it's my turn to struggle to get on my feet. The bump makes it harder and harder each month. 

"Careful," He coos as I stumble a little, bringing a wider smile to my face at how gentle he is with me, "Don't hurt my baby," He says with a grin, knowing he's going to piss me off. 

"Our baby," I scoff, "I'm carrying the damn thing," 

He pecks my cheek and guides me to my chair, sitting down next to me. We both shovel food into our mouths like no other. I eat for two and Jett eats for the whole village. Or at least that's what he says. The little workers in his stomach need a lot of fuel, I guess. 

"Do I ever tell you how pretty you look?" Jett interrupts the silence to gawk at me. I fake a gag, but I'm given away when I look in the mirror that's next to the TV in the living room and my dimples are wide and bright. 

"Every day, J," My hand reaches for his and he strokes a gentle thumb against the palm of my hand. 

"Pregnancy makes you glow," He whispers, bringing my hand up to his face as he kisses the back of it. 

"You're lucky my parents are negligent enough to be accepting of me having a baby at nineteen," I joke, and his shoulders shake as he laughs. God, I love seeing him smile. 

"You're rich enough to buy them into loving every little thing about you, baby," He says with the most genuine smile it makes my stomach churn, and it's not from the child kicking in my stomach. 

"Yeah, but I like to argue better," 

"Or so I've learned," Jett counters, his eyes glossing over the pink tiles in our kitchen. He grimaces a little and I can't tell if it's real or fake. I don't care enough to figure it out. No one, and I mean no one, can deprive me of my pink. It's surely a hate crime. I've argued as much, and it's got me this far. 

We fall into a comfortable silence as we finish our meals together in peace, and I try and get up to take my plate to the sink but Jett beats me to it, and I end up standing aimlessly beside my chair. 

"I'm not a baby, you know?" I say and Jett leans on the island, an accomplished smile on his face. 

"I'm practicing."