Chapter 25
Trent hadn’t heard Brittany’s truck pull up the first time, when she’d arrived for dinner, but he was hypersensitive to the sound when she came back from seeing Desiree. He tossed down his hand. “Game’s over.”
“Thank the Lord.” Dallas gathered up the cards. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you play this bad. Not even when you were drunk.”
“Got things on my mind.” He stood. “Get the door, okay? I need to heat up the spaghetti.” He started toward the kitchen.
“I have a better idea.” With the agility of a former tight end, Dallas left his chair and blocked his path. “You get the door and I’ll heat up the spaghetti. You’ve spent enough time fussing over those noodles.”
Laughing, he threw himself into the game of outmaneuvering Dallas. “My kitchen, my noodles.”
“I mean it, little brother.” Arms out, he countered Trent’s every move. “Go talk with your lady. I’m a firefighter. I can heat up leftovers.”
“Hey, we’re back!” Angie came through the front door with Brittany right behind her. “Are you two dancing? If you are, that’s the worst line dance move I’ve ever seen.”
Trent sighed. “So much for getting the door.” He turned toward Angie. “Your husband’s trying to take over my kitchen.”
“I’m not just trying. I’ve done it. Territory secured.”
“Great idea, honeybunch. I’ll help. You two sit by the fire and have a chat. Dinner will be on the table in a jiffy.”
Trent glanced at Brittany. “Looks like I invited a couple of bossy people into my house. Worse yet, I’m related to ’em.”
“We can hear you,” Angie called out. “Brit, don’t you have some things you want to share with Trent?”
She smiled at him. “You’re right. Extremely bossy guests.”
“Let’s make them happy and go sit by the fire.” He let her pick a spot and then he sat down, leaving some space between them.
“Nice fire.” She settled back against the cushions.
“Thanks.” It needed tending, but he didn’t want to be messing with the fire right now. He wanted to be looking at her face when she talked. “What did Desiree have to say?”
“First of all, that shared custody is more complicated.”
“We know that.” She seemed a lot calmer than she had been when she left.
“She said it had some of the drawbacks of being married, which was why she insisted on being the sole guardian.” She waited, as if expecting a response.
“If you think I’ll change my mind and give you that, I won’t.”
“It ties us together legally.”
“If it does, it does. I want a voice in what goes on with our kid.” And a connection to her. That realization startled him.
Her expression warmed. “I would never say this to Desiree, but I wouldn’t have a child with a man who’d give up his rights.”
If things were different between them, this would be the moment he’d draw her into his arms and thank her for choosing him. Kisses would be involved. “Obviously she found guys who were fine with it.”
“Except for one. Angie’s father refused to give her sole custody and she didn’t push it.”
“Huh. Good for him.”
“She told Angie about it once she was old enough to understand. She’s kept it to herself out of kindness to her brothers, although I’m guessing she’s shared it with Dallas. On the way home she mentioned how much that little bit of information means to her.”
“Sure it does. How did he die?”
“In a car accident before she was born. It’s sad she never knew him, but Desiree said he’d started hinting at getting married and she was still against it. If she’d refused to marry him, he might have left.”
“Or she might have said yes. Sounds like their relationship was different. He stood up to her on the joint custody issue. I don’t think she respects a pushover. Andy holds his own with her.”
“You’d know that better than I do, since you spend so much time with this family. By the way, she said you’ll make a great dad.”
“She did? That was nice of her.”
“Oh, she’s looking out for your interests. She thinks that ending our sexual relationship just because we made a baby in record time is cruel and unusual punishment.”
His chest tightened. “She said that to you? That’s pretty harsh.”
“She didn’t use those words. I’m paraphrasing.” She took a shaky breath. “But that was the gist.”
“Hey, I don’t feel that way.” He started to reach for her. Stopped himself.
“I know, but she has a point. It’s the same one I was trying to make when we were out on the porch.”
“Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t anticipate this situation any more than I did.”
“But I should have. I didn’t look before I leaped.”
“I looked, and then jumped anyway. I’m still not sorry.”
“Neither am I, but… it leaves us with this issue.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “You almost touched me just now, but you drew back.”
“It’s better if I don’t.”
“But you wanted to.”
He held her gaze. “That’s only the tip of the iceberg. But I guess that’s natural considering that just this morning?—”
‘Time for din-din!” Angie skirted an armchair that sat catty-corner to the sofa and put down a tray on the coffee table in front of Brittany.
