“Did you see doctors?” she asked automatically. For years, she had worked with couples who had issues getting pregnant. It had been her job.
He nodded without looking at her. “Yup, many. We never got close.”
“Is that why you got divorced?” she pried, because she wanted to know.
“Yup. She wanted kids. I couldn’t give her that.” His jovialness was gone from just minutes before.
“That’s shitty.” Amanda put her hand on his leg for support. But all it did was make her realize how firm and warm his leg was. Did he have muscles everywhere?
“Yes, it is.” He glanced at her hand on his leg.
Self-consciously, she pulled her hand back because it was a little too nice to touch his leg. She looked over at him. “I am unable to carry a pregnancy to term. I lose them before twenty weeks.”
She wasn’t an expert on miscarriage just because of her job. At this point, she used to deal with women who had them all the time at work, and she has had nine herself. But she hated talking about hers.
“That sucks. Is that why Seth left you?”
“No, he left me because I worked too many nights, and his buddy’s wife didn’t. But at least they’re still together and have a kid now.” She bit into her sandwich, hoping that would stop her from talking. Her divorce was a lot older than his was, so it shouldn’t still bother her. But it did. She saw it as a failure, after all.
Hue reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “No wonder we both just needed to get out of that room. Cute baby, though.”
“Very cute. I had hoped she would look more like Tess than she does.” Maybe it was because she still loved to see her brother lose, and that included in the gene pool. Being a big sister never ended.
“What do I always hear, Nordskov’s breed true?” He grinned as he ate a fry, the tension broken.
That made her laugh out loud. It was a saying her dad would say when he looked at his now twelve grandchildren that all looked the same: blond-haired, blue-eyed, little rosy-cheeked kids. But what made it funny was that they all actually looked like her mom’s side of the family, not her dad’s. So, in reality, they looked like Haans.
“I just thought Tess would command more influence.” Amanda leaned her head back on the seat back and looked at him.
“It’s possible the baby will have her eyes one day. I know Math really likes Tess’s eyes,” Hue stated.
“My brother really likes Tess’s everything. But I think we both know for a fact he doesn’t spend all his time looking at her eyes.” Amanda grinned. Her brother had a fondness for his girlfriend’s boobs, even when he had hated her. “I am so glad it all worked out for them.”
“Me too. I like her more than Karen,” Hue admitted.
Even if she knew that Krystal and Karen had been close through the years, it seemed the husbands weren’t so fond of the wives.
Rolling her eyes at her ex-sister-in-law’s name, Amanda was glad her brother was finally rid of her, even though they would forever be together through their three kids. Now she had a sister-in-law she loved… once they got married.
“Did you see the game on Sunday?” he asked, changing the subject to football. One of his favorites.
Amanda had finished her supper and was looking out at the snow falling. There wasn’t enough to make driving dangerous, but it was coming down faster than when they had come to town. Shaking her head, she said, “No, I had book club.”
“Of course. You can’t miss book club.” He teased her. Every other week, when he asked if she was watching the game that weekend, she had book club.
“No, I can’t, it’s the best part of my week. The week it happens, that is.” She leaned her head against the back of the seat again.
“But it’s the Vikings,” Hue said of the team they all followed. Since Minnesota was only a few miles from Landstad, they claimed them as their own.
“But it’sbook club,” she said in the same disbelieving voice he had used.
“Does anyone even read anymore?” He crumpled the paper that had been around his burger and threw it at her head.
She blocked it with her hand and missed, so it hit her head anyway. “Yes, I read. The entire book club reads. Only you cannot read, Hubert.” She loved calling him by his given name. He hated it.
“I can read; I just choose not to. What book are you reading this week?” He grabbed the crumpled wrapper from her lap and threw it at her again, only this time she didn’t even try to block it, and it hit her in the face. Her sports skills were mediocre at best. She only watched sports.
“Fifty Shades of Grey.” It was the go-to answer from the book club. It kept the old ladies out. But in reality, they all read different books, all about the same serial killer. Then they discussed it, recorded it, and released it to the internet as a podcast. Amanda had never listened to it, but Natalie Beckett, who took care of that end, said others did. Apparently, they were popular.