Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Is Adrian going to make it over to eat with us?” Mom asked Fiona.
“No, he’s pretty tired from the bachelor party. I told him I’d bring some food home for him.”
“There’s my favorite middle son!” My dad walked into the kitchen and hugged me. “What’s going on with you, Beau?”
I shrugged. It had been three weeks since I’d met Shelby at the doctor’s office for my sperm donation. I knew better than to tell my parents about it. My father was an attorney and he’d definitely freak and start thinking of all the worst-case scenarios he could come up with. So even though Shelby and her potential pregnancy were on my mind, I couldn’t tell anyone about it.
“Just hockey and more hockey,” I said.
“What the hell was up with that hit by Kline the other night?” Asher asked as he walked into the family room, which was open to the kitchen.
I furrowed my brow. “I don’t remember it.”
“He slammed Harrison’s head into the boards. No call.”
“Oh, yeah.” I nodded, remembering watching that hit on highlight film our video coordinator put together for all of us. “Kline’s the king of cheap shots.”
“Where were the refs?”
Asher was trying to be a dude talking sports with another dude, but he was holding his daughter Amara, and she was trying to insert her pacifier into his mouth.
“No thanks, Mar,” he said, turning his face away. “Daddy’s a big boy. He doesn’t need that.”
I exchanged a smile with Fiona. Fatherhood had turned our brother into a softie. This was the same guy who had thrown a massive weekend-long party for me in Vegas when I turned twenty-one and ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. He refused to admit that’s what happened though—according to Asher, he had been admitted to the hospital for dehydration. But according to his wife, who had been with him for the entire hospital stay, it was alcohol poisoning.
“Are you sure I can’t help with anything, Claire?” Chloe asked my mom, walking into the kitchen.
Mom shook her head. “Honey, you spend all week taking care of Asher and the kids. On Sundays, I want you to just relax and let me make you a nice meal.”
Asher frowned. “Hey, I help with the kids. As soon as I get home from work, I take over.”
Chloe walked over to him and hugged his side while giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Yes, you do, babe. And I appreciate you.”
“It’s not a favor to you when he parents,” my dad reminded Chloe. “Your kids are every bit as much his responsibility as yours.”
Mom was a women’s studies professor, and she’d been drilling equality into us since we were in the womb. Even when she took a few years away from teaching to take care of us when we were young, my dad was either at work or helping with us.
“You’re right,” Chloe said, looking up at Asher. “Which reminds me, will you go tell your son to put his underwear on? I think Isaac has him convinced that he pees on your mom’s house plants and I don’t want him trying it.”
Mom set her knife down on the cutting board, frowning. “Isaac, get in here!”
“Ohh, Isaac’s in trouble,” Fiona said, smirking.
My dad went over to the fridge and grabbed three beers, then nodded toward the family room, where he had the football pregame show on. Asher and I followed. It would be the perfect spot to not be in the middle of Isaac getting his ass chewed out, but still be able to hear it going down.
“Are you shitting me?”
Asher studied my face after asking the question, trying to figure out if I was bluffing or not.
I glared at him. “Why would I make it up?”
He ran a hand down his face. “I don’t know, man, it’s just…”
We were sitting in chairs on my parents’ back deck about an hour after eating. Chloe had joined Anderson and Amara for a nap in one of the guest rooms upstairs, leaving Asher with some time for a private conversation.
I needed someone to talk to about Shelby, and he was my brother. We’d always been close and I trusted him entirely. I didn’t want to defend my decision to him, though.
“I don’t regret doing it,” I said. “I thought about it a lot.”
“Yeah, but she could come after you later, man. Legally. And you have a lot to go after.”
“My attorney looked over the contract. He said I’m good.”
Asher nodded. “Okay. I’m glad there’s a contract. But what if something happens to her down the road? Who does the kid go to?”
“That’ll be up to her.” I took a long sip of beer before looking back at my brother. “Look, I shouldn’t have brought it up. Let’s talk about something else.”
“No, I’m glad you told me.”