Dallas walked around the matching one on Trent’s left and placed a second tray in front of Trent. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
He glanced up at his older brother. “We’re eating here?”
“Looks like it. Think you can manage without spilling on yourself?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Your fire’s in sad shape, dude.”
“Don’t tease him.” Angie sat in the armchair closest to Brittany. “They’ve had things to discuss. Did you get everything sorted out?”
“Not quite.” Brittany picked up her pasta bowl. “Thanks for doing this. I didn’t think I was hungry but my stomach just told me different.”
“Sorry about the noodles. They got cut up in the process, but at least that makes them easier to eat.”
Dallas moved the fireplace screen. “At the firehouse we cut ’em up on purpose, but Angie won’t let me do that at home.”
“And I’m sticking to it. Oh, hon, before you add any log to that fire, you might want to check with your brother. We’re getting close to bedtime.”
Trent almost choked on his spaghetti.
“Didn’t think of that.” Dallas turned around, a log in each of his gloved hands. “You want me to build up the fire or leave it be?”
He managed to swallow without asphyxiating himself. “Leave it, please.”
Dallas returned the logs to the wood box. “Then I’ll just spread out the coals so it’ll die out faster. I lost track of time. We should be getting home pretty soon, huh?”
“First we need to discuss what Desiree said about your folks. Brit, did you tell him?”
“We didn’t get to that.”
Dallas replaced the fireplace screen. “Well, Angie told me while we were in the kitchen, and you’ll be surprised to hear, bro, that Desiree thinks we can tell the folks that Brit’s pregnant and they won’t bat an eye.”
“Really.”
“Surprised the hell out of me, too.” He claimed the armchair next to Trent. “But I guess it makes sense. Tell ’em why, Angie.”
“Mom thinks since they named every kid after the city where they were conceived, they could have had the same experience you two just had. And they’ll have no trouble believing it.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it’s a decent theory.” He gazed at his brother. “So if I say it, you’ll back me up?”
“I will. You’ve made a believer out of me.”
“Alrighty, then. We have a game plan for the drive home.”
“Just one thing. They probably won’t, but on the slim chance they’ll try to talk you into naming your kid Wagon Tr?—”
“Holy hell. I hadn’t even thought of that. It won’t be happening.”
“That’s a relief.”
He glanced at Brittany. “I have a hard time believing they’d even suggest it, but don’t worry. That’s a non-starter.”
“I know, but how do you like Montana?”
“Montana.” He let it sit in his mind for a few seconds. “I like it. Whose idea was that?”
“My mom’s.” Angie said. “She’s the baby naming champion. You could tell your parents that’s a name you’re considering. That should make them happy because it honors the family tradition, even if it’s the state and not the city.”
“It’s an awesome idea.” Dallas sat forward in his chair. “But if you guys take Montana, what’s left for our kid?”
“I’m way ahead of you, honeybunch.” Angie gave him a smile. “We’ll reverse-engineer this. We’ll pick a Montana city name we like and go have sex there.”
“What if I’d rather make a baby in the comfort of our own home?”
“Um, well, then I guess?—”
“When you were gone, Trent and I got to talking and I’m wondering if we should rethink our baby plan, maybe move it up some.”
“Move it up? To when?”
“Now.”
“Now?”
“I mean, when we get home.”
“Oh, good, because I doubt present company would appreciate being spectators at that event. Trent, did you give my husband baby fever?”
“Could be. It wasn’t my goal, but?—”
“No worries, dude. I’m glad we got into the subject. I have a feeling I’ll be thanking you for?—”
“You know what?” Angie stood. “I think it’s time for us to shove off.”
“I’ll get our jackets.” Dallas quickly left his chair and made a beeline for the coatrack near the door. “What time are you picking me up tomorrow, bro?”
“Ten should get us there in time.”
“Sounds good.” He helped Angie on with her jacket and shrugged into his. “See you then.” He put on his hat and followed Angie toward the kitchen and the cabin’s back door. “That’s a cool idea you had about traveling to different cities, Angie. I just don’t like the thought of a strange bed when we could have the luxury of our?—”
“Then I hope you like the name Rowdy.”
He laughed. “I kinda do. We’ve got Rowdy, bro,” he called over his shoulder. “Just in case you decide to have a second one, Rowdy’s taken.”
The click of the back door latch sent Trent’s energy level through the roof. Having his brother and sister-in-law in the cabin had lowered the temperature considerably.
But they were gone. Turning, he looked into blue eyes that sent a clear message. And he was on fire.