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“Breathe. Relax.” I inhale and exhale a few times in hopes that she’ll follow my lead. She does. “Everything is going to be okay, I promise. If you feel uncomfortable, we’llleave.”
We do this for a good five minutes, and she sniffles while calming down. “These damn pregnancy hormones are going to be the end of mysanity.”
I smile. “I wish I could say they get better, but from what I’ve witnessed, they don’t.” I move out of her way and settle my hand on the arch of her back when she starts walkingagain.
“Then, I’d be careful not to piss meoff.”
“That’s been my goal since dayone.”
I’ve been sucking ass at itthough.
She sniffles again. “You need to workharder.”
Thoughtconfirmed.
I move my arm up and wrap it around her shoulders, bringing her to my side, hoping she doesn’t pull away. This isn’t sexual. It’s something you do to a friend having a badday.
“Come on, I can’t have you showing up to the doctor in tears. My mom would have my ass if she found out. Give me something I can do to calm youdown.”
“Punching you mightwork.”
I break our connection to move back in front of her and start walking backward. “If being your punching bag helps, then have at it.” I throw my arms out and gesture for her to take aswing.
I’m the one stumbling this time when she pushes me back. “God, you piss meoff.”
“What? Why? I’m giving you what youwant.”
I’ve never had complications like this with a woman. Granted, my experience is limited to one woman, so that doesn’t say much in itself. I don’t remember learning Lucy’s quirks because I grew up with them. They were instilled in me before I knew how to spell myname.
She scowls. “What I want is for you to stop being so damnnice.”
“What? Why?” I repeat, confused asfuck.
If I’m an ass, she’s pissed. If I’m nice, she’spissed.
“Because you’re making it difficult to hate you rightnow.”
“That’s a badthing?”
“Yes!”
I’m doing everything in my power to fix this, to make her feel comfortable, so she doesn’t run away again, but it’s killing me. I’m very rarely the fun guy. My role has always been the serious and overprotective brother. Hudson was the Marine who thrived on having a good time, and Lauren was the mischievous one I caught sneaking out on too many occasions. I was the big brother who made sure everyone was okay andprotected.
I stop us in front of the restored yellow Victorian home. “And we’re here.” Perfect timing before we get into another argument, and my goal of distracting her has somewhatsucceeded.
She assesses the building and glares at me like I’m fucking with her. “This …” She does another once-over. “This is a house. Where’s theoffice?”
I point to the sign with the doctor’sname.
“This isn’t some midwives shit, is it? Not to be judgmental, but I’m not having my baby in some old home’sbathtub.”
“We’ll go to a hospital when you give birth, and so will the doctor. Give Dr. Riley a chance. If you hate him, we’ll go to thecity.”
Compromise. Compromise. Fucking compromise. Marriage taught me that compromise is what keeps you going when the tides getrough.
She sighs. “Let’s do thisthen.”
Chapter Sixteen
