Starts With a Bang (Redemption Ridge #7)

Chapter Ten

Dom

I watched as Sven exited the room with his head held high, taking all the warmth and color with him. Knowing his history of dating losers who went back to their exes, I couldn’t help but worry about where his thoughts might take him. Sven had held my gaze with unwavering confidence seconds ago as he issued an invitation to join him in the shower after this unwanted chat. But had that all been for show? I knew damn well how swiftly insecurities could crop up and wreak havoc. I didn’t want Sven to doubt me, not even for a second.

“Are you even paying attention?” Emerson’s voice was closer. Too close. I snapped my head back in the direction he’d been standing, only to find he’d moved within touching distance. He raked his gaze over my bare chest and down to my sweatpants, making no effort to hide his interest.

I crossed my arms over my chest and screwed my expression into something that hopefully gave off closed-for-business vibes. Even if I’d only faked my feelings for Sven, and I hadn’t, I had zero interest in hearing the bullshit that was sure to follow. I knew exactly what mistake Emerson was about to confess to, and there wasn’t the first stirring of emotion in my chest. Not a single heartstring moved. But that hadn’t always been the case. For months after our separation, I’d fantasized about Emerson coming to his senses and begging for me to take him back. It didn’t take me long to realize that yearning had more to do with my pride than a tremendous loss of love. Our marriage had been over before Emerson sank his claws into Christian, but I had been too dumb to recognize it.

My posture and my expression must’ve gotten my mood across because Emerson swallowed hard and eased back a few steps. It was best not to leave things up for interpretation, however. “Honestly?” I asked. “No, I wasn’t paying attention to you. I’ve already dismissed whatever it is you’re about to say and climbed into the shower with Sven. You might as well spit it out, Emerson. What mistake do you think you made?”

The emphasis hadn’t been an accident on Emerson’s part. He was always hedging his bets. When this conversation didn’t work out the way he’d intended, he would crawl back into Christian’s bed and ensure his position in my cousin’s life was secure. Knowing that didn’t affect me the way I thought it would. I felt sorry for Christian, even after what he did to me. But Sven was his cross to bear now.

Emerson huffed. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

“Sven is waiting, remember?”

My ex-husband vibrated with anger at the mention of Sven’s name. Bet I would’ve heard his teeth rattling if not for his tightly clenched jaw. Emerson took a steadying breath and relaxed his face. “I’m not buying this relationship farce you’re trying to sell your family. Sure, you’re horny for the guy, and who wouldn’t be? Everything about his physical appearance is designed to arouse. And that song and dance about making women feel better about themselves. Volunteering to take care of seniors. Yada yada yada.” Emerson rolled his eyes. “He’s a con artist and will show his true colors soon.”

“You mean like fuck around with my cousin behind my back?” I asked. “Oh, wait. You did that while married to me. Sven is nothing like you. What you see is what you get. And the things you can’t see, like his heart and soul, are even more beautiful than his face. My feelings for him are very real.”

“I didn’t have a physical relationship with Christian until after you moved out,” Emerson said. “I’ve told you this repeatedly, but you don’t listen.”

“An emotional affair is still cheating.” And I wasn’t sure I believed his claim—then or now.

“And it was a mistake,” Emerson replied. “I already said that.”

Not in so many words, but I wasn’t about to split hairs when I wanted to end our conversation and get back to Sven. “I regret the way our marriage ended,” I said. Emerson’s eyes widened, and his lips curved into a wicked smile. I let him sense a victory for a millisecond longer before I dashed his insincere hopes. “But I am glad it’s over. I don’t love you, and I haven’t for quite some time. The horrible way you treated me was a blow to my pride. Christian is the one who broke my heart, but that’s for us to work out.” Though I didn’t see how that was possible if Emerson was going to be in the picture.

Fire flashed in Emerson’s eyes, and his face turned a vibrant shade of pink. “You don’t mean that.”

“I’ve never meant anything more.” I unfolded my arms and sidestepped him. “There’s nothing else to say to you, so if you’ll excuse me, I have plans for this morning.”

