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She smiles, relaxes a little. Lets me steer her to the building entrance, and then up the stairs. We ring the bell, and I casually put my arm around her shoulders, letting her know I’m right there for her as the door opens.
“You came!” Tessa grins widely and flings her arms open. “Meg, come here.”
Heh. Her hair is a bright blue, hanging loose around her face. I open my mouth, close it again, deciding not to say anything about it. Play it safe.
Meg stiffens and for a moment I think she won’t move from my side, but then she walks into Tessa’s arms and hugs her.
“Of course I came,” she whispers.
Tessa drags her farther into the apartment, and I follow behind, listening to her excited chatter about the baby and how cute he is and how he gurgles when he’s happy.
Chicks and babies. Typical.
Grinning, I walk into the living room and find the whole gang there. Erin is sitting on the couch, holding her four-year-old, Jax, in her lap, and Audrey is beside her, breastfeeding the baby. The bundle is so small you can hardly make out the baby’s face.
“Hey, man, you made it,” Asher calls out, coming to clap my back, then thinking better of it and grabbing my arms in a man-greeting instead.
“Congratulations, buddy.” I return the greeting, genuinely happy for him and Audrey. “Sorry we didn’t come earlier.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.” He glares at me. “If you had set foot in here in the state you were in last I saw you, I’d have kicked your ass.” He pauses, blinks. “Damn. I’ll have to mind my language from now on, won’t I? Kid will be cussing like a sailor before he says mama.”
I start to laugh and grab my ribs. “Damn you, Ash. Don’t make me laugh.” I shake my head. “Goddammit, you’re a father. Look at you.”
“Poor kid,” he says, and starts laughing, too.
I pat his back. “You’ll be a great dad, man. You guys will be amazing. That kid’s damn lucky.”
Ash nods, his eyes shiny, and returns to his girl and kid. I tag along, congratulate Audrey, and take a peek at their son’s wrinkly, tiny face. He has Asher’s dark hair and pale gray eyes.
“What’s this?” I laugh. “You cloning yourself now, Ash? Is there a photocopying machine around here?”
“His colors may change,” he says, but looks absurdly proud of his kid.
As he should be.
“He’s fussy, like his dad,” Audrey says with a wink at Ash.
“And obsessed with tits,” Ash says, snickering, and wisely steps back as Audrey tries to swat at him. The baby wails, searching for a nipple, and she soothes him, putting him back to her breast.
“So when are you guys getting married?” I search the room with my eyes for Meg.
“In the summer. Maybe June.” Ash stands behind the couch and puts his arms around Audrey and the baby. “We’ll let you guys know.”
“Damn right you will.” I locate Meg on a chair, her eyes wide, her mouth trembling, while Tessa’s talking to her.
I frown. What the hell? I stride toward her, angry words forming in my mind. What’s Tessa been telling her to make her so upset?
“Meg.” I scowl at Tessa and pull Meg to her feet, lace my arms around her waist. “What’s the matter? What did Tessa tell you?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Tessa protests, her blue eyes just as wide as Meg’s. “I swear it.”
“She didn’t,” Meg says.
“Then why the sad face?”
She shrugs, laughs. Her gaze is distant. “The baby. His name’s Scott.”
I nod. Makes sense. “That’s the name of Audrey’s dad.” He died in an accident when Audrey was fifteen, and she loved him very much.
