Free Blush by Nicola Marsh

picked up on any awkwardness, thankfully she didn’t say. “I’m leaving next week.”
    Chantal made smooching sounds. “Off to see that sexy Aussie.”
    Jess blushed, her natural reaction endearing her to Adele even more. “I really miss him.”
    “Then what are you doing here?” Chantal waved toward the door. “Why don’t you fly out early?”
    “Too much stuff to take care of.” Jess locked gazes with Adele, the steely glint in Jess’s eyes very off-putting. “Including giving my brother a lobotomy.”
    Adele’s heart stalled at the mention of Reid, before galloping at a million beats a minute. Was she so desperate to hear the slightest mention of the guy that she’d put herself through hell, trying to sit here and act calm when now was the perfect time to excuse herself from the room?
    “What’s the ravishing Reid done this time?”
    To Chantal’s credit, she didn’t glance in Adele’s direction as she asked the question. Not that it mattered. Adele could feel heat flushing her cheeks neon red regardless.
    “Made an ass of himself,” Jess said, shooting Adele a quick glance before returning her attention to Chantal. “I swear the dufus is head over heels, never seen him like this before, but because he’s never had a relationship ever he has no clue how to go about having one.”
    Shock tore through Adele’s carefully constructed indifference.
    Reid had never had a relationship? Ever?
    Yet he’d wanted one with her after knowing her how long?
    “Guys like that need one of two things,” Chantal said, holding up two fingers. “A helping hand to guide them in the right direction or a swift kick up the ass.”
    Jess laughed and Adele managed a wan smile as both girls glanced in her direction. “So what’s it going to be, Adele? Are you going to help my Neanderthal brother or kick him to the curb?”
    Jess’s bluntness rendered Adele speechless as she scrambled for something to say, other than the truth.
    “Because he told me how he presented his offer to you.” Jess rolled her eyes. “You’ll be pleased to know I punched him several times for wanting to have a relationship with you, yet wanting to keep you secret because you work here.”
    “Good girl,” Chantal said, draping an arm across Jess’s shoulders and squeezing. “You always could keep that brother of yours in line, even back in Craye Canyon.”
    Jess returned Chantal’s hug before glancing back to Adele, who still hadn’t composed a suitable response.
    “I know the whole thing seems pretty untenable, but if you’re half as crazy about my brother as he is about you, you should try to work things out,” Jess said, her imploring expression tugging at Adele’s heart strings.
    “It’s not that easy,” Adele said, needing to come up with something that didn’t remotely sound like ‘you think it’s complicated now, wait ’til you hear I’m having his baby.’
    “Relationships never are,” Jess said, shrugging. “But I can honestly say, my brother’s one of the good guys and if he has feelings for you, he’s loyal and loving and will do right by you no matter what the obstacles.”
    Crap. Adele didn’t want Reid doing right by her. That would be the worst-case scenario, him finding out about this baby and giving up his career, sacrificing his dreams, because he wanted to do right by her.
    “I’m not trying to interfere, honest, but I think he’s halfway in love with you,” Jess said, her voice quivering a tad. “And if you feel anything for him, you owe it to yourselves to give it a go.”
    Adele tried to swallow the lump of emotion lodged in her throat, but the harder she tried the larger it grew, until the unthinkable happened.
    She burst into tears.
    Jess flew to her side and wrapped an arm around her, which only made Adele cry harder, great snot-clogging sobs that choked.
    “I’m so sorry, sweetie, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Jess reached for a tissue box and held it out.
    “Not your fault,”