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  Loyal’s eyebrows shot skyward. Asher’s did, too, but he glanced up at his wife for confirmation. “Is she really?”

  Honor nodded, her gaze darting to Merit.

  His brother stiffened and looked back at him. “Why is it that you know she’s pregnant?”

  Loyal sat forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “Guess she’s not completely out of your league.”

  “Holy shit.” Asher stared at him in shock. “Mae’s pregnant, and you’re the father?”

  “She is, and I am.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “The night of your wedding.”

  “Geezus, Mer, you couldn’t keep it in your pants for that one night?” His middle brother shoved to his feet and paced to the edge of the patio.

  “It was a mutual thing—for that one night at least,” he muttered.

  Asher swung back toward his wife. “You two are probably due about the same time, aren’t you?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s why she stopped by last night, isn’t it?”

  Another nod.

  “And you didn’t say anything?”

  Her eyebrows dipped at the note of accusation in the question. “I’m sorry. She thought Merit should be the one to tell his family, not her.”

  He made a face that said he grudgingly agreed but didn’t really want to before turning back to Merit. “What are you going to do?”

  “The only thing I can do.” He sat up straighter. “I’m going to be a dad.”

  As weird as that sounded saying it out loud for the first time, the words also shot a little thrill through his veins. He even felt a small smile tug at his lips.

  As his brother stared at him, Merit’s smile grew cautiously bigger. “We’re both going to be dads.”

  Asher glanced at Loyal. His oldest brother—well, second oldest if counting their half-brother, Grayson—shrugged and offered his own smile to Merit. “Congratulations?”

  Merit nodded. Asher crossed the patio, his hand extended. When he grasped it, his brother yanked him to his feet and pulled him into a hug.

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.”

  After hugs from both Loyal and Honor as well, they all sat again. Asher threaded his fingers with his wife’s as he asked, “Were you freaked out when she told you?”

  “Yeah. Because we did use protection.”

  “If you don’t use them right, they’re only like eighty to eighty-five percent effective,” Loyal pointed out.

  “I know how to use a fucking condom,” Merit retorted.

  “Obviously not.” He smirked at Asher. “You got a banana in the kitchen?”

  “Little late for that,” his brother quipped.

  “Both of you can just shut the fuck up.”

  “That’s enough you guys,” Honor admonished over their laughs.

  But seeing her grin, too, Merit surged to his feet and headed for the house. “I should’ve known it would be too much to ask for a little support from you guys.”

  “Oh, come on.” Asher leaned sideways to grab his arm. “Don’t be such a baby. You’d be all over this shit if it was one of us, and you know it.”

  He jerked free, but didn’t go any farther.

  “What were you whining about when you first walked out here?” Loyal asked.

  Merit blew out a breath and returned to his chair. “She keeps saying she doesn’t expect anything from me. She says she only told me because she felt I had the right to know, but that’s it, because I’m not the kind of guy to step up and be a dad.” He couldn’t keep the resentment from his voice, and it had both of his brothers frowning.

  “She’s scared,” Honor said.

  All three of them looked at her as Merit asked, “Of what?”

  She appeared torn, but then her shoulders lifted and dropped with a resigned sigh. “She was with Ian’s dad for six months. She was all in with him, to the point of supporting him without question while he ‘discovered who he was as an artist.’”

  Disdain rang in her voice with that last bit, and Merit cringed. Strike one. “What kind of artist?”

  “Musician.”

  Well, at least there was that difference.

  “When she found out she was pregnant, he freaked out and wanted her to get an abortion. She refused, and he left and moved in with one of his other girlfriends.”

  “Plural?” Strike two.

  “Yep. Turned out Mae wasn’t the only one supporting the lazy asshole. The last time she saw him was at the hospital when he signed away his parental rights the day Ian was born.”

  “Sounds like good riddance,” Asher said.

  “It was, but he still hurt her bad. The whole time she thought they were building a future together, he was using her while sleeping around with a bunch of other women.”

  Merit shook his head. “That was really shitty, but I’m not that guy.”

  Honor tilted her head slightly. “No offense, but aren’t you?”

  “No.” He tightened his fingers on his beer bottle to curb his resentment. “For one thing, I don’t date two women at once.” Loyal took a breath to speak, but Merit cut him off with a glare. “I don’t deny I’ve had one night stands, but I’ve never cheated on a woman in my life. Also, I’m not just messing around with Mae. I wanted to see her again after the wedding. I tried numerous times to contact her, but she totally blew me off.”

  Asher smirked. “Maybe you weren’t that good.”

  “I’m always that good and then some,” he shot back.

  “Maybe your ego’s too big,” Loyal chimed in.

  “Facts don’t need ego.”

  “Fact is, you probably could use some pointers.”

  “From you two?” He scoffed. “No, thanks.”

  “What?” Asher lifted his and Honor’s joined hands and kissed her palm. “I keep my woman very happy, don’t I, Butter Cream?”

  “Roxanna’s got no complaints,” Loyal added with a self-satisfied smile.

  “Every single one of you guys is too cocky for your own good,” Honor warned with a mock glare. This time it was Asher who took a breath to speak, but she cut him off as color flushed her cheeks. “Don’t you dare even go there in front of your brothers.”

