Page 26 of Falling for Love

I clear my throat and they both look over. Tristan raises his eyebrows as if to ask, What’s up?

I lean one arm on the table and draw a deep breath. “So, about tomorrow. If the waves are rough, we might have a problem.”

The server hands Lucas his whiskey. “Does Taylor get seasick?” he asks.

I take my first gulp of tequila. “I don’t know about normally, but she’s pregnant so she might.”

Tristan coughs mid-sip.

Lucas slams his glass on the table.

“She’s what?” they both ask at the same time.

I rub the back of my neck and meet their stunned gazes. “Taylor is pregnant and it’s mine.”

“What the fuck?” Lucas’s eyes open wide. “You’re serious?”

“Of course he is. Who would joke about something like that?” Tristan leans forward in his seat. “Talk.”

I shrug because it seems damned obvious to me. “Taylor and I slept together in Charleston, used a condom, it didn’t work and here we are.”

The guys still have that shocked, wide-eyed look.

“She’s keeping it?” Tristan asks.

“Does Rainey know?” Lucas follows up with a reminder of my sister, which is like a bucket of cold water.

“Yes, and no. And don’t tell her,” I instruct Lucas. “I need to tell my family but if Rainey knows, they’ll find out before I get the chance.” My sister won’t be able to keep news like this to herself.

“You’re going to be a father?” Lucas sounds like he’s choking on the words. Not for himself, because I guarantee he and my sister are going to pop out babies as soon as they’re married.

“Yes, genius. If he knocked her up, he’s going to be a father.” Tristan glances at the third of our trio and rolls his eyes.

“He’s in shock,” I say of Lucas. “Yes, I’m going to be a father.” Even I can’t help but laugh at my friend’s reaction.

“Yeah. You just took me off guard, announcing the news with no laying the groundwork first.”

I let out yet another laugh because there’s no way to prepare for this kind of news.

“You do realize she lives in Charleston and you’re here in Miami? How are you going to co-parent with that kind of distance?” Tristan, ever the voice of reason, asks.

I take a deep pull of my own IPA. “Yes, genius, I know. We’re getting to know each other. We haven’t had any serious discussions or made any plans. The good news is that our second location is in Charleston, so I’ll be able to make it work.” I already know I can’t let Taylor raise my baby without me. But it’s too soon for that conversation, and I haven’t had time to figure out how I’ll make things work.

“When are you telling your family?” Lucas asks. “Rainey’s good at sniffing things out, you know.”

“Soon. You won’t have to keep the secret from Rainey for too long.”

“I think there’s one thing we haven’t said.” Tristan lifts his bottle.

Lucas does the same with his glass, so I raise my beer, too.

“Here’s to the new dad to be. Congratulations!” Lucas taps my glass with his, we go around, and then each take a sip.

“Thank you. I’m still shocked but the more time I spend with Taylor, the more I know things will work out okay.”

Our sexual chemistry is off the charts, but that has nothing to do with why I like her. Like us. She’s warm and sweet when she doesn’t have her guard up, along with walls that exist for reasons I still don’t know. She’s easy to be with, and there’s a pull I feel toward her that I’ve never felt with anyone before. And the sex, hell, even just fooling around, means something to me.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet her,” Tristan says.