Page 58 of Rescuing Mary

“Goddammit,” Ghost swore from nearby. “She wasn’t supposed to tell you that shit!”

“Why not?” Truck asked. “Because I’m weak? Fuck that. As my best friends, you guys should’ve told me that you didn’t want to go to that bar to pick up chicks. You should’ve told me that you’ve all got women of your own. I thought we never kept secrets from each other. What happened to that, huh?” Truck stopped running and his friends all followed suit. “Is that how we operate now? Because that’s not what we did three years ago. We told each other every-fucking-thing.” He was breathing hard, and not because of exertion.

“Wow, this is kinda eerie,” Beatle remarked dryly.

“Shut up, Beatle,” Fletch admonished then faced Truck. “Of course it’s not. But this isn’t exactly a normal situation. We didn’t want to make you have a setback. And I’m not sure it was that smart of Mary to blab.”

“Don’t,” Truck warned, glaring at Fletch. “Do not badmouth Mary. She’s the only person who’s been honest with me since I got back here.”

“Honest, huh? Did she tell you that you were—”

Fletch’s mouth was covered by Ghost’s hand before he could finish his sentence.

“More secrets?” Truck asked, frustrated with his friends. He had no idea what Fletch had been about to say, but he had a feeling it was big. Huge.

“We were only doing what the doctor told us to,” Ghost said. “He warned us that if we all told you at once that we’re married or have girlfriends, it could be harmful.”

“So what, you were never going to tell me? You were going to continue to go out to bars with me and pretend to go home with chicks?” Truck asked.

“Of course not,” Blade mumbled.

“My memory might not ever come back. So were you going to pretend you’d just met Wendy somewhere and started dating her? Maybe you’d have a second marriage ceremony, Hollywood, just to keep up the pretense?”

No one said a word, although their eyes said plenty.

Truck knew he was being harsh and tried to rein in his emotions. “You’ve hurt my feelings,” Truck admitted in a gentler voice. “Hollywood, I hear congratulations are in order. I bet your baby girl is fucking beautiful. I’d like to meet her, if you think I can do that and not have my head explode.” He turned to Fletch. “And I was serious when I asked how Emily was doing. Mary told me she’s having a hard pregnancy.”

“She’s okay,” Fletch said softly. “She’s had some pain recently and we’re worried that the baby might come too early, so she’s basically on complete bed rest.”

“That sucks,” Truck told his friend. Then he turned to the others. “I’d like to meet Casey. I find it hilarious that you hate bugs as much as you do and ended up with an entomologist. I also want to meet Wendy and Harley.”

Beatle, Blade, and Coach all nodded. “We’d like that too,” Coach said for them all.

Then Truck turned to Ghost. “And I understand you had a one-night stand with Rayne, and then we ran into her in the middle of an op?”

“Mary sure was chatty,” Ghost grumbled, but relented and nodded. “Yeah. Rayne’s amazing.”

“That explains the new tattoo,” Truck said, glancing at Ghost’s leg.

Ghost nodded again.

Truck took a deep breath. “I get that this is awkward, and that you don’t want to do anything that will hurt me. But, guys, I’m either going to regain my memory or I’m not. The last thing I want is for you to live your lives disingenuously. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had, and I want to get to know your women for the second time. I want to hang out with all of you. I realize it’ll be awkward at first, but don’t block me from your lives.”

They all nodded. “We won’t,” Hollywood said. “Kassie’s been bugging me. Wants to see you.”

“Emily too,” Fletch added. “Although you’ll have to come to our place, since she’s not allowed out of bed at the moment.”

“You buy that big house you had your eye on?” Truck asked.

Fletch winced. “Yeah. That’s how I actually met my Em,” he said. “But we’ve since moved.”

Truck raised an eyebrow.

“Long story, man. Really long story.”

Truck nodded and turned to the others. “I want to know how you all met your women. Mary told me some, but I need all the details. I still can’t believe you fuckers are all pussy whipped.”

“Like you should talk,” Coach groused, and Ghost smacked him on the back of the head.