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I shook my head and sighed, walking into the kitchen to get this shit over with. I needed to get it done because I wasn’t having this affect Emily and me. We were finally in a good spot.
“I haven’t been a soldier for a long time, Holden. And the only orders I follow now are from Emily.” I smiled, trying to make peace.
“This is going to end badly,” he said, clearly exasperated with the whole situation.
“It doesn’t have to,” I argued.
He shook his head slowly. “Emily and Parker deserve a family, Reeves. Are you going to give them that?” He had this nasty snide smile on his face that made me want to smack it the hell off.
But I knew Emily loved this man like a brother and before I’d come along he was all she had. So, I reminded myself of those things and clenched my fists at my sides, and kept my voice even.
“What if I am? What if I’m in it for the long haul? What if I want them to bemyfamily? What if I’m in love with her?” I threw out there, hoping like hell it gave him a reality check.
He snickered. “You’re in love with her, huh? Is that why you pulled two disappearing acts in the last couple of months? Let’s be real, Reeves, actions speak louder than words.”
I stepped closer to him before I thought better of it until we were toe to toe in the small kitchen. Holden matched my height and weight, and we stood there eye to eye. He didn’t understand the circumstances under which Emily and I weren’t together for a bit and I was too angry about the whole fucking thing to even bother trying to explain that for one of those hiatuses he’d been the fucking cause.
“I love her, Steel. And I don’t have to explain my actions to you or anyone else. Because it’s none of your fucking business,” I said through clenched teeth.
“He’s right.” I heard from behind me, and I turned to see Emily and Miranda standing there, and neither one of them looked happy. Not even a little bit.
I backed away from Holden and blew out a calming breath. Things had almost gone too far.
Emily stepped toward Holden, her tiny body completely dwarfed by him, but I didn’t think she had any fucks to give. She walked up to him like she was a six-foot-four muscled man and not an itty-bitty thing.
Before she could get a word out, Miranda was beside her. “Tell me you didn’t, Hold.” She looked more than a little pissed off at him and I almost smiled at the time he was going to spend in the dog house because the meddling fucker deserved it.
It would have been comical these small women surrounding Holden with their wrath if I hadn’t been so damn pissed off in the first place.
I watched as Emily pressed her lips together in disappointment, her hands on her slim hips, her chin up, her eyes shooting daggers. “What kind of orders did you give Weston?” she asked, but it was clear she already had an idea of what had transpired. She just wanted him to say it. So she could really lay into him. I almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.
I leaned against the other counter in the kitchen and watched on. I wasn’t getting in the middle of him and these girls.
Holden ran a hand through his hair nervously. “I just. I don’t think that this relationship is a good idea. Andy—” he started, but Miranda was quick to interrupt.
“That’s not what she asked, Holden. She asked what orders you gave Weston,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyebrows were raised and her eyes were big and holy shit, she was mad as hell.
“Fuck,” Holden breathed. “Weston and I are in a veterans group together. Have been for years. I know him, ya know. I asked him to leave Emily alone. He’s not right for her.”
Miranda looked downright pissed off now. “Jesus, Hold,” she breathed, shaking her head like she couldn’t fucking believe it.
I could. The nosey fucker.
Emily held a hand out in front of Miranda. “I got this, girl. It’s okay. This has nothing to do with you and Holden, and I don’t want you getting upset. Go enjoy your party. I’m going to have a talk with the boys.”
“Okay,” Miranda murmured, leaning up to place a kiss on Emily’s cheek. “I’m sorry.” I heard her whisper close to Emily’s ear.
“You do not apologize for him, Miranda,” Emily said sternly, looking at Holden. “This is not your fault.”
If I wasn’t mistaken, I saw Holden swallow hard at her glare as Miranda left the kitchen to return to the porch out back with her friends.
It was all kinds of fucked-up that we were ruining her dinner party. I felt so guilty. We’d taken her joyous pregnancy announcement and shit all over it. I owed her an apology.
I almost made to go after her, but Emily’s head flew in my direction and her pointer finger shot out. “Do not move,” she ordered and because I was a smart fucking man, I stayed where I was, leaned up against the counter.
She turned back to Holden and let it all loose. “I love you, Holden. I love you like a brother and crazily enough I’ve grown to love your wife even more. Y’all are like family to me. In fact, you’re the only family I have besides Parker and you know that.”
“I know,” Holden said, his jaw hard. “Which is why I told Reeves to lay off. Andy would want me to protect you and Parker. That’s all I’m trying to do here, Ems,” he pleaded his case.