Spotting Sven’s open suitcase on the bed nearly gave me a heart attack. Was he leaving? Had he assumed I was just another asshole who couldn’t see what a gem he was? Then I noticed the open closet and dresser drawers. We hadn’t taken the time to unpack yet, which meant—

Sven stepped out of the closet with both hands on his hips. “It’s not happening.”

“Excuse me?”

He walked around the bed and stopped in front of me. “I’ll take that pipsqueak down to the mat. I’ll fight to the finish for you, Dom.”

I bit my inner cheek to keep from grinning because humor was the last thing this conversation called for. “So, you overheard my conversation with Emerson?”

Sven narrowed his eyes. “Just the part where he confessed to making a mistake.” Sven shook his head. “He thought he’d made a mistake. Freaking putz. He made a big mistake all right.” Sven poked my shoulder. “I let the other guys go without so much as a backward glance. Not you, Grizz. We have something special, and I’m going to prove it to you.”

I wrapped my hand around Sven’s wrist and pressed his palm flat against my chest. I wanted him to feel my pounding heart. I settled my other hand on his hip. “No man worth having makes you fight for his affection. There’s nothing to prove, and there’s definitely no need to take Emerson to the mat. I made my choice quite some time ago, even if it took me a while to admit it.” I lifted my hand and caressed his cheek. “You’re the only man I want.”

Sven closed his eyes and inhaled a shaky breath before meeting my gaze once more. Unshed tears turned his dark blue irises into polished jewels. Maybe it was because we’d recently watched Titanic , but I thought Sven’s eyes were more gorgeous than the Hope Diamond. “I’m in real trouble here, Dom. I more than like you. And I’m teetering on the edge of something life-changing. I need to know you feel this too.”

“Life-affirming,” I amended. I settled my forehead against Sven’s and shared his next breath. “And I’m right there with you.”

Trembling lips curved into a soft smile. “It’s scary.”

“Yes, but less so when we fall together.”

Sven looped his arms around my neck and pressed his body flush against mine. “Don’t let go.” It was the most vulnerable I’d ever seen him.

I settled my hands on his hips to keep him there. “I’ve got you.”

Sven stood on tiptoes to put his mouth closer to mine. “Don’t play with my heart,” he whispered.

“Never.”

I sealed my promise with a kiss that made me feel centered and dizzy at the same time. It was such an oxymoron, but it was no less true. Angling my head, I deepened our kiss and led Sven to the bed. The everything shower had sounded promising, but I wanted to love Sven without restrictions and not be at the water heater’s mercy. I banged my elbow into something hard and must’ve hit a nerve because the arm went numb for a few weird seconds. That wasn’t enough to stop a man on a mission.

My first instinct was to throw Sven’s luggage to the floor, but his bags looked expensive, and it would create a tremendous noise that could draw a crowd of concerned people. I steered Sven to the opposite side instead. The bed was large enough for five adults, so we’d have plenty of room to make out and make…love? Did people still say that? Don’t overthink it, dumbass. We climbed back onto the bed. I positioned myself against the headboard, and Sven immediately straddled my lap. It reminded me of our first encounter in the van, except our state of undress was reversed. If this was our do-over, I was going to make damn sure it was incredible.

Sven wrapped his arms around my shoulders and leaned into the kiss, rubbing his tongue against mine in the same slow, seductive pace as he rocked his hips. The friction was just as incredible, even with our lower halves partially clothed. Sven’s lounge pants were made of thinner fabric and barely provided a barrier between my hands and his skin when I cupped his ass cheeks and hauled him even closer. His heated flesh invited me to knead those firm globes. Sven’s heightened body heat intensified his natural scent and made me want to rut like a beast. I steadied my nerves and my hands, tracing a slow, seductive path along his ass crack to circle and tease his entrance.

Sven broke our kiss and let his head fall back, exposing his neck to my lips. I feasted on his sensitive flesh, reveling in every whimper and shiver as I marked him as mine. Fingers carded through my hair, pressed against my scalp, and gripped the strands by the roots. “I need you inside me again.”