  His grin had Merit and Loyal both choking back a laugh, but Merit sobered quickly when his sister-in-law’s serious green gaze swung to him.

  “You’re going to have to be patient with Mae. Give her some time to process everything. And you’re definitely going to have to not see the coffee chick again.”

  He blinked in surprise that she knew. “She told you about that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That was a mistake.”

  “Agreed. A big one when it comes to Mae.”

  He hung his head slightly, shaking it at his stupidity as that mistake kept returning to bite his ass. “All I wanted to do was try to forget her and move on.”

  “How’d that work out for you?” Loyal asked.

  “Nothing happened.”

  “Because Mae was there telling him she’s pregnant when Lyssa showed up,” Honor pointed out.

  Asher sucked air in through his teeth, and Loyal gave a low, “Ooohh, ouch.”

  “I sent her home. Nothing happened,” he repeated firmly. “And nothing’s going to happen. I haven’t even thought of anyone else since the wedding, much less been with anyone.”

  “You’re going to have a hard time convincing her of that after she saw Lyssa plastered against you.”

  Wow. Mae had told her everything, hadn’t she? Guess it was to be expected with them being best friends…he needed to remember that in the future.

  Chapter 8

  Friday after dinner, Mae loaded the dishwasher to the sound of Guardian’s of the Galaxy playing in the living room. She took her time, procrastinating on the inevitable of telling Ian about the baby. She didn’t expect it to be a big deal with him, and yet she was still so nervous she’d barely been able to eat two bites of dinner
without feeling like she was going to puke.

  She knew her anxiety was more a buildup of the week from hell than about telling him. Merit had been a constant presence in her thoughts and a very active participant in her dreams—especially after his stop at her work Monday morning. She’d been exhausted by Wednesday, and on top of that, the permit situation with Shelby’s clinic had messed up her whole work week until finally a guy in the county commissioner’s office pulled a few strings for them that morning.

  Chad Mayer knew Shelby from her father’s senate campaign and was happy to help. Mae’s suspicion the guy was sweet on the youngest Diamond was confirmed when he asked her out after handing over the permit. Shelby had hesitated before demurely saying yes.

  She closed the dishwasher door as Cherry Bomb blared from the TV speakers. The main cast was walking in slow motion on the screen as she entered the living room. Ian protested when she reached to hit pause.

  “Mom!” He jumped up off the couch, his arms up in the air. “I love this part.”

  “You can finish in a minute, bud. I wanted to talk to you first.”

  He huffed out a sigh and flopped back onto the cushions, arms crossed over his small chest. Mae rubbed her palms on her thighs before sitting on the coffee table to face him.

  “Am I in trouble?”

  “No, not at all. Um…remember when Cory’s new brother Elliott was born right after Christmas?”

  He frowned. “Yeah.”

  “Well…this year, you’ll be getting a new brother or sister after Christmas, too.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m going to have a baby.”

  His frown deepened, and her stomach dipped.

  “Do I get a daddy, too?”

  Mae’s heart thumped hard. She hadn’t expected that question. Though why in the world she hadn’t, she had no clue. How in the world did she explain this to her son? She blinked away an unexpected sting of tears.

  “Ian, I know it’s been you and me for so long. I—”

  “I don’t want a new brother or sister,” he declared as he jumped up. “I want a daddy instead.”

  Her heart broke at those words. Giving him a daddy wasn’t up to her. She’d tried to make sure he spent time with her brothers so he had strong male role models in his life, but she hadn’t realized he wanted more. He hadn’t asked about his father—or a father—in a couple of years. It was easier to give a pat answer when he was four instead of almost seven.

  She reached out and grasped his hands. “Ian, I know this is going to be different, but it’s going to be okay. The three of us are going to be a family together.”

  His bottom lip stuck out. “Cory said his brother gets everything. He said his mom and dad love the baby more than him.”

  “Oh, hun, it won’t be like that. I will love you both the same. Cory’s parents do, too.”

  He yanked his hands away, jumped over the side of the couch, and ran for his room. “I don’t want it.”

  “Ian, come back here.”

  “No! I don’t want it.”

  She was halfway to his door when he slammed it shut. Mae reached for the handle, then hesitated and gave a soft knock instead. “Ian?”

  “Go away.”

  “Scoob, I love you. Nothing will change that.”

  “I don’t wanna talk anymore.”

  She drew in a breath and blew it back out as she wiped away the tear rolling down her cheek. “Okay. We don’t have to talk anymore right now, but if you have any questions for me, just ask okay?”

  Silence.

  “Why don’t you come out and finish watching your movie?”

  “I don’t wanna.”

  “It’s at your favorite part.”

  When he didn’t respond, she leaned her back against the wall and wiped away more tears. This had not gone at all as she’d expected. Her usually easy-going, carefree child had thrown her a huge emotional curveball. Much as she wanted to go in there right now, she needed to give him time to process on his own.

  “If you need me at all, I’m going to be in the garage, okay?”

  Faced with more silence, she went out through the kitchen and crossed the garage to open the large overhead door. The over-long grass was right there in her face before she turned to face her broken lawnmower.

