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“Just this one.”
“Is it paid for?”
“Yeah.”
“Sell it. Get something cheaper.”
“Sell the Jaguar?” he asked in surprise. Another option that hadn’t occurred to him. Didn’t appeal to him, either.
“Yeah.” Grayson leaned forward slightly at the waist, as if he was talking to an imbecile. “You have a baby on the way. Get a cheaper car until you can get a damn job. And speaking of the job—it’s time for you to pay your dues.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Now his brother smiled broadly as he straightened. “Minimum wage, man. Minimum wage. Flip burgers. Take out the trash. Scrub floors. Whatever you gotta do to bring home a paycheck to support the baby.”
The bastard was enjoying this part. As his last word echoed in Merit’s mind, something else clicked and his stomach sank at a nauseating rate.
“Oh, fuck.” He grabbed his phone, checked the text from Mae on Saturday, and then leaned forward, eyes scrunched tight, forehead against the steering wheel. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“What?”
“Mae had a doctor appointment this morning.” He raked his hands through his hair as he sat back with a groan. “I promised I’d be there, but it was at the same time as the interview, and I completely forgot.”
“Oh, yeah, you’re fucked all right.”
How could he have forgotten about that? He was such a jerk. A selfish sonofabitch who deserved nothing good where Mae was concerned.
Deserved nothing, but wanted everything.
“Shit.” He heaved a sigh, hand fisted on the steering wheel. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten something so important. To him and her. Especially after what Ian’s father had done. “What the fuck do I do now?”
Grayson looked at him like he’d asked if the earth was round. “You beg forgiveness. On your knees. And you never do it again.”
“That was more rhetorical, but...” He drew back slightly. “On my knees? Literally?”
“Seems to work in the movies.”
Movies? Great. He didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.
“Do you care what this woman thinks?”
It was a serious question, and he gave a serious answer that made his pulse speed up. “I do. A lot.” So much so he was afraid he’d completely blown it.
“Then you do whatever it takes.”
“Yeah.” Tension gripped his shoulders as he reached to put the SUV in reverse. “I gotta go.”
He’d only backed up a couple feet when Grayson loped back to the window. “Hold up.”
Merit braked as his brother dug into his front pocket and then handed him a twenty.
“Get some flowers.”
He was slightly taken aback by a wave of embarrassment. “I don’t need you to give me money.”
“Yeah you do. Besides, it’s a loan, not a handout.”
After a moment of hesitation, he took the money. “Thanks. I’ll pay you back.”
