Page 65 of Good For Me

Jas

This was such a bad idea.

Seriously, what on earth possessed me to go along with this? Apparently, all River Ransome has to do is smile at me with those flashing blue eyes and I lose all sense and reason.

The proof of that is currently residing in my uterus. And if I needed more evidence, the fact that I’m sitting next to him in a rental car, driving to his family’s farmhouse in the mountains of Tennessee ought to do it.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about, you know,” River says, once again proving his uncanny knack for reading my mood.

“Are you serious? I’m spending the weekend with a group of strangers in a place I’ve never been before. I’m basically crashing your cousin’s wedding. Your cousin who happens to be marrying Eva freaking Lidell.”

Of course, River had chosen to keep the fact that this cousin’s fiancée was one of the most famous pop stars in the country a secret untilafterI’d gotten on the plane.

He scoffs. “This from the girl who has multiple arrests under her belt. I thought you were supposed to be a badass, Jas Weaver. You’re seriously scared of meeting a few new people?”

When he puts it like that, it does sound silly. But context is a pretty important thing, and my nerves aren’t just about meeting new people. It’s about meetinghispeople. His siblings and cousins, the family he’s so close with. His parents.

The family who, according to him, are terrible gossips and always up in his business. From the way his grandmother acted that first night at her bar, it seemed like a pretty big deal for River The Player to bring a girl around the family. I have a feeling that means I’m going to be a source of great interest this weekend.

And, if I’m honest with myself, a good portion of my nerves are related to River himself. An entire weekend spent in his company. How am I going to handle that?

“This place is the best,” he assures me. “Seriously. I’m never more relaxed than when I’m here. There’s campfires and hiking and a creek where we can kayak or fish—”

“You fish?” The mere image in my head makes me laugh, and River joins in somewhat sheepishly.

“I kind of adopt a lumberjack vibe when I’m here,” he admits. “I have several flannel shirts in my closet. Be prepared.”

The idea of a flannel-wearing, lumberjack-looking River is way hotter than it should be. I’ve never been attracted to that kind of guy. Maybe it’s just the baby hormones.

Or maybe it’s the fact that this is River and just about anything would be hot on him.

You cannot think like that,I remind myself. This entire pregnancy thing is already too confusing and overwhelming without adding those kinds of feelings into it. I need to keep River firmly in the friend zone if I have any chance of getting out of this mess intact.

“If you’re not into the whole one with nature thing, that’s fine, too. We have tons of movies and a game room—there’s a pool table and darts and every video game known to man. The food will be amazing, too. Uncle Cash paid for a caterer for the whole weekend.”

And there’s another reason for my nerves. River’s family is seriously rich. From the way he’s described this place to me, I’m thinking it’s going to be swank beyond anything I’m familiar with.

“A caterer is a pretty nice perk,” I admit. “I generally exist on take out from the diner and the occasional sandwich from Davie’s.” I chew on my lip, thinking. “You think people will notice that I’m not drinking? I mean, people usually drink at weddings, right?”

He shrugs, unconcerned. “They might notice, but no one is going to say anything about it. I have family members who don’t drink so it’s pretty common for people to abstain at our get togethers.”

“And what if I spend half the time puking?”

He shoots me a worried glance. “Have you been feeling sick? I thought you said it’s been better this week. Do you feel bad now? Should we stop for—”

I place a hand on his arm. “I’m fine. And I haven’t puked since the night you showed up at the diner.”

He smacks a hand over his chest as if wounded. “I’m so sorry the sight of me literally made you sick.”

“You should be,” I say, attempting to tease, but it falls short and I sigh. “I’m just worrying.”

He smirks. “Something totally out of character for you.”

I smack his arm and he laughs. “River! This is a big deal. Yourmotheris going to be there.”

“My mother is going to love you,” he says confidently. “Fifty bucks says she’ll spend a good portion of the time we’re there trying to talk you into dating me.”

“Is she one of those moms who’s always trying to get her kids matched up?”