The Things I Do for You (The Alexanders 2)

“I’m definitely not a fan.” She glared at the bike as if it had personally offended her. “Those things are dangerous.”

Nick sighed. “Cars are dangerous. So are airplanes. But we use those regularly. Come here, let me show you some of the safety features.”

Raina just stared at him. “So that’s it? You’re just going to ride it anyway?”

“Well, I doubt I’ll be riding much now. It’s almost winter.”

She closed her eyes slowly, as if counting to ten. “I’m not talking about this season, Nick. I mean in the future. You plan on riding this deathtrap in the future? Even after the baby is born?”

“Of course I’m going to keep riding. I’m supposed to stop riding just because you don’t like motorcycles?”

Nick was beyond caring about whether this was just her pregnancy hormones. He’d been busting his ass for weeks to show her that he was taking his impending fatherhood seriously. He’d read that massive book about pregnancy, he’d signed them up for Lamaze classes at the hospital, and he’d spent an entire weekend putting together the jigsaw-puzzle pieces masquerading as a crib.

None of that had seemed to get her attention. But him taking out his motorcycle for the first time in months was worth notice. Enough for her to decide he was unfit to be a father, apparently.

“I’ve been riding for years, Raina. I’m careful and I’ve never been in an accident,” he assured her.

“You know what, never mind. I don’t know why I’m surprised. I’ve seen the signs these past few weeks. You’ve been distracted and distant. Staying out later and later. I should have known you’d need to seek out some excitement at some point.” She looked down at the bike. Her anger seemed to have evaporated.

Now she just looked tired.

His joy at taking the bike for a spin vanished. “Fine, I won’t ride it anymore. Will that make you happy?”

Raina just blinked at him. “No, because if it’s not this it’ll just be something else dangerous. This is who you are. I shouldn’t have expected anything different.” She turned and trudged back toward the house.

“Raina!” he called.

She didn’t look back once.

“Now you’re not speaking to me?”

The quiet click of the door closing seemed to reverberate in the otherwise silent street.

* * * * *

“WHERE’S YOUR PRETTY wife? I hope she’s feeling well.”

Nick looked up to see his father observing him closely. He’d stopped by after work to drop off some information about individual retirement accounts for Bennett. He’d ended up sticking around for dinner and then following his father out to the garage where he was tinkering with the engine on his ancient pickup truck.

It wasn’t like there was a warm welcome waiting for him at home.

“The truth is I think I might be in the doghouse with my wife.”

“Already? That was fast. What’d you do?” Mark asked.

“Who said I did anything?” Nick crossed his arms.

“Son, the first thing you need to learn if you want a happy marriage is you’ve always done something.” Mark chuckled as he pulled down a bottle from one of the shelves on the wall of the garage.

Nick stared at the tips of his shoes, debating whether to just make up something or tell his father the truth. After their fight a few days ago, Raina had been largely ignoring him. It was slightly embarrassing to have to admit that his marriage was on the rocks already.

He looked up to find his father watching him closely. He tensed under the scrutiny. There was no one whose opinion he respected more than Mark Alexander but he hated to tell his dad when he’d screwed up.

Disappointing his father was the worst feeling in the world.

“What’s wrong, son? I hate to see you like this.”

“Raina and I have been trying for a baby. It’s kind of tricky because she has fertility issues. She was willing to marry me so I could get her pregnant, but she doesn’t love me, Dad. I’m starting to think she never will.”