  She couldn’t fix things with Ian right now, but she could fix her damn lawnmower. Based on the online video she’d found, changing the broken mulching blade shouldn’t be too hard.

  Forty-five minutes later, her confidence was in the toilet. The entire evening had become a complete failure. Tears were threatening yet again, which annoyed the hell out of her.

  Stupid pregnancy hormones.

  Her wrench slipped off the bolt she was trying to loosen as she kneeled on a cushion next to the tipped-up mower. She swung the tool against the side of the mower deck in frustration. “Piece of crap stupid thing.”

  “That’s not going to fix anything.”

  Mae jumped at the sound of the male voice from the open garage door. Her heart rate took off at double speed as she twisted around and saw Merit. She lost her balance and fell back on her butt. He was in front of her in an instant, and she lifted her chin to find herself staring into his dark-lashed, gold-tinged brown eyes as his dark hair fell rakishly across his forehead.

  “You okay?”

  Oh, yeah, fine. I feel like a complete idiot as you stand there looking hot as hell, but yeah, I’m good.

  When he leaned closer with his hand outstretched to help her up, her breath hitched in her throat. She quickly shifted back. One touch from him and she’d be in danger of forgetting exactly what he was.

  A playboy she could not depend on.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Merit stilled, then straightened and stuffed his hands in his front jeans pockets. A frown creased his brow as he wet his lips. “You were going to let me know how things were going.”

  Don’t look at his lips.

  But her green lawnmower was nowhere near as seductive. Still, looking at him made it hard to think clearly, so she got up off the ground, wiped off the seat of her cotton shorts, and kneeled beside the mower once more. “It’s only been a couple of days.”

  “Five. It’s been five days, Mae, and we still have a hell of a lot to talk about.”

  She heard the accusation in his voice and fought against a wave of guilt. Yes, she was deliberately keeping him at a distance, but it was the only choice she had.

  “I want to be involved,” Merit said.

  She picked up her wrench to work the bolt again. “There’s nothing for you to be involved in right now.” And by the time there would be, he’d probably be on to greener pastures.

  “Have you gone to the doctor yet?”

  “No.”

  “I want to go with you.”

  What?

  Mae’s pulse skipped as she strained to budge the stubborn piece of metal. He wanted to go to doctors appointments with her? Ian’s father’s first ‘request’ had been to tell her to get an abortion.

  Suddenly, Merit was kneeling beside her. His large, warm hand closed over hers on the wrench. “Let me help.”

  For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and imagined leaning into his strength. Letting his arms close around her as his warmth and yummy manly scent made her stomach flutter.

  Realizing she was already starting to lean toward him, she jerked her hand out from under his and rose to her feet. “I don’t need your help.”

  Only she stood too fast, and the now familiar rush of dizziness made her sway on her feet. Shit. She braced a hand on the closest thing in reach—Merit’s back.

  The wrench clattered to the cement as he turned and caught her at the same time he rose to his feet. For the second time in less than a week she found herself swept up into his arms. The guy had serious hero moves.

  “Merit, put me down.”

  “You need to schedule that doctor’s appointment.” He started toward the door that led into
the house. “Is this normal? Honor hasn’t mentioned anything about fainting.”

  “I didn’t faint. I stood too fast and got dizzy.”

  He shouldered the door open and carried her inside. Before she could fully enjoy the moments in his arms, he set her down on the couch. When her hand brushed over the old, worn cushions, she grimaced at what he’d think of it compared to the nice, supple leather of his furniture.

  “You don’t have to keep doing that.”

  He crouched down in front of her. “How often does this happen?”

  “Not often.” When his dark brow arched in disbelief, she insisted, “Honestly. And usually I can feel it coming on. It really was that I stood up too fast this time.”

  “This time. That doesn’t sound very reassuring—especially after the same thing happened at my house less than a week ago.”

  “I’m fine. I swear.”

  His gaze traced over her face and body before he rose to his feet, lifting a hand to rake his hair off his forehead. The unruly locks fell right back into place.

  “What can I do? Are you feeling okay now? Do you need some water? Do you want to lie down?”

  Oh, man, would she love to lie down. Even better if he— “I can’t. I have to fix the mower.”

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “One of the mower blades broke.” She slumped back against the couch as the weight of the week started to catch up with her. “Feels like I’m fixing something on it every other month.”

  “Why don’t you get a new one?”

  She scoffed at his perplexed question. “What, you think everyone has a ginormous trust fund to just get a new one?”

  His jaw tightened, and he looked away. “What can I do to help?”

  Mae narrowed her gaze. He seemed so concerned, she almost believed him. But she’d bet it would only take a little pushing to get him to reveal his true colors. Guys like him were not dependable, and she needed to prove it to both of them before her heart started to overrule her mind.

  “You want to help, Merit? Buy me a new one or fix the one I got.”

  Chapter 9

  Merit stared at Mae’s lawnmower, his hands braced on his hips. Well, it was either figure out how to fix the damn thing, or admit he couldn’t afford a new one because his father cut him off without a cent and he hadn’t heard back from a single job he’d applied for over the past week with his anemic resume.