That's Amore! - Janelle Denison [7]
It wasn't so much that they disliked Jason as a person. No, their biggest issue stemmed from the fact that he wasn't a native. One of their own. As a man they respected him, along with his ethics and morals and how far he'd come without his parents in his life. They liked him just fine as her friend, but not as a husband for their only daughter. Especially when he was responsible for whisking their baby girl away to another state.
It had been an ongoing argument with her mother over the past few weeks, with Leila standing her ground and defending her feelings for Jason, even while knowing what this union might cost her in the end. They had to come to some kind of compromise and understanding over the situation, and soon, especially now that there was more than just her marriage at stake.
Leila placed a hand over her still flat stomach and smiled despite all the stress and upheaval she'd endured lately—including the frequent bouts of nausea she'd been experiencing for the past week and a half, which struck at the most inopportune times. Luckily, her family just thought she had a touch of the flu. She hadn't said anything to correct their assumption.
Jason deserved to hear the news that she was expecting his baby first, and she refused to tell him something so important during a long-distance telephone conversation. Seeing that pink strip darken on the home pregnancy test she'd taken two weeks ago had been an unexpected surprise, yes, but not an unwelcome one since they'd both discussed wanting children. They just hadn't planned on starting a family so soon, and she really had no idea how Jason would take the news of his impending fatherhood.
Or how her mother and father would feel about becoming grandparents.
Another tide of emotion swept over her, and she bit her bottom lip to keep it tamped inside. God, this last separation from Jason had been the most difficult, and she couldn't wait for him to get there. She desperately needed to see him, touch him in the flesh, and hear his low, sexy voice in person. She needed to look into his eyes and know that despite a surprise neither one of them had anticipated, that everything was going to be okay.
As if her thoughts had conjured him, she heard a car turn into the driveway, drive past her parents' main house, and come to a stop right outside the cottage. She glanced out the window and saw Jason getting out of the black convertible Camaro he'd rented at the airport to use for the rest of the week. He grabbed a duffle bag from the passenger seat and headed toward her place in that confident, long-legged stride of his. God, he filled out a pair of jeans like they'd been made specifically for him—soft and faded, but snug in all the right places. Same for his pale blue T-shirt that showcased his broad shoulders, trim torso, and lean hips.
All the chaos of the past few weeks faded away, and there was only Jason filling her vision, tall and gorgeous and so breathtakingly sexy—with his striking blue eyes, tousled sandy-blond hair, and a disarming smile that made her pulse pound hard and fast in her chest.
Giddy with excitement, and with her heart bursting with sheer anticipation, she rushed to the refrigerator and grabbed the plumeria lei she'd made for Jason to welcome him home Hawaiian-style. As soon as he came through the door and saw her, he dropped his duffle to the floor and met her halfway across the living room.
Unable to curb her happiness, she squealed in delight and literally jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him over in her enthusiasm. Her arms went around his neck, and her slender legs, bared by her summer dress, wrapped around his waist as she hugged him tight.