CHAPTER 25 JOLENE

I pace nervously around the kitchen.

We're all set for tonight. My parents somehow agreed to come over, and I don't expect it's all going to fall into place the way I'm hoping it will, but a girl can dream…right?

We kept it simple and ordered in, and the Italian feast comprised of pasta, pizza, and garlic bread will be here any minute.

And so will my parents.

"You're making me nervous," Lincoln says quietly.

"Well, I am nervous, and I can't exactly have a shot of whiskey to calm the nerves." I nod meaningfully at his glass of amber liquid.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." He picks it up and dumps it into the sink.

"You didn't have to do that," I protest. "I don't care if you drink."

"I know." He takes me into his arms and presses a soft kiss to my mouth. "But you're right. And we have nothing to be nervous about."

"Yes we do," I protest.

He shakes his head as a soft smile plays at his lips. "You already talked to them, remember?"

"Yeah, but I didn't tell them about the baby."

"So it's one more piece of joy to share." He shrugs.

"You make it sound so simple," I say.

"Because it is simple." The doorbell rings, and we both hear Jonah.

"Grammy and Grampy are here! I'll get it!"

My mom looks as nervous as I feel, and my dad looks nothing short of totally uncomfortable.

Great.

This is going to be a long, awkward night.

The food delivery person walks up right behind them, and I take the food and hand it to Lincoln so I can issue hugs.

We head toward the table, and everyone is quiet as we sit and start passing around the food.

"Your house is beautiful, Lincoln," my mom says.

"Our house," he corrects her, and I kick him under the table. It's not going to do us any favors to start by correcting my mother.

"Mine, Jonah's, and Lincoln's," I say with a smile. "And thank you."

"And the baby's," Jonah pipes in.

Oh, right.

He knows.

And he can't keep a secret for shit.

"The baby?" my mom says at the same time my dad says, "What baby?"

I look wildly over at Lincoln.

We've literally been sitting here for less than a full minute. Plates aren't full yet. Forks aren't scraping against plates.

He clears his throat, and he glances at me, sees my wild gaze, and takes control of the situation. "Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, your daughter and I have some exciting news to share."

"Let me guess, you're having a baby?" my dad says gruffly.

"Well, we're also getting married," Lincoln says offhand, as if it's not quite so important as the other news even though they're both incredibly happy bits of information.

Now if my parents can just see it that way, we'll be all set.

My mom gasps. The vein in my dad's forehead throbs.

The room is silent for a few interminable beats, and then my mom stands. She rushes over to me and pulls me into a hug. "Congratulations, my darling girl. I'm so happy for you." She kisses my cheek, and I can tell she's mouthing something to my father over my shoulder.

"Thanks, Mom. I'm so happy, and if you and Dad could just get on board with this, then that'll really be everything I ever dreamed of." Tears start to spill down my cheeks.

"Of course, Jolene. Of course we will support whatever makes you happy." She pulls out of the hug, and we both glance over at my father.

He finally sighs, relenting, and he stands. "I told him if you were happy, I wouldn't put a stop to it," he says, jerking a thumb toward him. "And you do truly look happy, JoJo." He walks over and gives me a hug.

"I am, Daddy. So happy."

We all sit back down, and the dishing of the food resumes. They ask every last detail about the baby, of which there are few I can confirm so far, and Jonah talks about his bond with Lincoln so far. Lincoln shares a little about the defensive strategies my father might like to hear about, and the Nash family really never comes up.

My dad isn't exactly warm, but he's here, and that's a start that's good enough for now.

My parents sit with Jonah in the family room while we clean up, and Lincoln leans in close to me as I hand him a dish to dry. "What was all that Daddy business before?"

I laugh. "Sorry, Daddy. You want me to call you that?"

"I mean…I will be a daddy soon, but in the other context, fuck yeah you should call me that."

I giggle, and when we finish up the dishes, we head toward the family room.

"How's your mom doing, Lincoln?" my mom asks him softly.

He clears his throat. "She left my father. She's back in New York with her goats."

"Her goats?" my mom repeats. "She finally got her goat farm?"

Lincoln chuckles. "Yeah. Grayson and I bought it for her a few years ago. My dad tried to sell it, and I think that was sort of her final straw with him."

"I'm so sorry," she murmurs.

"Don't be," he says, leaning in toward her so Jonah doesn't hear this part of the conversation. "She's better off without him. And frankly, so am I."

She reaches over and squeezes his arm, and I see a little bit of a bond building between the two of them already. And with time, I'm confident my mom can get my dad on board, too.

"Have you told her the news yet?" she asks.

He shakes his head. "I should probably do that tonight, though, given that the podcast goes live tomorrow and we're going to announce our engagement."

"Let's call her now," I suggest. I have the feeling my mom is asking about her because she wants to talk to her, too, and so maybe it's up to us to play friendship matchmaker—or friendship healer, anyway.

"Great idea," Lincoln says, and he gets his tablet out so we can video chat with her.

"Lincoln, it's late here. Is everything okay? Why are you video calling me? I don't have my lashes on."

I giggle as he rolls his eyes.

"You're gorgeous with or without lashes, Mother. Stop it."

I hear her huff, and he pans the tablet so she can see me, too.

"Oh, Jolene," she says softly. "I'm so happy to see you again, sweetheart."

"You too, Mrs. Nash." I smile at her as Lincoln slings an arm around my shoulder.

"I told you a hundred times, sweet girl, it's Missy."

I smile as I think back to the old days when she always scolded me for being so formal with her. Even then, it seems like she knew someday she'd be my mother-in-law.

"We have some news," he says.

Her brows rise expectantly.

"We're getting married!" he says at the same time I say, "We're having a baby!"

Her eyes widen. "Wait…what?"

"We're getting married and we're having a baby," Lincoln says with a laugh. "In that order, probably."

"Wait…what?" I say, echoing his mom.

"Well, yeah. Don't you want to get married before the baby gets here?" he asks.

"Oh, I—uh…" I hadn't really thought about it, to be honest. I'd marry him tomorrow if I could.

And maybe I should.

"Say yes, Mama," Jonah cheers quietly from his spot across from me.

I blink, and then I laugh a little hysterically. "Okay, then. Yes! I guess we're getting married sometime in the next twenty-six weeks. Oh, Jesus." I feel like I might pass out or throw up or both, and Lincoln hands the tablet to my mom so he can sling an arm around me even as he laughs at my reaction.

"You already said yes," he reminds me.

"Missy," my mom says.

"Joanna," she replies, and both their voices are filled with emotion.

"Guess it's time to plan that baby shower we always joked about," my mom says, and Joanna starts to giggle.

"Same old Joanna. How have you been?"

"We're hanging in there. You?"

"I've got my goats, and I finally did what I vowed I'd do all those years ago."

"I know. I heard, and I'm proud of you for doing the right thing for you, Miss. It's good to see you. I hope you'll come visit soon so we can catch up again."

"I'd like that," she says, and just like that, friendship match is deemed a success.