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“Motherfucker,” I practically moan. “Couldn’t you have led with that instead of accusing me of knocking up some bitch I haven’t seen in years?”
“I said I was sorry,” she complains again. “Emily said she was pregnant, and she needed to talk to you.”
“Tillie, the only woman I’m actively trying to knock up—let me rephrase that—the only woman getting my dick at all is this beautiful, curvy brunette who owns my heart. She’s the only woman who will have my dick for the rest of my days. So, if Emily West is pregnant, I can promise you that it’s not by me, Buttons.”
“Then, who?” Tillie asks.
We look up as my family enters the room, Tucker standing in front, Cane and Dakota flanked behind them. My parents are in the back and neither one of them look happy.
“I guess that’s me,” he says.
“Holy shit,” Tillie whispers, her hand tightening up on mine.
I pull her to my side, holding her close. I rake my gaze over my brother. The bastard looks miserable. I feel sorry for him.
“I didn’t know you two were even seeing one another,” I respond, clearing my throat.
“Damn it, Ryder. We weren’t. It was one night. It’s not an excuse. I was drunk off my ass and I ran into her at the bar…Shit.I’m sorry man.”
I shake my head. “You don’t owe me an apology. I’d say you have enough on your plate to worry about. One of them doesn’t need to be me. Emily doesn’t mean anything to me.”
“Yeah,” he says, his gaze moving from me to Tillie. “I can see that. I would have told you sooner, Tillie but you disappeared…”
She waves him off and I clear my throat.
Tucker rubs the back of his neck and yeah, I feel sorry for the son of a bitch. Out of all of the scenarios I imagined with Emily’s call…This wasn’t even on my radar.
“Are you sure the baby is yours, or that there is one?”
“She took a picture of the lab work and texted it to me when I called her. She’s pregnant and as for the other, the dates are right, I guess. There’s no way of knowing until after the child is born. My gut tells me she's telling the truth, though.”
“Shit,” I hiss.
“What are you going to do, Tucker?” Tillie asks, compassion in her voice.
“I don’t know, Tillie. I honestly have no fucking clue.”
Damn. I definitely feel sorry for my brother. I just have no idea how to help him. I squeeze my girl closer, thankful that she pulled my head out of my ass and showed me what it feels like to be wrapped around a good woman.
I hope my brother gets to have that feeling someday. I truly do.
Tillie
I let out a sigh. It’s been a long day for both of us. Ryder went into the study to talk with his brothers and father once Tucker gave us his bombshell. I stayed busy in the kitchen holding his mother’s hand. It wasn’t a great family visit, but I know it made Tucker feel better to have Ryder there and I’d like to think that I helped his mother.
Now, we’re back at my apartment, lying in bed. We visited with my parents earlier and while that started off bad, it ended with my parents apologizing, hugging Ryder, and welcoming him into the family. That part made me blush, but Ryder just gave me a sweet smile.He loves me.
The freedom I feel now that I can allow myself to believe those words meant the world. I feel a million pounds lighter. Now, if I could just find a way to help Ryder. He’s been kind of quiet all night. I feel bad, because he has so much on his plate, and I made everything worse by flying all to hell. I should have had more trust in my man. It’s just that where Emily is involved, I’m pretty sure I have some strange, perverse version of PTSD. None of my reactions are normal or sane.
“Are you okay,” I ask Ryder for the hundredth time, as I burrow into him, hugging his body tight.
Ryder tilts his head slightly and kisses my forehead and using his arm that I’m lying on, he gives my body a tight squeeze. It doesn’t last but a second, but I can tell he’s trying to reassure me. “Yeah, baby. I’m okay, I promise. I’m just worried.”
“Worried?” I question with a small yawn that I try to stifle against his chest.
“I’m worried about Tucker because he looks miserable now and if I know Emily, she will probably make that worse.”
“Yeah,” I agree, not feeling very hopeful myself where Tucker is concerned.