“Hmm-mmm,” I mumbled against his neck. Lifting my head just enough to articulate, I added, “This feels like a new beginning, and I won’t be rushing through it. I’m going to strip you down and love you like no one ever has.”

Sven’s moan was a token protest that made me chuckle. “I’m nearly half-naked now.”

I gripped his firm ass cheeks through the thin excuse for fabric. “I’m aware. It’s no wonder Janet was blushing furiously when I came looking for you.”

Sven thrust harder against my dick. The tingling in my spine turned into sparklers on the Fourth, crackling and snapping with energy. Much more of this and I’d shoot off like a bottle rocket again.

I folded my legs and tipped Sven over onto his back. His legs stayed wrapped around my waist, and I seized control of the thrusting. “You’re at my mercy now.”

Sven’s smile was indulgent, but the expression in his eyes said, “Bet me.”

I lowered my face to capture those cocky lips at the same time I slowly rolled my hips. Sven’s lush mouth parted on a gasp, and I deepened the kiss, demonstrating with my tongue what I would do to his ass—claim him completely and irrevocably. Sven’s grip on my hair changed from desperate to tender once more, and then he explored me in other places. Nimble fingertips ghosted over my face with the curiosity of a sculptor who might recreate my likeness out of clay. The deft caresses moved lower to my neck, shoulders, and upper chest before trailing around to my back. His fingers were the matches, and my body was the strike strip, stoking fires wherever we went until the wildfire consumed my entire being. Nothing and no one existed but this man beneath me.

And I realized that merely thinking these things wasn’t enough; I needed to avoid past mistakes and tell Sven so he’d never have a reason to doubt me. Releasing his intoxicating lips took a herculean effort, but I did it. Sven looked up at me with half-lidded, lust-drunk eyes, and I committed the expression to memory.

I brushed the hair off his forehead and stared into his brilliant blues. “I hope you always look at me like this.”

“And how am I looking at you?” Sven asked drowsily.

“Like my body holds the secrets of the universe.”

Sven’s smile was slow and sly. “It does, and I have the key.”

“I would freeze time and spend the rest of my existence in this exact moment if I could,” I told him.

Sven’s gaze grew dreamier. “I didn’t know you were so romantic.”

“Honestly, I didn’t either. Maybe our long courtship brought this side out of me.”

“Courtship? More like two years of edging.” Sven tightened his legs around my hips. “But I wouldn’t change a single thing because it has led to this nearly perfect moment.”

“Nearly perfect?” I asked with a quirked brow.

“Get your pants off and slide that dick inside me. That’s the perfect moment we want to freeze forever.” Sven carded his fingers through the hair above my right ear. “I don’t want to use condoms with you. No barriers. Just your body inside mine. I haven’t been with anyone since I met you, but I’ve maintained testing, and I take PrEP.”

A sudden inhale nearly triggered another coughing fit, but I avoided humiliating myself and ruining the mood. “I haven’t been with anyone else either.” My dry spell stretched back to my marriage, but there was no need to bring that up. “Are you sure?”

Sven lifted his head and kissed me. “I’ve never been more certain of anything. And hurry before the house wakes up or another one of your exes appears and wants a reconciliation.”

I snorted as I pulled back from his embrace. Sven raked his gaze over my bare chest and settled on the erection straining against my sweatpants. He sat up and pressed his lips against my stomach before tilting his head back to look into my eyes. Sven inched my sweats down a few inches to expose the head of my leaking dick.

“Or you could fuck my face.” Sven trailed kisses over my abdomen, getting closer to where I wanted his mouth yet remaining just out of reach.

I groaned and cupped the back of his head, more to hold on to something than guide him. I loved his brand of torture and would subject myself to it anytime he wanted. Seconds before, burying myself in his ass was the only thing on my mind, but the allure of that mouth around my dick was a temptation I couldn’t resist. Sven angled his head, and my cockhead brushed against his cheek, leaving a trail of precum on his face. I wanted to see release coat his lips and dribble down his chin again. I wanted—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

An insistent knock at the door made us jerk apart.

