Delivered by Layla Nash

Author:Layla Nash [Nash, Layla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Layla Nash

Chapter 29

I woke slowly, suddenly overheated, and looked around at the strange surroundings. Where the hell was I? A soft, half-grown cat was curled up on my chest and yawned when I started to move, looking disgruntled when I finally put him on the couch next to me. I levered myself out of the deep, overstuffed cushions and to my feet.

Max got up immediately from where he sat at the kitchen table, striding into the living room where I swayed, and tilted his head at where the rest of the family ate dinner. “Are you hungry?”

“Always,” I said under my breath. “But I really shouldn’t—”

“We already set a place for you,” he said. “I thought you’d want to sleep, though, so we didn’t wait too long. Do you—need help?”

Like I was some kind of weird invalid.

I shot him a dirty look and meant to give him a piece of my mind, but nature called and I had to gather up my dignity as I headed back to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”

I took my time, staring at myself in the mirror and shaking my head. What on earth was I doing at Max’s family’s ranch? All of his brothers were there, and their wives, and his sister... What if his parents were somewhere in the house? How mortifying would it be to meet his mother the same night I announced to him that I’d gotten pregnant from our hot and heavy one-night stand? I groaned and covered my face. It was bad enough when I’d planned to just tell Max and be done with it. Having an audience made it so much worse.

But I couldn’t stay in there forever, and the food smelled amazing and I hadn’t eaten anything since getting to the airport to fly to Crook’s Hollow. When I dared the living room again, I found Max still standing near the couch waiting for me, and the rest of the family still eating dinner and having a low conversation about something else entirely. I clenched my jaw and walked stiffly over to the seat he pulled out, and eased myself onto the cushioned chair. “Thank you.”

Max grumbled something and took the chair to my right, though he half-stood to put lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and some fresh olives onto my plate. I took a deep breath and sipped some lemonade, still trying to blink the sleep fog from my brain, and debated whether to join in the conversation or just pretend I wasn’t going to be staying there instead of the B&B.

But when the conversation fell into a lull, Max began the introductions around the table: Delilah and her dark-haired husband, Jack; oldest brother Wade with a touch of gray at his temples and his tall wife Hannah, who also had a bit of a stomach; next oldest brother Henry and his blonde and super-smiley wife Jen; and of course Augie, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Augie’s grin never slipped. “How’s your friend Lara doing, Caroline? Pass her my how-do-you-dos, will you?”

“Sure,” I said.

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