Page 36 of Happily Ever Maybe

“I can’t believe I’m getting advice from a man who has neveractually had a real girlfriend.” I fist-bumpedKingston, but Kane just looked at us and shook his head.

It seemed I’d hit the target—the secret he didn’t want totell. But I wasn’t going to push.

Since I was keeping a big secret. A huge fuckingone.

I was going to be a father.

That didn’t even seem real.

It was unexpected, but I couldn’t call it an accident. Notwhen it was the most beautiful fucking thing ever.

And it was with my best friend. The person I trusted morethan anything.

My partner.

And we weren’t just a hope. Weren’tjust a maybe. We could be something far more.

I just had to convince her of that.

“There’s something going on behind those eyes of yours. Somea-ha moment. Talk to us,” Kingston ordered.

“I need to get her to fall in love with me. I love her anddon’t want to lose her because I’m too chickenshit todo anything about it.”

The two cousins looked at each other and then back at me.“You can’t force someone to love you,” Kane started, and the way he said itmade me worried. What the hell was going on with him? But I knew he wouldn’ttell us. He didn’t seem ready.

“Just be yourself. Take her out.”

“Come on, let’s go get some coffee, then we’ll head into theoffice.”

I looked at Kingston and nodded. “What do I say to her? Whatdo I do?”

“You be who you are,” Kingston said with a shrug. “Youshould be talking to Noah or Ford, anyone who actually knowswhat to do in a relationship. But if you want to be with her? Then prove you’reworthy of her. Because Jen is one amazing woman. And hell, Gus, you’re a greatguy, too,” he said, and I laughed.

“You two have always worked well together. You guys justclick. So, trust the process. Don’t chickenshit out ofit. Do something about it.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. And we were doing this allbackward. I would find a way for her to love me. To show her it could work.That I could be the guy for her. And along the way, we’d figure out how to beparents.

We would follow a path—one a little curvier than I everexpected.

I put my hand on the door of the coffee shop, but the soundof a gunshot stopped me in my tracks.

People screamed and ran, but I was moving right alongsideKane and Kingston. We knew where the sound had come from.

I ducked into the gap between the tattoo shop and thesecurity office as Kingston and Kane took cover on the other side of thepillars because the man’s back was to us for now.

I gestured toward them, and they nodded. We looked at thedoor where Mr. Davis stood with a gun in his hand. My thoughts froze.

Because Jen was in there.

I didn’t know who else, but I saw her car.

Jen was in there.

With a man who had a gun we just heard fire.

Part of me wanted to move, to take him out, but I didn’tknow anything about the situation. I didn’t know who else was in there andcould put everyone in danger.

But the part of me that wanted to keep Jen safe, to keep ourchild safe, was telling me to ignore my training.