“Rise and shine, lovebirds!” Nana yelled through the door. “Time’s a-wasting, and I want to spend time with Sven.”

The only thing that could block a cock faster than a protective brother was a feisty grandmother. Sven pursed his lips to keep from laughing while I wanted to fall to the bed and throw a fit.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Quit hogging Sven to yourself, Dommy,” Nana said. “I’m giving you ten minutes before I bring the big guns.”

I didn’t have a clue what she meant by that, and I didn’t want to find out. But ten minutes? “Nana, that’s hardly enough time to brush our teeth.”

“Then you better stop wasting time arguing with me. The clock is ticking.”

Sven scooted toward the edge of the bed with a regretful expression. “To be continued.”

I bit back a curse and pulled my sweats up. “She gets an hour. Two max. Then I’m dragging you back here to ravage you, and I won’t care who knows it.” I swallowed hard. “Without protection.”

Sven stood from the bed and faced me. “No barriers.”

I didn’t know if Nana had really set a timer, but we didn’t push our luck. There were only a few minutes to spare when we stepped into the hallway.

“Hey.” Sven placed his hand on my forearm to halt me. “Christian overheard your conversation with Emerson.”

“All of it?”

Sven shrugged. “He was in the hallway when I rounded the corner and stayed after I left. I know he heard Emerson tell you he thought he’d made a mistake. I told Christian that he probably didn’t want to listen, but he insisted.”

I puffed out my cheeks and exhaled. I had a deeply conflicted conscience where Christian was concerned. There was just too much to process, and I needed a tanker truck’s worth of coffee before I could deconstruct my thoughts. I leaned in for a quick kiss and said, “Thanks for letting me know.”

“A million thoughts just raced through your mind, didn’t they?”

I chuckled and linked my fingers with his. “Maybe not a million, but there were a lot of them. I need coffee, and I need Nana to get her Sven fix.”

“So you can get yours?”

“I’ll never get my fix of you,” I told him.

Sven stopped at the end of the hallway and turned into my chest. “Don’t toy with me.”

I cupped his face. “Never.”

My parents, John, Janet, and Nana were in the kitchen. Christian and Emerson were nowhere in sight, but I wouldn’t have expected otherwise. Oh, to be a fly on their wall. I nixed that notion as soon as it popped up. As Nana said, time was a-wasting, and I wouldn’t give that debacle another thought.

“Here he is, Nana,” I said, presenting Sven to her with a flourish. “You have an hour to soak up his brilliance before I steal him away again.”

Nana snorted. Her light blue velour tracksuit sported a giant snowman, who conveyed an ornery expression in his coal eyes. “That’s what you think. Janet has some great ideas, and we’re going to check a few off her list, starting with baking cookies.” Nana pressed a finger to her lips for a few seconds. “And I have an idea for something we can add to the festivities.”

“Thanks, Mother,” Janet said. I could tell she’d put a lot of effort into her appearance. She wore tailored jeans and an ivory sweater with a gold-and-silver Christmas tree on the front. Janet wore her hair loose around her shoulders and had applied light makeup. She looked younger and happier than I’d seen her in a long time, and Nana’s praise made her radiant. “What’s your idea?”

Nana clapped her hands together and rubbed them. “An ugly sweater contest. Maybe on Christmas Eve.”

Janet smiled brightly. “I love that idea.”

“Me too,” Mom said. “But I didn’t bring anything like that with me.”

“They sell the ugly-ass things in stores nowadays,” Nana said. “Or we can buy plain sweaters and make them ugly with bits and bobs we find around town.”

“I think that sounds fun,” Sven said.

Dad placed his arm around my mom’s shoulders. “I’m in.”

“Count me out,” John said. He turned from the counter with a travel mug in his hand. He took a casual sip like he didn’t know he’d brought the room down. I studied his dress slacks, button-down shirt, and suit jacket. My uncle hadn’t dressed for a leisurely day in the cabin.

“Going somewhere?” I asked.

