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Merit nodded. Asher crossed the patio, his hand extended. When he grasped it, his brother yanked him to his feet and pulled him into a hug.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
After hugs from both Loyal and Honor as well, they all sat again. Asher threaded his fingers with his wife’s as he asked, “Were you freaked out when she told you?”
“Yeah. Because we did use protection.”
“If you don’t use them right, they’re only like eighty to eighty-five percent effective,” Loyal pointed out.
“I know how to use a fucking condom,” Merit retorted.
“Obviously not.” He smirked at Asher. “You got a banana in the kitchen?”
“Little late for that,” his brother quipped.
“Both of you can just shut the fuck up.”
“That’s enough you guys,” Honor admonished over their laughs.
But seeing her grin, too, Merit surged to his feet and headed for the house. “I should’ve known it would be too much to ask for a little support from you guys.”
“Oh, come on.” Asher leaned sideways to grab his arm. “Don’t be such a baby. You’d be all over this shit if it was one of us, and you know it.”
He jerked free, but didn’t go any farther.
“What were you whining about when you first walked out here?” Loyal asked.
Merit blew out a breath and returned to his chair. “She keeps saying she doesn’t expect anything from me. She says she only told me because she felt I had the right to know, but that’s it, because I’m not the kind of guy to step up and be a dad.” He couldn’t keep the resentment from his voice, and it had both of his brothers frowning.
“She’s scared,” Honor said.
All three of them looked at her as Merit asked, “Of what?”
She appeared torn, but then her shoulders lifted and dropped with a resigned sigh. “She was with Ian’s dad for six months. She was all in with him, to the point of supporting him without question while he ‘discovered who he was as an artist.’”
Disdain rang in her voice with that last bit, and Merit cringed. Strike one. “What kind of artist?”
“Musician.”
Well, at least there was that difference.
“When she found out she was pregnant, he freaked out and wanted her to get an abortion. She refused, and he left and moved in with one of his other girlfriends.”
“Plural?” Strike two.
“Yep. Turned out Mae wasn’t the only one supporting the lazy asshole. The last time she saw him was at the hospital when he signed away his parental rights the day Ian was born.”
“Sounds like good riddance,” Asher said.
“It was, but he still hurt her bad. The whole time she thought they were building a future together, he was using her while sleeping around with a bunch of other women.”
Merit shook his head. “That was really shitty, but I’m not that guy.”
Honor tilted her head slightly. “No offense, but aren’t you?”
“No.” He tightened his fingers on his beer bottle to curb his resentment. “For one thing, I don’t date two women at once.” Loyal took a breath to speak, but Merit cut him off with a glare. “I don’t deny I’ve had one night stands, but I’ve never cheated on a woman in my life. Also, I’m not just messing around with Mae. I wanted to see her again after the wedding. I tried numerous times to contact her, but she totally blew me off.”
