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Not that my sister was speaking to me. She was whisper-shouting at someone in the background. Probably Rory. She was using the voice she typically used when dealing with her temperamental toddler—or her unhinged brother.
Ivy came back on the line after a brief howl from Rhiannon that abruptly ended, indicating she’d either been removed from the area or possibly dunked in the bathtub. “Okay, sorry,” she said breathlessly. “She finally told you?”
I opened my mouth and immediately shut it again. “What do you mean finally? Did you already know?”
“Sort of.”
“Ivy. Either you knew or you didn’t.”
“She didn’t intend to tell me. She didn’t even know herself. We figured it out together.”
She explained the whole incident at Kinleigh’s the day before our planned dinner with Ryan and Preston while I rubbed at the tension in my right shoulder. It felt as if all my muscles were seizing up.
“I knew she was getting sick a lot, but not that bad. She’s not telling me stuff.” I drummed my knuckles into the steering wheel. “Why isn’t she telling me? Why the hell won’t she let me be the father in utero of the year?”
Ivy surpr
ised me by laughing. “Did it ever occur to you that what you think she needs isn’t what she actually does?” Before I could answer, she questioned, “You didn’t ask her if the baby was yours, right?”
“Why would I do that? Of course it’s mine. Who else’s would it be?”
“So not all men are brain dead, just your brother-in-law. Got it.”
“I heard that.”
I flexed my fist. “Rory asked you if Rhi was his? That bastard. I’m going to kick his ass. I’m in the mood right now. I’m on my way over.”
“Cool your jets, mate,” Rory answered in the background, his voice entirely too clear.
“Do you have me on speaker, Ive? What the heck. This is a private conversation.”
“Sorry to inform you, but Rory is family.”
“He thought you were sleeping all over the Cove. He’s been ex-communicated.”
“I thought nothing of the sort. We’d been apart a bit of time and not strictly together so when I came back to—you know what, mind your own relationship, Cal, how about that?”
“You know not to call me Cal.”
“Oh, do I?” Rory waited a beat. “Cal.”
“Boys,” Ivy said mildly. “Did you tell Mom and Dad yet?”
“No. I can’t.” Lightly, I pounded my fist on the steering wheel. “She’s not ready for everyone to know, and I already fucked up by telling teachers at work.”
“At work? Oh. Um, yeah. That could be a problem.”
“It’s not a problem. They’ll just deal with it. I’m a damn good teacher. If they’re going to pitch a fit because I’m not marrying Lu yet—”
“I heard a yet,” Rory said. “Did you hear a yet, Ginger Fairy?”
“Shut up. And also, ick on the nickname.”
It was actually kind of cute, but not in my current gloomy mood.
“Feck off. Not relishing the oncoming birth? Afraid you’ll get stuck changing nappies?”
“Hard to change a nappy when the mother isn’t even here. By the way, the proper word is diaper.”