John held up his mug in my direction as if to salute me but didn’t meet my gaze. He set the cup down to fiddle with the platinum Rolex on his wrist. The custom watch was an anniversary gift from Janet and cost more than I made in a year, a fact Emerson had loved lording over me years ago. “A former colleague is in Vail for the holidays,” John said as he turned back to the counter. “We’re going to meet up for breakfast and catch up on old times.”

Uncle John was the worst liar on the planet. The dropped eye contact, the fidgeting, and the vague reference to a colleague were flashing red signs. Silence blanketed the kitchen as we waited for Janet’s reaction. She’d gone to great lengths to make the holiday special, and it seemed like someone was determined to ruin her efforts at every turn.

My aunt straightened her spine, notched her chin, and turned her back on her husband. “What cookie should we make first?”

“Snickerdoodles,” Mom called out.

“Sugar cookies,” Dad suggested.

“The ones rolled in coconut,” Nana answered.

John narrowed his eyes and studied Janet as if seeing her for the first time. He shook his head, grabbed his coffee, and left the room. Janet’s shoulders drooped a little the moment he was out of sight, but she held her head high. Mom and Nana exchanged a look that told me they didn’t buy John’s excuse either.

“I think we should make linzer cookies,” I said, knowing they were Janet’s favorite.

Mom caught my eye and winked. “Janet makes the best jam for the center.”

“Raspberry,” my dad agreed.

“We can use Christmas tree cutouts in the center,” Nana said.

Janet brightened as if her husband’s betrayal was behind her, but maybe that was how she’d survived nearly five decades of marriage. And perhaps that was where the misunderstanding between us had begun. Refusing to settle for someone who wouldn’t be true to me, I severed ties, no matter how painful. I would not go quietly into the night; I made noise—lots of it—and I unapologetically disrupted the lives of everyone I loved. Maybe it was a generational thing or a power imbalance. Janet might’ve mistakenly believed John held all the cards in his hands. Whatever the reason, she’d denied, deflected, or drowned her sorrows, but it seemed like maybe she was tired of living that way.

“I brought my cookie recipes with me,” Janet said.

“I can start breakfast while you look over the recipes to see if we have everything we need,” Mom said.

“Dom and I can tackle the grocery run if it’s needed,” Sven offered.

Janet cupped his face with both palms. “You’re such dears, but I’d bet hard money that Molly Beth planned for every contingency when she ordered groceries. Her memory is nearly photographic.”

“You better believe it,” Dad said. He tapped two fingers against his temple. “Doesn’t forget a damn thing.”

“Except the reason I enter rooms most of the time,” Mom replied dryly as she hopped up from her stool. “Who wants to help with breakfast?”

“Bad hip,” Nana said with a wink. “Think I’ll support you from here.”

Dad headed into the living room and the massive television, where it seemed he wouldn’t have to wrestle anyone for control of the remote. “I’ll find something good to play in the background while we work.”

I figured we meant that he’d hold down the couch and sample the products, but it seemed Christmas miracles were a thing. Dad found National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and turned up the volume. Then he returned to the kitchen to help prepare breakfast.

Janet ate very little and bragged about the omelet Sven made for her earlier that morning. “Best one I’d ever had.”

Sven slowly shook his head. “Charmer.”

Kitchen cleanup went fast when all of us chipped in, even Nana. Her hip miraculously healed about the time Clark Griswold’s sled careened out of control in the movie. She nearly pitched herself backward laughing and forgot to continue the farce. She also claimed she was once as hot as the woman in Clark’s swimming pool fantasy.

“I believe it,” Sven said.

“Now who’s the charmer?” Nana teased.

Neither Christian nor Emerson came downstairs at any point during the morning. Not even when the cookie smells permeated the chateau. I could tell Janet was concerned, but she didn’t comment for fear of crossing some kind of line. She checked her phone frequently, and her expressions were hard to gauge. Was she looking for messages from John or Christian? My thoughts wandered to my cousin more than once, and I was glad to see him turn up midafternoon. I was even happier that he was alone. He forced a plastic smile on his face that fooled no one. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he’d been tumbled in the dryer for an hour.

