by BA Tortuga
“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.
Chapter Ten
THE last thing Mat wanted to do was hop out of Reid’s bed, kiss his girls goodbye, and head out to a night on the town with a bunch of rowdy guys five to ten years his junior….
And yet, here he was in Aspen, playing designated driver.
His mind was a million miles away. Or more like twenty, but it wasn’t here. It was with his… Reid.
“The turnoff for the condo is there.” One of the guys in the back pointed out where he needed to pull off the highway. Dinner had been fine, if a little bland, since he was recovering from the pizza.
“On it.” He made the turn, glad someone knew where they were going. At least it wasn’t snow season. That could get ugly out here.
He’d bet the girls would love it, though. They were little snow bunnies at home.
He grinned, then sobered, wishing he’d been there to put them to bed.
He wanted to sit with Reid, talk about what they’d done, what it meant, whether they could do it again. They had a lot to discuss, really, even if a lot of that meant less to him than it had not too long ago.
They needed to put their foreheads together, without the pressure of the girls coming back in minutes, and just chat.
Jesus.
“Okay, now a right, here.”
Shit. He turned, glad he had good reflexes.
“Nicely done, Teo,” Alejandro murmured. “I know you’ve got somewhere else you want to be.”
“I’m good.” This was his brother, after all. “I hear there’s a hot tub.” And he could have a beer once they settled in.
“There is, and I promised Jennifer, no naked girls.”
“Oh thank God. I mean, I can appreciate female beauty, but your guys are horndogs.” He winked over, then pulled in and parked in front of a condo as he was directed.
“That’s why you’re here, man,” one of Alejandro’s friends teased. “You’re the dad.”
“I totally am.” He wasn’t that old, but he sure felt like it.
Funny, because he hadn’t been feeling old in the least in Reid’s arms. No, he’d felt younger, freer than he had in ages.
God, his head hurt.
“Hey.” Alejandro touched his arm. “The guys went in.”
“Shit. Sorry, bro. Sorry.”
“You okay? I mean, was it… okay?”
“It was great, man. I’m just distracted. And you know I never feel great. That’s on me, not you.”
“Have you… I mean, have you talked to a doctor?”
“I have.” He’d talked to several, and then he always had to balance what they told him with his life.
“It’s not, like, cancer, right?”
“No, it’s a garden-variety ulcer.” He hauled his ass out of the SUV. “It’s not even that bad. But stress, you know?”
“Maybe Reid can help with that.” Alejandro nudged him in the shoulder. “Don’t tell Mama I said that.”
“I won’t. She was all nice to him when she saw his ankle. She still loves him too.”
“Yeah? Whoa. Cool. Inside, man. Beer.”
“Yeah.” He headed in, figuratively arm in arm with his brother.
The other three were already in the hot tub, the water bubbling away, five beers open and waiting.
“Hey now! This is the life!” Alej moved around the tub, high-fiving. “Just let us go change.”
They went to get their trunks on, grab their towels. When he tugged off his shirt, Alejandro whistled low. “Whoa, man. The guys will tease you.”
“Huh? Tease me?” He was confused.
“Bro, your back. It’s all tore up.” Alej turned him to face the mirror through the en suite door.
Scratches. Long red lines proved that he’d been less than chaste.
Oh, Jesus.
Reid had left marks. Reid never left marks.
He blinked at himself over his shoulder. “Do I need first aid?”
“I think you need a gold star, bro. Seriously. Go you!”
“Thanks.” His cheeks were on fire, but he wasn’t ashamed. The need Reid had shown pleased and humbled him.
Reid didn’t have a lover. A boyfriend. A fuckbuddy. Reid wanted him.
He closed his eyes, then stripped off the rest so he could pull on his trunks. They’d kept the guys waiting long enough.
“You want to wear a T-shirt?” Alejandro asked.
“Not unless you think I’ll get an infection.” No, he could tough out the teasing.
“Bah. They’re just scratches. At least he’s not a biter….”
“He never has been, no.” Mat had to admit, he wanted to explore the new Reid far more thoroughly.
“Too much info, man. Way too much.” Alejandro rolled his eyes, playing with him. “Seriously? Reid? Not sexy.”
“No? I think he’s a stud, and his ass….”
“No!” Alejandro headed out toward the hot tub at a run, and Mat followed, slipping into the bubbling water with a sigh.
He grinned when the other guys looked at them, brows raised.
“Brothers.” That was a good enough explanation, wasn’t it?
“Yeah, yeah.” Alej’s college best friend, Joe, chuckled. “You two are shits.”
“What?” Alej splashed Joe in the face.
“Shits!” Joe grabbed Alej’s feet and tugged, dunking Alej under.
Lord, those two could find trouble in church.
The pretty little guy from Alej’s office slid over to him while the other frat brother entered the fray.
“Hey, uh, Tod, right?” He smiled, hoping to God he had the right name.
“Very nice, and you’re Mateo. Pleased to meet you.”
“Same. You having fun?”
“I am. These three are hooligans, aren’t they?” Tod settled next to him with a smile. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m in real estate law. Contracts. Pretty dull stuff.” That said nothing about the stress of it, especially in Santa Fe.
“I’m the marketing coordinator for our firm. Not really a barn burner, but not bad. I meet interesting people.”
