Page 33 of Derecho

“What? Why? You didn’t have to do that…”

He shrugged. “You need a way to get a hold of Birdie if you need her, and you can always call one of us if you need anything.”

Lainey bit down on her lip, nodding as she took the phone from Beau.

“All of our numbers are programmed in there, okay?” He nodded to the phone. “It’s never a problem to contact any of us, anytime.”

“Okay. It’ll only take me a minute to bring this stuff inside. That is…” She looked over at me. “That is, if it’s okay to use your washing machine?”

“We’ve got it,” Hayes said before I could. “And Lachlan has the newest machines out of all of us; I know because I had to help him install them a few years back. He bitched and moaned about it the whole time, but it was no big deal. So your stuff will come super clean using it.”

That got a smile, but just a small one. “Okay, well, if you’re sure you don’t mind bringing it in.” She looked around at all of us. “I think maybe I could just use a minute to…”

“Yeah, Trouble. It’s no problem. Go ahead.”

I watched her head back up the steps and into the house.

“Oh,” Hayes laughed, slapping his hand on Beau’s shoulder, “you told me, and I still didn’t believe you.”

“You told him what?” I glared at Beau.

“That you were fucked,” Beau deadpanned.

“I literally can’t believe I’m the last brother to fall in love,” Hayes groaned. “I hate it here.”

“I don’t love Lainey. Christ. I’m just trying to help her! In case you didn’t notice, she’s about to have a baby and she doesn’t have anything⁠—”

“Do you realize she’s about to have a baby?” Beau asked.

“Of course!”

“And you’re fine with that. With Lainey, and her baby, just living with you forever,” he pushed.

“They need somewhere safe to live. And I can give that to them.”

“Oh God. Do you hear that?” Hayes asked.

“What?” I looked behind me and over into the fields. I didn’t hear anything.

“Wedding bells,” Beau mocked.

“Fuck off. Both of you.”

Hayes chuckled, moving away from the tailgate. “Oh, okay, baby brother. Good luck getting your girl’s stuff into the house without us…”

“You guys are assholes,” I groaned. “You know that, right? Colt wouldn’t be torturing me like this if he were here.”

Beau nodded. “Speaking of Colt…”

The door to the guest room wasn’t closed all the way, and I could see just a sliver of her back as I knocked. I probably should have waited for an answer, but I hated how defeated she looked walking back up to the house. So, I pushed the door all the way open and walked in before she responded.

“I didn’t say you could c-come in.”

“I know. But I wasn’t about to let you sit up here being upset without seeing if I could help. Beau and Hayes brought your stuff inside. I started running the wash, but I think we should wash it twice to get everything nice and clean.”

“Great.” She sniffed, her shoulders rising and falling as her body shuddered through her tears. “Don’t think I’m crying because I’m sad about my things. Or crying because I’m worried about how the hell I’m going to cover replacing them. Or crying because I don’t know how I’m ever going to get ready for the space invader’s arrival. It’s just because I’m pregnant and I can’t control it.”

“Okay.” I walked around the bed, sitting down next to her so our shoulders and hips touched. It was probably too much. I was probably too close. But something in me was screaming to hug her. To wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest. To give her someplace safe to let it out. All the shit that made her feel like she couldn’t scream, or shout, or have any emotion about this shitty situation she is in.