“Chris?” Janet said as she approached.

He held up his hands and shook his head. “I’m fine.” But he said it in the universal tone that expressed he was definitely not fine.

Janet stiffened but retreated to the island to roll balls of cookie dough through cinnamon sugar.

“Bullshit,” Nana said. “You look like you just gargled with toilet water.”

Poor Sven had just taken a sip from his bottle and nearly choked on it. I tried not to laugh at his reaction to Nana’s colorful commentary while I rubbed his back.

Christian’s mouth quirked up on one end. “I’ve had better mornings, Nana, but I’m not in the mood to talk about it.”

“Did you come to your senses and send Emerson packing?” Nana continued as if she hadn’t heard Christian.

“Mom, Chris said he didn’t want to talk about it.” Janet then turned to her son. “But did you?”

“Did he what?” Emerson asked when he entered the room, looking as serene as a nun at mass. One would never guess that he’d tried to wreck multiple hearts just hours earlier.

“Well, damn. You’re still here,” Nana said. “That’s one Christmas miracle dashed this year.” She sighed heavily and shook her head. “I’ll live long enough to see my grandson come to his senses.”

“Pretty sure you said that before,” my mom quipped.

“And my wish came true,” Nana said. “I just didn’t expect the leech to attach himself to my other grandson.”

“Leech?” Emerson vibrated with outrage. “Are you going to let them talk about me like that, baby?”

Sven and I locked gazes. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head before he returned to his task.

Before Christian could respond, the front door opened and shut, followed by zealous whistling that grew louder as someone approached the rear of the house. John appeared seconds later, looking more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. I’d say he was drunk, but I’d never known my uncle to drink and drive. I recalled the way I’d felt with Sven in the privacy of our bedroom and knew the activity that had put the bloom in my uncle’s cheeks.

“Wow, you guys have been busy,” John said as he helped himself to a linzer cookie. “Is this your recipe? No one makes better ones than you do.”

“She made the jam from scratch this morning,” Mom told him.

Nana tightly gripped a paring knife. Where the hell had that come from, and who’d given it to her?

John bit into the shortbread cookie and moaned.

Janet approached her husband with a serene expression. “Good?”

He swallowed the bite and smiled. “The best.”

“Enjoy it because it will be your last,” Janet replied calmly.

My eyes darted to Nana, but my mom had wisely confiscated the knife and moved it out of her reach. I met Sven’s gaze, and he mouthed, “I won’t be an accomplice.”

“What do you mean?” John asked with the cookie halfway to his mouth.

“You weren’t meeting with a former colleague, John. Your personal assistant is in Vail for the holidays too. That’s where you’ve been.”

“You’re drunk or paranoid, Janet. Even if Faith was here, it wouldn’t be that strange. Lots of people spend their holidays here.”

My aunt whipped her phone out of her pocket so fast that John flinched. “I’m sober as a judge right now.” She tapped her phone a few times before turning it around to show him something. “Here’s the lovely Faith showing off her luxurious accommodations to her followers. She doesn’t make enough money to afford a room that costs a thousand dollars a night.”

“You’re reaching,” John said.

Janet swiped her finger quickly over her phone as if scanning through a carousel of photos. “Ah. Here it is.” She zoomed in on the image and turned her phone around again. “Here’s my proof that you were in her bed.”

Christian moved over to his parents and looked at the device. He stiffened and aimed a scathing look at his father. “Dad?”

Sven turned a wide-eyed look in my direction and mouthed, “What is it?”

That’s when I noticed something missing from John’s wrist. I tapped my own and mouthed, “Watch.”

Sven’s eyes widened before he turned his attention to the drama playing out.

“That’s your Rolex,” Janet said, confirming my suspicions. “The one I had custom-made for you. The watch that was on your wrist when you left but isn’t there now. I’ve suspected your affair for a while, and now I know.”

John snorted. “The only thing you’ve been cognizant of the past three years is the amount of liquor in our bar at home. You’ve been blinded to anything else.”

