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I didn’t have the energy to do anything but sit, wrapped in my dad’s embrace, and watch over his shoulder when my brother finally figured out how he wanted to react. He punched his best friend straight in the face.
4
Wyatt
“Fuck!” My head snapped to the side as Jack’s fist connected with my jaw. Should have seen that one coming. It was either that or your nose. I cupped the aching bone in my palm and felt a small sense of smugness that he was shaking out his hand, hissing in pain.
“You knocked up my baby sister?” he bellowed.
“Jack, I didn’t know she was your sister when I slept with her.” I winced as soon as the words left my mouth. Wrong thing to say, dude. Probably a bad idea to remind him that you fucked his sister.
I ducked just as his fist was headed for my nose.
“Boys!”
Twenty-eight years old and the sound of Jack’s dad’s stern voice still had us snapping to attention. Milo was one of the fun dads, but he also demanded respect and didn’t put up with any bullshit. I hated whenever he looked at me with disappointment, it was worse than anger. He opened his mouth, no doubt about to lecture us, but the sound of retching caught our attention again.
This time, I shouldered my way in before anyone could stop me and dropped to my knees next Bailey. Sharon handed me the freshly dampened cloth and stood, patting me on the back as she scooted past. She’d swept Bailey’s long red hair up into a clip thing, so I used my empty hand to rub soothing circles on her back.
When it seemed as though everything was out of her stomach, she leaned back, and I used the cloth to wipe her mouth before tossing it in the trash bin. Then I gathered her into my arms and pulled her onto my lap. Her head fell to my chest, clearly from exhaustion, so when Sharon handed me a toothbrush, I helped her brush before lifting her to the sink to rinse out her mouth. When she was done, I carried her out of the bathroom but was forced to a stop by Jack standing in my way. He reached out and tried to take her from me.
“I’ll take care of her, asshole. She’s my sister,” he snarled.
I held her tighter to my chest. “She’s my fiancée,” I countered. His eyes bulged and his face started to turn a mottled red. I didn’t have time for this bullshit. I marched around him into the living room and gently placed Bailey on the couch. Milo appeared at my side and handed her a small glass of something clear and carbonated.
She took a small sip, and I brushed her hair away from her face, frowning at how pale she looked. Her eyes were a little glazed but they were clearing and she was observing me with a speculative gleam in them.
Milo placed a heavy hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. “I’m glad we won’t be needing to have that talk about you doing the right thing and marrying her, Wyatt,” he muttered. “You make me proud.”
“Over my dead body!” Jack interjected. He’d come up right behind me and grabbed my collar, attempting to hoist me off the ground. We were approximately the same height and weight, but he had the element of surprise on me and was able to drag me to my feet.
I got into his face. “I’d hate to have to hurt you, Jack,” I threatened, “but Bailey and I are getting married. This is not up for discussion.”
“Excuse me,” Bailey’s voice interrupted and our gazes swung her way. I was relieved to see some of the color returning to her cheeks, although some of the flush was clearly from anger. “I’m right here. So, first, don’t talk about me as if I’m not. Second, I don’t know for sure if I am pregnant, only that it’s possible. And third, no one is getting married.”
I blanched. “We sure as fuck are,” I growled.
Milo put up his hand for silence, looking straight at me and Jack. Once again, we followed orders immediately. He knelt down by the couch and took Bailey’s hand. “If you are pregnant—”
I snorted at the insinuation that she might not be.
“—then you need to get married, baby girl.”
Bailey’s eyes darted between Jack and Milo, her brows lowered, a frown marring her beautiful face.
“All those years wasted, Bailey. We could have been a family. You don’t want to take that away from your son or daughter, do you?”
Bailey’s eyes filled with tears. “No,” she agreed, “but this isn’t the same thing, Dad. Wyatt knows, and I have no intention of keeping them apart if there is a baby.”
“Besides,” Jack huffed, “she has us now. She doesn’t need a fair-weather husband who wouldn’t know commitment if it bit him in the ass.”
One more comment and so help me, I was going to staple his mouth shut.
“Jack!” Milo snapped. “You’re not helping.”
Bailey’s watery eyes were fastened on Jack, a flash of fear darkening the ocean blue.
“Jack is right, though, isn’t he?” she asked in a whisper, looking back at her dad. “I have my family to support me.” I’d never seen Milo wear the expression that came over his face, she was clearly precious to him, and it notched up my admiration for him in every way.
“Of course, baby girl. No matter what you decide, we’ll be here for you.” His countenance suddenly perked up, his face hopeful. “Does this mean you’ll move here permanently?”
This whole discussion was ridiculous and it was starting to piss me off. I didn’t know where she was visiting from, but I’d be moving her ass here and into my house as soon as possible. We were getting married and could get to know each other as man and wife. Besides, I already knew she was my forever, and now that we were having a baby, it would be easier to convince her.
“Of course, she’ll move here,” I barked. “My wife and baby will be living with me.”
Bailey glared at me, and I just shrugged. This wasn’t up for debate, it was the way it was going to be, damn it.
5
Bailey
I didn’t appreciate how a man I barely knew thought he could make decisions about my life for me. Unless you counted carnal knowledge because he certainly had that in spades. I shook my head, trying to focus on anything but the images of how he gained that knowledge.
“We don’t even know if there is a baby,” I argued, my focus wholly on Wyatt as my dad stood and moved away to let him get closer to me. Sure, my period was late, and the smell of pot roast had just made me puke my guts up, but it could be something else. Right? “I could have picked up a stomach bug or eaten something which didn’t agree with me.”
Wyatt’s gaze dropped to my belly and then moved back up to my face to meet mine. “You didn’t catch anything except my baby.”
I lowered my voice to the barest whisper, not wanting my dad or brother to hear any of the details about the night I’d spent with Wyatt. “But you wore a condom both times.”
He crouched down in front of me, taking my hands in his and matching his tone to mine. “It broke, baby. I didn’t realize until I woke up in the morning.” His hold tightened, almost as though he was afraid I’d move away from him. “I would have talked to you about it sooner, but you pulled a vanishing act on me.”
His evident frustration surprised me. It had been hard to leave his home that morning, but I figured it was what I was supposed to do—what he expected from me. I’d acted completely out of character with him, but even while I was freaking out about the situation, I’d felt safe wrapped up in his arms. I hadn’t intended to hurt him, but I was starting to think that’s exactly what I’d done. Maybe I should have listened to my best friend’s advice and gone back to his house the next day. She’d screeched so loudly in my ear while yelling at me for running out on him like that during our call that I’d thought I might go deaf. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d want me there for the whole awkward morning after thing.”
“You thought wrong, Bailey,” he growled, his voice rising slightly. “I wanted you there that morning and every one after.”
“Sure you did,” Jack hissed.
