“Me too,” I say as I feel one more stray tear fall down my cheek. “Now, why are you here? It’s not because you had a twisted intuition that I’m pregnant.”
“What! You’re pregnant?”
Shelby and I jump apart at the booming sound of my brother’s voice. Damn him for having a key and always using the back door.
“Beau…uh…hi…”
Shit, shit shit! This is not supposed to be how he found out. Granted, I didn’t really have a plan for how it was going to be, but it definitely wasn’t going to be like this.
“You’re pregnant, Gabi?” he says again, making short work of the distance between us and the kitchen door he came through. “Who? When? How?”
“How? Have you gone that long without sex that you don’t remember how babies are made?”
The sound of Shelby’s voice—and maybe the realization that she’s here—stops my brother in his tracks.
“Shrew.”
“Dick head.”
If someone walked in right now and saw my best friend and my brother staring each other down like this, they’d probably call the cops in anticipation of a blow up. I know better.
They’re going to stand here and stare at each other, subliminally willing the other to crack first. Whoever does is going to blame the other for making them, they’re going to call each other names—most of them unsuitable to be said in afamily dining establishment—and one of them is going to leave because they physically can’t be in the same room together.
Welcome to my entire life with Shelby and Beau.
Actually, I take that back. This didn’t happen until we were in high school. To this day, I still don’t know why they started hating each other. I just know this has been my life for the past twenty years.
Yay me.
“Okay you two, as much as I love revisiting the classic hits of Beau and Shelby, I need to speed this up.” I walk over and place myself between the two of them. “Shelby, put away the claws. Beau, yes, I’m pregnant. And before you ask any other questions, here are the highlights: I just found out, I’m keeping it, and Maddox is the father.”
Shelby gives him one more narrowed glare before taking a step back. But Beau? I watch as his face morphs from the hate he’s sending to Shelby, as it softens as he focuses on me.
“Are you okay?”
“I am,” I say, and for the first time in three days, I don’t think that’s a lie. “It’s been a lot. I’m still figuring a lot out, but I think it’s going to be okay.”
“It is,” Beau says as he brings me into his arms. “If you’re happy, I’m happy for you.”
I nod against his chest, a fresh wave of tears hitting. Only now, they’re of the happy variety. “I am.”
“Good.” Beau kisses the top of my head. “And don’t you worry about a thing with this place. Whatever we need to do, whatever money we need to spend, people we need to hire, it’ll be done. Full stop.”
“See! I told you the asshole would step up.”
I laugh at Shelby’s comment, and not because she was right. But because even in a sentimental moment, these two still can’t keep from going at each other. I wonder… Maybe if I make themthe godparents to my child they’ll get along. Then I internally laugh, because I don’t think anything—even a priest—could ever make these two like each other.
“You’re laughing at that?” Beau chimes in. “She called me an asshole.”
“And I meant it.” Shelby walks over and grabs my hand, pulling me away from my brother to give me a hug. “I need to get going. Call me tonight after you talk to Maddox.”
“I will,” I promise. “Thank you.”
“I’m here for you. Anytime.” She gives my hand one more squeeze before turning to scowl at Beau. “As always, it’s not a pleasure seeing you.”
“Oh darlin’…why does it have to be like that?”
“Don’t call me that.”