“Don’t blame me for your failings, John. I can get sober, but you’ll always be a cheating bastard. I hope Faith understands that she’s just one in a string of affairs. There’s nothing special about her, and you’ll move on once you get bored.” Janet snatched the remaining cookie from his hand. “Pack your bags and go. I want you out of here and our house in Fort Collins. I don’t want to speak to you or talk to you. We’ll communicate through lawyers until we’ve dissolved the life we made together.”

“Fine by me,” John said with a careless shrug. “Faith is different from the others because I had planned to leave you as soon as the holidays were over. She’s the love of my life.”

“Ew, Dad. She’s younger than me,” Christian said.

John pointed at his son. “You have no right to judge me. Look at the company you keep.”

“Hey!” Emerson said. “Why is everyone turning on me?” He pivoted to face me. “Did you tell them about our conversation? That was private.”

“What conversation?” Mom and Dad asked.

“The one where he told Dom he’d made a mistake and wanted him back,” Sven said.

“Hey, you little shit,” Emerson said as he advanced on Sven. “Stay out of our business.”

I stood up so fast my stool nearly toppled, but it was Christian’s words that stopped Emerson in his tracks.

“I want you to pack and leave too, Em,” Christian said.

Emerson stopped and turned. “Baby, you don’t mean it. We can work it out.”

Janet snorted and blushed. “This is when I’d normally take a big ole drink of wine.” She reached for her glass of sparkling water instead.

“I don’t want to work anything out with you,” Christian stated firmly. “Just go. I’ll make arrangements to move out of the condo when I return.”

“But…I…we…” Emerson was speechless, a rare occurrence.

“I’m not heading back to Fort Collins,” John said. “I’ll stay in Vail with Faith.”

“You can drive my car back,” Christian told Emerson.

“But you and Janet will be stranded here.”

“No, they won’t,” I said. “Sven and I will take a detour to Fort Collins on our way home.”

Christian held my gaze for several seconds. “Thank you.”

“That should be a fun ride,” Emerson said. “You guys can all talk smack about me.”

Sven pivoted on his stool to stare down Emerson. “The fuck we will. We’re going to do carpool karaoke all the way home. I’ll start on a playlist soon. Name your genre, Janet.”

“Anything from the seventies!” she replied.

“Disco is always a fun time,” Sven said as he picked up his phone. “Christian?”

“I’m real partial to music from the nineties,” my cousin said. “Bet I know all the words to every TLC song.”

Emerson acknowledged his dismissal with a huff and stomped from the room. John stared at Janet as if really seeing her for the first time.

“Better get going,” she said. “Don’t want to keep Faith waiting, and congratulations on your pending fatherhood.”

Everyone in the room gasped. Plot twist!

“Dickhead,” Nana growled.

John blanched. “How did you…”

“Know?” Janet finished. “She’s been dropping hints all over her social media for the past few weeks.” She shrugged and walked away from him. “And your plans to leave me prove it. You’re not in love with that child. You love how she makes you feel young. But all the other mistresses did too. There could’ve only been one difference between Faith and them. It wasn’t hard to figure out you were dumb enough to get her pregnant.” Janet reached the island and turned to face him once more. “I’m about to live my best life, and you’re about to ruin yours. Late-night feedings and diapers at your age. You’ll be in your eighties when he or she graduates from high school.”

“We’ll have money to hire a nanny to help us with the baby.”

Janet toasted him with her sparkling water. “Not after I get done with you.”

I didn’t think John’s pallor could get worse, but I was wrong. He looked like the walking dead when he shuffled down the hallway to pack his things.

Sven looped his arm around Janet’s waist. “You’re a badass.”

“Not yet, but I will be.” She looked at Christian, and her expression sobered. “I’m sorry. This is a double whammy for you.”

He nodded mutely, looking shell-shocked for several moments. “I’m going to have a sibling?” He shook his head as if trying to shake the shattered pieces of his mind back into place. Then Christian met my gaze. “Can you and I find some time to talk later?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Everyone started talking at once, and I used the diversion to sneak Sven back to our room.