“SO?” Jen stared at Reid from across the bed, his great big boot on her lap.
“So what?” Reid knew exactly what Jen was talking about, but he didn’t know what to say.
“So, kiss and tell.” She waved her hands in the air. Good thing she kept her voice down. The girls were asleep.
He shook his head, not sure what to say. Mateo had seemed to panic, disappearing to “get ready” before the girls had come back. Reid hadn’t even seen Mat leave for the bachelor party.
“Oh, come on. Just give me a gloss-over, then.”
“It was amazing. Completely amazing.” He looked at her, rolling his eyes dramatically. “He’s ruined me for life.”
Jen hooted lightly. “Oh, honey, he’s already done that.”
“Yeah, no shit.” How was he going to survive having another broken heart?
She bit her lip, picking at the Velcro on his boot. “Did you talk at all?”
“No. Nothing more than ‘yes, please’ and ‘don’t stop.’” And half of that was muffled.
“Oh.” Then she grinned. “Well, that’s fun, anyway.”
“Yeah. Yeah, where were the guys going?” He had to admit, there was something a little weird about being the “bridesmaid.”
“Oh, someplace in Aspen for supper, and then one of the guys has a condo by the ski area with a huge hot tub.” She shook her head. “I bet there will be hungoverness.”
“I’ll bet. I’m going to make sure there’s a loud game in the morning.”
“Just do it where I can’t hear. I need my beauty sleep.”
“I’ll keep the girls here.” Reid glared at his foot. “I’m sorry, hon. I know this cramps your plan.”
“Oh, I’m still not eating, much less drinking.” She shook her head. “Does it hurt much?”
“Only when I stand up.” He grimaced. “I’ll be fine for the rehearsal and ceremony, but I don’t think I can ride out with the bridal overnight.”
“No? Are you sure?”
“Lady, you guys will have more fun without me, and you know it.”
“Not true! I did ask if someone could get you there in a truck, and the best they had was a four-wheeler. I think that would be as bad as horseback.” Jen shot him a sad glance. “I’ll make sure you have wine.”
“Ice cream,” he replied promptly. “Make sure I have a hot fudge sundae.”
“Fair enough. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you standing up with me.”
“I’m your best friend, lady. You… you have my back, and I have yours.” Jen had been there when Mat had moved out, the first weekend Reid had been alone, when he’d thought he’d never be able to work again.
Hell, she’d been there when he’d gotten the first contract with a big retailer and had to expand his studio and negotiate a contract and was killing himself trying to keep up.
He could stand up for her while she married into the enemy tribe.
Reid chuckled. “I can’t believe I just thought of Mat and Alejandro as the enemy tribe. Like for real.”
“Man, the sex was that bad, honey?”
“That good. It is good enough that if he’d said….” Anything. Anything at all, but Mat hadn’t.
He’d just left. Mat was good at that. Which, okay, maybe not fair, but dammit, they needed to talk.
A huge part of him had wanted to ask Mat to stay, to hang out, share supper with the girls as a family.
Spend the night in the same bed.
Maybe tomorrow when the ladies went off on their adventure.
“Should I ask him to dinner tomorrow night?” he blurted out.
“Oh, honey. I think you need to decide if you want to open all this up again. If you do, then absolutely. I know how bad you were hurt.”
“I was.” He scratched his belly, thinking hard. “I love him too damn much, but…. But I love him, and so do the girls.”
“Then you should try. True love, right?”
“Right.” Okay. Okay, he could do that. He would ask Geoff to make something amazing that Mat could eat, and—and was this whole thing monumentally stupid?
Shit, when hadn’t it been? They’d gone from being busy, social, well-off DINKs to having two little girls in a very few years. Suddenly Mat had resented him not bringing in enough money, and he’d resented raising the girls on his own.
“You have to talk, though.” She patted his hand. “That’s what happened. You didn’t talk.”
“I know. He… I felt like he wanted out, like he wanted me gone. I still haven’t told him how big things have gotten.”
“Well, you will. Rub his face in it a little.” She held up a hand to forestall any protest. “He deserves it, even if you’re not mean about it.”
“I wanted forever, you know? I wanted the dream. I thought I had it.”
“Maybe you still do.” She eased his foot down on the bed. “It’s weird sleeping alone until the wedding…. Can I stay and watch a movie with you?”
“God, yes. I’d love that.” He was lonely, worried, and he needed a friend.
“Cool.” She crawled up next to him, and they both moved around until they could be under the covers.
“Your fiancé’s going to be so jealous,” he teased.
“He totally is. He’s stuck with your ex tonight.”
They both laughed like loons, trying to keep it down.
“I love you, girl. Are you going to let me be the baby’s godfather?”
“Of course I am.” She snorted. “As if I would let anyone else. Alej will ask Mat.” Then she stopped, staring at him with huge eyes. “Wait. When did you find out?”
“Honey, why else are you stressing getting into that dress? You’re in great shape.” And he hadn’t heard her bitch about her PMS in a while.
“I try, but I don’t want to pay to let the seams out that I had taken in. Mom would kill me.” She took his hand. “Tell me it’s worth it.”
“It’s worth it. Every second of it.” He looked over at her, smiled. “I don’t regret my babies one single bit. So tell me, woman, who all knows about your bun in the oven?”
“Um. Alejandro.” She sniffed. “And my doctor.”
“Are you going to tell your folks post-honeymoon?”
She squeezed his hand. “I’ll tell them after the wedding. I just know Mom wouldn’t let me go tomorrow if she knew. The doctor said I should be fine. It’s early on and it’s a trail ride, nothing harder than a walk.”
“You’ll do great. So….” He did some quick math in his head. “Christmas baby?”
“I think so? I suck at the whole ‘is it really nine months’ thing….”
“Dork.” He knew the doctor had given her a due date. He also knew they were seldom right.
“Anyway, I’m so glad you figured it out. I felt so weird and worried, and Alej is all yay! I mean, I am too, but I’m freaking out.”
“You’re sort of the pregnant one. You’re allowed.” He hugged her tight. “I can’t wait to spoil him or her, and the girls will be tickled shitless.”
“They will? They won’t be jealous when we all get together?” She was so worried about everything.
“No. Kids love kids, and no one, even in the enemy camp, has mean kids.”
“You’re going to be the godfathers. Together. You’re going to have to figure shit out.”
“We will.” They would, even if it was to agree to disagree and stay apart. But he hoped. Oh, God, he hoped so hard.
“Do you still love him, honey?”
He never had to think. “More than anything, lady. He’s my heartbeat.”
“Well, I’m in a space to believe love conquers all right now. Fight for it.”
“Pick a movie, bridezilla, before I remind you that I’ve gotten laid since you have.”
“Ha ha.” She pinched his hip before scrolling through the options on the TV, which were nicely varied. She picked some rom-com he’d never heard of, but it didn’t matter. She was his pregnant and about to get married best friend.
And he was the groom’s best man’s ex and co-parent.
It couldn’t get any weirder.