Bear who’d had his chair tipped on two legs let it fall to all four legs as he stared at the man sitting across from him. “Ah, shit!” This opened the door to a lot of questions. “Yeah, I think you should explain…”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Bear absorbed what Grimes told him. “I need a drink.” After taking a long drink of the whiskey, Bear said, “Let me get this straight. You met Phoebe when she first came back to Texas eight weeks ago? She was staying in Petersburgh because she wasn’t ready for Aasia to know she was back. So, you two became involved and have been seeing each other since?”
Grimes blew out a long breath. “I had no clue who she was until two weeks ago. Yeah, now I see the similarity between her and Aasia, but not at the time.”
“I’m still not sure why you’re wanting to speak to me…”
Grimes leaned back in the chair, folded his arms over his chest and his jaw tightened. “Once upon a time you and I were friends.”
“Yeah, we were.”
A stretch of silence loomed. “I know I’ve been a bit tense lately.”
“Tense is what you call that?” Bear had no intention of letting him off easily. A lot had happened between them and he wasn’t sure he could trust Grimes.
“I came here…maybe thinking because you and Aasia…you know. Damn. Phoebe’s pregnant.”
Bear didn’t say a word. The room suddenly felt smaller. Hotter. The hum of the air conditioner sounded louder and intrusive.
“You already knew, didn’t you?” Grimes exhaled.
“Look, I don’t know a lot about the situation, but if she decides to keep the baby what are you planning to do?”
Grimes blinked. “Has Phoebe said she’s thinking she might not keep it?”
Oh, fuck.
Bear wasn’t good at shit like this. “Like I said, I don’t know anything about the situation. Talk to Phoebe.” Now that Bear had royally screwed up.
Dragging his hand down his face, Grimes stood and paced the room. “I just found out two days ago. I don’t know what to think. I didn’t know that she’d even consider anything but keeping the baby.” He turned fast, nailing Bear with a narrowed eye. “I know she’s scared. This is all so…sudden.”
Bear had never seen bad-ass Grimes look so worried.
Bear tried to imagine how he’d feel if Aasia was pregnant. A surprise pregnancy could happen to anyone. Even if protection was used. Why didn’t it scare him? Should it? His mind ran ahead, thinking of a future he never thought he could have because of his career. Could he have one with Aasia? Have children?
Grimes’ groan drew Bear back on track. “Are you two seeing each other?” he asked.
Grimes’ expression faltered. “I’m clueless. One minute she says she likes me and the next she can’t stand me. Why are women so hard to understand?”
Bear let out a breath. “It’s not meant for us to understand them. Our role is to listen and listen well. Pick our battles carefully.”
With a slow nod, Grimes seemed to absorb the suggestion. “I told Phoebe I wanted kids someday. Neither of us are ready for this.”
“Maybe that’s why she’s weighing her options,” Bear said. “Having a kid is a huge responsibility. No one should take it lightly.”
Grimes raised a brow. “While we were talking yesterday, she started crying. Sobbing. And this morning, she wouldn’t even take my call. I can’t just show up to see her at the farmhouse because she doesn’t want Aasia to know anything about us. It’s like she’s so damn worried about what her sister will think. I don’t have a freaking idea what I should do.” His eyes were wide, nearly panicked.
“Might I suggest not flipping out?”
“Since I found out I haven’t been myself. One minute I feel like I’m a guy who can fix anything, and the next second I’m lost.” He heaved a sigh. “Hell, man, you know the ambush on the team made us all a bit on edge. Truth is, I carry a lot of the burden on myself.”
“We all carry the weight of the situation on our shoulders. I don’t know what you think of me at this point, but I would have taken the bullet for Echo. Hell, for any of the team. There’s a guilt trip about not being shot. I would take a bullet now to rid myself of all this guilt.”
A strange, dark cloud rolled into the room. They stayed quiet until Grimes said, “I owe you an apology. Several of the guys reminded me how much of a dick I’ve been. It’s not your fault what happened to Echo, man. I knew that from the start, but I’ve been acting like a fool. I want you to come back to the team. We need you, buddy.”
Bear didn’t answer right away. “I need to think about it.”
