“And she’s pregnant.”
“Shit,” he repeats. “Wait, what?! Is it yours?!”
“No, you idiot!” I announce, jumping to my feet at the horrifying thought. “It’s some prick’s from college who has basically screwed her over. That’s why she’s home in Brooklyn. She’s almost full-term, and there I was, checking out her ass in the living room.”
“Shit.”
I roll my eyes. “Can you stop saying that?”
He just shrugs. “I don’t know what else to say. Other than you know you can’t go there.”
I deadpan, almost offended that he could ever think I would. “Of course I fucking can’t. And that’s what I’m saying. I’m losing my goddamn mind over here.”
Sawyer considers my words carefully, tongue poking into his right cheek. “You need to get laid.”
“Already did. Didn’t work.”
His eyes bug out. “With whom?”
I take a seat back on the couch. “Some chick in Colorado and then again in Miami. One-night stands aren’t my thing.”
Sawyer laughs, and I know what’s coming. “Just best friend’s daughters.”
“Not helping,” I sing.
He clears his throat of humor and resets himself to a serious demeanor. “This isn’t exactly a huge problem. Just keep your distance from her, which sounds like that’ll be easy enough since she’ll be busy with baby shit in the next few weeks.”
“Have you forgotten my friendship with Scott and Freya?” I ask, sounding like a petulant teenager. I might as well be; I’m already checking out someone fourteen years younger than me.
He winces again. “How often would you typically head over to their place?”
“I don’t know. It was way less often when I was still married, but since I turned single … once, maybe twice a week.”
“Shit.”
I’m ready to throat-punch him.
“You’re just going to have to suck it up and control your eyes. You find her hot. Big deal. Like I said before, once that baby arrives, I doubt you’ll see all that much of her.” He snaps his fingers in a light-bulb moment. “And that’s your excuse right there.”
“What excuse?”
He just smiles like he solved the Enigma code. “You won’t want to impose on Billie and the new baby by going over on the regular. Suggest Scott meet you in town or at your place.”
Part of me wants to argue over how ridiculous this is. Sure, Billie is hot, and my eyes betrayed me a couple of times today. That doesn’t mean I have to shift my whole friendship with her dad because of that. The last person I would ever be tempted to touch is Billie Quinn. I value my life—and my fucking balls. That said, this does give me a great excuse to avoid bumping into Maria when she inevitably visits Freya, offering the clean break I really need.
“We’re supposed to be meeting up on Tuesday afternoon to watch a Champions League game.”
Sawyer motions to my TV. “Watch the game here.”
“Nothing would ever happen between us,” I say, clearing any niggling doubts Sawyer might have. “Billie is more like a niece than anything else, and I’d set our friendship alight if Scott even knew what ran through my head a couple of hours ago.” At this point, I want the ground to swallow me whole. “She’s pregnant, for God’s sake.”
A palm rests on my shoulder. “Like you said, buddy, your mind is everywhere after the split from Maria. You’re searching for signs of affection and reassurance that you’re not past it. My best guess is, your brain is playing tricks on you, and it wasn’t theawkward exchange you think it is. Still, no harm in keeping some distance and getting your shit together.”
I nod lightly, convincing myself that he’s correct.
“Yeah. You’re right, man.” I pick up the remote and hit Play on the movie, Julia Roberts springing back to life. “This is all in my goddamn head.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
