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“Uh huh.”
“Okay, that’s it.” I yank the knife out of her hand and slam it onto the table. “What is going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“You just agreed with me about an elephant the bride and groom rode after the ceremony.”
She looks at me incredulously. “There wasn’t an elephant.”
“Exactly.” I cup her cheek. “Is this about Harlow being pregnant?”
“What? Why would you think that?”
I shrug. Why do women have to be so complicated?
“I don’t know. I mean, we’ve never talked about kids or a future. Maybe you’re jealous or sad or maybe you can’t have kids and that has you distracted. I don’t know why you’d be upset about it, and I don’t know why you’re so in your head. That’s kinda why I’m asking.”
When she simply stares at me like I’ve grown a second nose, my temper flares.
“Ya know what, forget it.” I rise from the table and push my chair in. “We’ve come a long way, you and me, but if you want to start shutting me out again, fine. Come find me when you change your mind.”
I stalk away, angry at myself and angry at Peppermint. Since the first night we slept together, things between us have been good. Better than good, actually. I don’t know exactly what changed, but Peppermint seemed to accept that we belong together, acted as if she wanted it as much as I do.
Was I wrong?
I lift my hand to Fiona, who’s bartending as usual, and signal that I want a beer. Harlow offered to give her the night off so she could enjoy the reception, but Fiona was having none of it. She told her prez and Malachi to consider it a wedding gift from her and Coast.
I lift the frosty bottle she sets on the bar for me but before I can take a pull, I’m spun around and lose my grip. The beer crashes to the floor and breaks, the liquid splashing onto my pants.
“What the hell?” I snap at Malachi, the asshole who ruined my attempt at numbing the hurt.
Malachi holds his hands up. “Whoa, sorry. You were racing over here like there was a fire that needed pissed on. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Yeah.” I force a smile and slap his chest. “It’s your wedding day, man. Of course everything is okay.”
Malachi grins. “Did you get a look at that dress, Nico? Fuck, I am one lucky bastard.”
“Harlow looked incredible. And the necklace you got her was the perfect addition.”
“Never in a million years did I think I’d be marrying a woman who is so happy about a hatchet pendant that I get laid for it.”
A tap on my back has me turning around. Fiona hands me another beer.
“Thanks, Fi.”
“Dude, nobody calls my woman Fi but me,” Coast growls from behind her.
“Right. Sorry.”
I down half the bottle before facing Malachi again. “I’m happy for you, Mal. If anyone deserves a marriage and a kid on the way, it’s you.”
“If you’d have asked me two years ago what I thought about Harlow, I’d have given you a list of reasons why I hated her. But now? I can’t imagine—” He presses his lips together for a moment and then tilts his head. “Wait a sec. What did you say?”
“Just that I’m happy for you. Both of you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got that part.” He nods slowly. “But the other thing… the part about a kid on the way?”
“Oh, right. Congratulations. I’m sorry I knew before you, but I overheard—”
