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“Um...is that some sort of analogy?”
“What? No!” Mae exclaimed even as she laughed and sagged back against the couch. “He’s literally here mowing the lawn right now.”
“Merit knows how to work a lawnmower?”
That skeptical question came across in Asher’s voice. Mae stiffened in alarm. “Am I on speaker?”
“I tried to tell you but you didn’t give me a chance.”
Great. “Am I off now?”
“Yes. And I moved into the house.” The sound of a patio door sliding closed came over the line, and then Honor said, “So, Merit’s mowing your lawn. What’s the problem with that?”
“Ian’s on an overnight.”
“And?”
She leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. “I want him.”
“Like you want a puppy that’s so darn cute but you know you can’t have him?” her best friend teased.
“Like I want to strip him naked and have my way with him.”
Her declaration was met with dead silence.
“See? It is a bad idea.”
“I didn’t say that. However, hearing you say you want to strip him naked, I realize you were right. It is weird being that he and Asher are brothers.”
Mae sighed. “He came to Ian’s soccer tournament this morning. Bryce was there.” Honor knew her brother could have an attitude sometimes, younger than her or not.
“How’d that go?”
“Surprisingly well. I mean, Bryce was an ass at first, but at the end, he told me he liked him. And I like him, too. He keeps saying he’s going to be here for me. For us. He’s even insisting on coming to my doctor appointment on Tuesday.”
“Are you okay with that?”
A smile surprised her. “Yeah.”
“Then that’s good. He’s stepping up.”
“Seems that way.” She scrunched her eyes tight a second. Be optimistic, not skeptical. “And he’s really good with Ian. I told Ian about the baby last night, and he didn’t take it well, but then Merit came over and I overheard them talking, and oh my God, it was so sweet listening to the two of them. It was crazy, but he already sounded like a dad.”
“Aw. You cried, didn’t you?”
“I did.” She fanned her warm face and misty eyes. “I’m getting choked up just thinking about it now.”
“Me, too,” Honor said, a little hitch in her voice. “And I don’t even know what he said.”
“It’s the pregnancy hormones. Ian was worried I’d love the baby more, and Merit told him about his own brothers and sisters, and that they’re cool, and that things would be different, but I’d always love him as much as the baby.” She had to pause and swallow the emotion threatening to clog her throat. “And then he told him he could call him anytime he needed to talk.”
“Wow.”
“I know. I was not expecting to hear all that. My heart melted.”
“Mine just did, too. I knew there was more to him than meets the eye.”
She gave a soft whimper when she heard the approving smile in her friend’s voice. “You’re not going to tell me it’s a bad idea, are you?”
