“What did he possibly do for you to agree to hire his son?” Jennica asks, chuckling.
Leila must have noticed something on my face because she quickly takes the reins into her own hands. “Well, I’ve heard he’s changed.”
“Do you believe it?” I ask, doubtful.
“No,” she laughs. “But there is nothing better than tomorrow. Plus, you can be a good influence and change the course of his life.”
I snort. “Right.”
“What?” she asks, confused.
“She’s right,” Jennica adds. “You’re like a local hero.”
Hero. Hmm.Funny how no one has ever said anything to me before, but since Josie has opened that vault, everyone seems to suddenly sense it.
“Alright,” Jennica stands up, “you guys can talk while I run to Marina’s diner. My hubby asked to pick him up some Lonely Kurt.”
I don’t know why her husband would want to eat breakfast for dinner since Lonely Kurt is the most popular local breakfast, but who am I to judge?
“See ya!” Leila waves at her and moves to my office. I follow her.
She takes a seat on the leather loveseat by the window and brings her feet up. “They’ve started hurting so bad, and I’m only like eight weeks in.”
“How didn’t you know you were pregnant?”
“I was on a few business trips back-to-back and kind of lost track of time.”
I contemplate before asking the next question since it’s none of my business. But Archie is my friend, and Leila is my sister, which makes it double my business. “How do you think he’ll take it?”
“He’ll be over the moon,” she replies, placing her palm on her belly. “He’s been talking about having a family since he proposed.”
“Isn’t it,” I bite the inside of my cheek, “I dunno, a bit early?” It’s a valid question since they just officially got together in February, then there was the shooting and recovery soon after.
“Maybe.” She shrugs one shoulder. “But it is what it is.”
I lean back in the chair, spreading my arms wide. “I’ll be a double uncle soon.” Our half brother Alex is having a baby soon, and now Leila. It’s a baby boom in Little Hope.
“I guess you will.” She chuckles. “How about you?”
“What about me?” I blink, not understanding what she’s asking since I just told her I’ll be an uncle. I don’t know what else she wants me to say.
She squints at me. “When will you have a baby?”
I start coughing, not expecting the question. “What? What are you talking about?”
“You’re thirty-nine, dear brother.” She points at me. “It’s about time you slow down this hero race and find yourself someone nice. I’m worried about you.”
Again with this hero shit. I’m starting to get triggered by it.
“There is no woman.” Somehow, this part irked me the most. “Just because you got baby fever doesn’t mean others did.”
“Yeah? No woman?” She lifts a brow, her eyes drilling holes into mine.
“No woman,” I repeat, feeling my cheeks getting heated under my scruff.
“Alright,” she shrugs again and gets up. “Time to go. Archie’s coming back from Boston soon, and we’ll be going to check the house.”
“Yeah. You do that.” I’m suddenly very interested in the stack of paper at the corner of my desk that’s been waiting for my attention for weeks now.