Mat smiled and nodded, glancing furtively to see if Alej was in a place to join in the convo. Nope. Still splashing.
“Your brother worries about you, quite a bit. He told me about your divorce. I’m very sorry.”
“Oh.” Shit, that caught him flat-footed. “Uh. Thank you.”
“I just split up with my boyfriend six weeks ago.”
“O-oh.” Oh, hell. He was being, what? Flirted with? Seriously?
“Right? It’s hell. This is my first time out socially since….”
“That’s tough, man. It’s always so tough.” Please don’t flirt with me. I don’t want to be mean, and there’s no way. Not now. Not with a second chance in the wings.
“So, um, I was wondering. Are you staying here tonight?”
“No, I’m driving Alej back when he wants to go.” God, so sweet. So fucking sweet.
“Oh.” Tod lowered his gaze, his brown eyes very pretty. “I was hoping.” He grinned. “I don’t need Mr. Right, but I was fantasizing about a wedding hookup.”
“Yeah? I’m hoping to convince my Mr. Right that we need to put my family back together.” Whoa. Whoa, was that what he was thinking? Did he just say that out loud?
“Aw, that’s sweet. He’s at the wedding?”
“He’s the maid of honor.” Mat chuckled. “Crazy, right?”
“Oh, honey.” Tod leaned in. “That is the ultimate wedding hookup. I might be in love with that idea.”
“Don’t y’all have kids?” Austin, the frat boy, asked.
Alej nodded. “They’re our flower girls.”
“You’re not serious. Are you?” Joe had eyes wide as saucers.
“I am.”
Mat nodded. “Yep. Lucia is five, and Dani is three.”
“And y’all are their dads? You and the dude of honor?”
God, why was he takenish and Austin apparently straight?
“We are. I mean, we had a surrogate, but we’re both the biological father of one each too.”
Joe looked like he was speaking Swahili, but Austin grinned. “Did you use artificial insemination or implanted embryos?”
“AI.” In fact, that was why they’d had Dani so quickly after Luce. They’d wanted to wait another two years or so, but Kim had decided she was going to move to be with her lover in Sydney.
They wanted the kids to have the same genetic mom, so…. Yeah. Kim had been the best.
“And they’re gorgeous little girls.” Alej beamed at him, and damn, he was proud. He hoped he was setting an example for his brother, making him see what life could be like with kids. Not the divorce, of course. That part had been….
What?
What had it been? Stupidity? Yeah. Anger? Some. Stubborn pride? God, yes. Pride mixed with exhaustion from a three-year-old and a toddler.
They’d been so overwhelmed and so damn scared and angry….
Then Mat had consulted a lawyer friend, and before he’d known what hit him, they were at mediation. All over hurt feelings and a stupid fight.
Jesus.
“Brother? You with us?”
“Lo siento. I was floating. I am.” He smiled all around and raised his beer bottle.
“To your last nights of freedom!” Joe grinned at Alej, and he chuckled, nodded his head.
“I can’t wait.”
“It’s totally worth it,” Mat said, then sipped from his longneck, which had gone a little warm.
“It will be. She’s my girl.”
God, he rememb
ered those days. He wanted them back.
He smiled for Alej, though, because he was proud of his baby brother. So proud and happy.
“So how did your man get to be the man of honor?” Tod asked, leaving him his space.
“He and Jen are besties. Have been for years.” The irony made his grin widen.
“Before you two met or after?”
“Oh, Reid met Jen at a party at the guys’ house. She ended up helping Reid make chili.”
God, Alejandro was adorable.
“I thought Alejandro was gonna die. He’d never had Texas chili before.”
“Never?” Tod and Joe and Austin spoke together.
“Nope.” Alej held up his hands dramatically. “I thought I would shit fire for a week.”
“Dude, and we’re frat brothers?” Austin’s eyes went wide.
“I know, I know.” Alej rolled his eyes. “I was, like, how different can it be from chile con carne?”
Somewhere Reid was having a hysterical laugh, just from that thought. “Hey, the Texan is still marrying you.”
“I know! It’s amazing, right?” Alej beamed.
“You are gooey. It’s obscene.” Austin gagged playfully. “Can’t we just get drunk?”
“How about we soak and have beer and you guys get drunk once Mat and I leave.” Listen to the responsible adult.
“Worst. Bachelor. Ever.”
Joe’s words set Alej and Tod to laughing, cackling hard.
Mat cracked up too, finally relaxing into the bubbling water a little.
“What’s his name again?” Tod asked.
“Reid, and he’s taken.” Okay, where did that come from?
“Hey, I get it. I just want to be able to say hi if I see him.” Tod gave him a wide-eyed stare.
“Sorry. I’m… I want to make it work out. I want a chance.”
“No, that’s good. I’m not being evil, I swear.” Tod held up a hand in a pacifying gesture.
“Thank you.” He held out one hand to shake, turning partially as they shook, forgetting for a second that he was keeping his back to the side of the hot tub. Oops.
“Dude! You have some prodigious scratches!” Joe just hooted.
Tod arched an eyebrow and began to applaud. “Now I know I’m jealous.”
“Shut up.” He knew he was flushing, but he didn’t care. It had been good.