“I wouldn’t punch you.”
“Admit it, you want to punch something.”
“Because I don’t know what the fuck to do!” I yelled. “I’m pretty sure Austin’s dad wants to start a smear campaign in order to protect his own ass, and if Austin’s pregnant . . .” I sat and groaned into my hands.
“And if she is?” Lucas asked.
A buzzing sensation washed all over my body. “I’d be stoked,” I finally admitted. “It’s not like I’m getting any younger.”
“Saw a wrinkle near your lip, man, I’d fix that shit.”
“You have smile lines too, dumbass.”
He grinned. “Mine make me look sexy, since they’re paired with this cleft right there.” He winked. “Yours make you look old, ergo, congrats on the baby.”
I tried to tamp down my excitement.
But it was impossible.
So when the door opened and Austin held out about six different types of pregnancy tests, I was ready to give her as much water as necessary so she could hurry the hell up and pee on the damn stick.
Austin walked toward the bathroom and closed the door. I sat on the edge of the recliner, then stood, then sat again.
“Just sit the hell down.” Lucas placed his hands on my shoulders to make sure I didn’t move and then went to help himself to a glass of wine before pouring me a shot of expensive whiskey and bringing it over. “Here.”
It burned all the way down.
And threatened to come right back up when two minutes later, Austin walked out of the bathroom.
I couldn’t read her expression.
I could always read her expression.
The room was completely silent.
I held my breath as she slowly walked over to me and pulled the little stick from behind her back and held it out.
I looked down.
“Holy shit.” Tears filled my eyes. “You’re pregnant.”
She nodded and then wrapped her arms around me. I was afraid to squeeze her too tight. “I’m so sorry!”
“Wait, what?” I gently pushed her away and kissed her wet cheeks. “Baby, why are you sorry?”
“I know it’s not part of your plan, and you’re paying off school loans and—”
I silenced her worries with a kiss and lifted her into the air, twirling her around a few times before setting her back on her feet. “I’m a doctor, I think we’ll be okay.”
She huffed. “No, I know that, but then, my dad, and your picture, people are going to recognize you and—”
“Let’s worry about that later.”
She nodded and then a beautiful smile spread across her face. “I’m excited, why am I excited? I’m barely graduating with my MBA, and I don’t even have a job.”
“Hi.” I kissed her nose and then tapped my chest. “Doctor. Not that you have to stay home. You’ve worked your ass off to be in the business world. What I’m saying is, you’ve always set your mind on a goal and achieved it, and this is no different. Plus, we have each other.”
“Sorry, I’m just—there’s a lot of things going on.”
She was right about that.
I’d already fielded two phone calls from a partner at the firm who’d seen the photos on the news and was wondering what the hell was going on. The last time a scandal had hit our office, one of the doctors was asked to take leave for two months.
But I had a baby coming.
Two months?
No chance in hell.
I needed my job.
Because I wasn’t going to screw up again.
And I refused to let this affect Austin. Again.
I needed to keep my job.
Which meant I needed a plan.
I thought back to the pictures I had stashed in my room. A twinge of remorse hit me square in the chest. A sick feeling washed over me as my stomach clenched. I wasn’t sure if they would fix everything; I wasn’t even sure if they would make things worse. But I had to try, right? Wasn’t that what family did? They tried? They sacrificed?
I knew in that moment. I would do anything for her.
Give up everything.
To keep her safe—to keep my new family safe.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
AUSTIN
We celebrated all night, and Thatch told us part of his plan before disappearing with Lucas for a good hour while I hung out with Avery and tried my best to come up with more ways to take my dad down.
Everything Avery and I came up with fell short.
Because really, who would believe my mother over the mayor? Especially with proof? People loved a good scandal, and even though Thatch wasn’t actually kissing her, it looked like she was going in for a kiss and they were holding hands. It looked bad. I mean, I knew them, and I’d suspected the worst.
The answer came easily enough.
In fact, the answer came when Zootopia popped on and Avery made us pause for the Shakira song.
“I would kill for a carrot recorder pen.” I yawned and then shared a look with Avery before grinning up at Thatch.
“That look scares me.” He scooted away and then narrowed his eyes. “Just what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“The fact that I’m brilliant.”
“I agree with that if I can add in ‘terrifying’ before the ‘brilliant’ part.” He scooted back toward me. “Now, what’s your idea?”
“Braden.” I nodded. “He knows what’s going on. I’ll bet money my dad asked a favor for a favor. Date me, take me to the fund-raiser, make us look good, and pull me away from Thatch, and he’d put in a good word. Braden wasn’t that good of a student that he’d get a high-paying lawyer job right out of college. He used to cheat off my papers all the time. I mean, the guy’s smart, but I guarantee he struggled with his classes.”
“No.” Thatch shook his head. “Absolutely not. You’re not talking to that dipshit, besides, last time he saw you, you drew blood.”
“Right.” I rubbed my hands together. “But if I tell him I saw the news and I’m confused . . . and sorry . . . I just bet he’d confess that my dad got him a job in exchange for dating me or at least distracting me. He always likes to sound like he’s smart, like he knows everything. He’s too arrogant not to say something.”
“I still don’t like it,” Thatch said.
Lucas nodded. “I’d have to agree with Thatch on that one, you’re carrying his child.”
I crossed my arms. What the heck? What does a baby have to do with it! “Guys, it’s not the seventeenth century, you know this, right?”
They both ignored me, and then Avery piped up.
“Honestly . . .” Avery shrugged. “The easiest way for you to talk to him without making it look like you’re crawling back is to pretend like you’re a woman scorned, a woman cheated, a woman needing to get even.”
The room fell silent again.
“What?” She popped an almond into her mouth. “You said he’s arrogant—he’ll love that you came to him. And boom, he’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand. Just bring your carrot recorder pen and you’re golden.”
“Or iPhone, that’s always a solid option too,” Lucas joked.
“Please.” I gripped Thatch’s hand. “I want to fix this, I—I want to move past all of this crap. I don’t want the white picket fence and dog and two perfect kids!”
“Huh?” Thatch asked the room. “Is this normal for pregnancy?”
Avery patted my back. “What she’s saying in her own weird way is she wants to start fresh, and have a family, and be happy, with you, not with the idea of what was pumped into her when she was little about happily-ever-afters. Get it?”
Both men nodded.
While Avery and I rolled our eyes and began to plot.
“I see you’ve come to your senses,” Braden snorted over a martini. Ah, even the way he drank made me want to smack him on the head.
It cheered me up that, while fading, the black eye I’d gifted him with was still visible, though my
money was on cover-up making the purple look more of a muted yellow.
“Yeah, well.” The waitress appeared at the table, and I ordered a drink but knew I wasn’t going to touch it. “I’m pissed. He cheated on me, freaking cheated. Again!”
Braden rolled his eyes. “Stop being so dramatic. You know it was a setup, right? Your dad just wanted me to keep Thatch away from you so your dad could continue screwing Thatch’s mom without you finding out or ruining it for him. I asked for all the gory details, especially since I was really happy with my last girlfriend. Then again, she couldn’t get me into the best law firm in town. So, I did what I could.”
Wow, that was almost too easy.
“Yeah, well.” I drummed my fingertips on the table and tried not to shift too much since my phone was on “Voice Record.” “I’m still pissed.”
Braden tossed back the rest of his drink. “All I know is that your father’s up for reelection next year, and he’d do anything—anything—in order to get it. You know he wants to run for Senate next.”
I fought the urge to gag.
I loved my dad.