Whiskey Reveals

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  He swallowed hard, and Melody tried to figure out the words that she needed to say because she was so overwhelmed with emotion she could barely catch her breath.

  “That was a lot more than I had planned to say while standing here holding you in the front part of my house. I haven’t even let us into the living room to talk, yet I’m standing here making declarations and promises that I don’t even know if you can quite believe since you don’t really know me yet. But you will know me, Melody. I wanted to get to know you before this happened. I feel as if we were on the verge of something more than just friendship and a few text messages before all of this happened, and I know everything’s going to change, but I want you to know that you can count on me. And, I guess I have a lot more on my mind than I thought.”

  And because Fox had said the exact right thing and she didn’t have the words herself, she went up onto her toes and kissed him. It was only supposed to be a brush of lips, a sweet embrace to say thank you for being the man he was, but as soon as her lips pressed against his, she knew she would be lost in him until the end of days.

  They had so much to talk about, so many plans to make and details to hash out. Her life was a roller coaster of endless decisions and responsibilities, but all she wanted to do was push that all out the window and ignore it—just for now. All of the decisions and plans would still be there waiting even if she let go, so she parted her lips and deepened the kiss, knowing that this might be a mistake, but realizing it was a mistake worth making.

  She clung to him, and he did the same with her, his hands roaming down her back to cup her butt and press her closer to his hips. She could feel the long line of his erection pressed into her stomach, and she gasped out a breath, forcing herself to try and slow down.

  Fox pulled away, as well, his breath coming in hard pants also. “That was… I think it was better than the first time. And I didn’t think that was possible.” She licked her lips, and this time, pressed her hands to her belly. Fox caught the motion, and his eyes darkened. He didn’t pale, he didn’t freak out. He looked…happy.

  And yet she had no idea what she was feeling.

  “I know we need to talk, but I think I need to go back home for a minute and just breathe. Because I don’t want to do something stupid and ruin everything. Because it’s not just you and me anymore. And that scares me.”

  Fox stuffed his hands into his pockets and nodded. “Can I walk you back? I know you walked over here on your own, but it’s a nice day out. I promise I won’t touch you, I won’t even talk if you don’t want to. But I just want to be by your side. I know this is crazy, and I know we have a thousand things to talk about, but I think our being in each other’s presence is one of those things.”

  “I think I’d like that. I know I sound like a tease and am throwing a hundred different things at you and then running away. But kissing you like that, when we need to talk and let our minds actually come to terms with our realities, probably wasn’t the best way to go about things.”

  “Just one step at a time. We can do that. Right?”

  “I have no idea, but I guess we’d better try.” Fox threw on some shoes, and because the two of them apparently liked flirting with danger, they held hands as he walked her back to her grandmother’s place. The sun was still shining, and the birds chirped in the air as they turned the corner and headed up the drive to Grandma Pearl’s beautiful home. Melody knew she was blessed that she still had family left who wanted her to be a part of their lives, and every time she walked up the stone walkway, she remembered that fact.

  But as she looked at the porch and froze, she couldn’t help but think that maybe she had made a mistake.

  “Someone left flowers?”

  She’d almost forgotten that Fox was by her side as she stood there in front of the porch and looked down at the two-dozen roses lying in front of the door. She didn’t know why she was so creeped out, but there was something so familiar about those roses. She’d gotten countless similar bouquets back when she was dancing. They’d always just shown up in her dressing room after her performances, and she’d loved the smell of them at the time.

  But these had just been casually thrown on the welcome mat, and it didn’t make any sense. And she could’ve sworn she spotted the ribbon to a ballet slipper wrapped around the stems.

  She had to be imagining it. Because that just made no sense to her. Then Fox went to pick them up and held out a note.

  “It’s addressed to you.”

  “What does it say?” Her voice sounded hollow, even to her own ears. Fox must have heard the note in her voice, too, because he frowned and slowly read what was on the back of the card.

  “I know. You can’t hide forever.” He looked up at her, eyes wide. “What the fuck does that mean?”

  She shook her head, her hands shaking, as well. “I…I really don’t know.” Because she didn’t. She couldn’t. It had to be a trick or a horrible prank gone wrong. Because she didn’t know anyone who would send her those notes and emails.

  And yet, here they were, written in echoes and ink, a flash from her past that made her want to curl up into a ball and hide away again.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered again. And this time when Fox held her, she didn’t cling back, didn’t kiss him. She let him comfort her.

  Because she had no idea what was happening, but she had a feeling this was only the beginning.

  Chapter 13

  Fox sat at his brother’s bar, knowing that he needed to get his thoughts in order, but with so many going through his head at once, he had no idea where to start. Melody had told him he could tell his family about the baby since she had a feeling there wouldn’t be any hiding it soon given how far along she was, but even then, his mind wasn’t on the news he was about to tell.

  He was damn worried about those flowers and that note they’d found on the porch. And though she had looked shaken at first, she had shrugged it off, saying that it must be a prank from a kid or something silly. She’d said there was no reason to worry, even though that’s all he’d been doing. And though they had a thousand different things on their minds right then, and had more than one life-altering circumstance slamming into them, he wasn’t going to let those flowers and that note go. Only the fact that Ms. Pearl’s house had a kickass security system installed by his brother had allowed Fox to leave Melody and her grandmother at the house at all.

  In fact, he’d be talking to Loch to see if there was anything else they could do about the place.

  He frowned, sipping his lime and soda. He knew he might be overreacting, and damn sure overstepping if he was planning to talk to his brother behind the ladies’ backs about security, so maybe he should stop and think for a second.

  Because finding out that he was going to be a father in a few months had seriously knocked him off his feet, and he wasn’t sure what the hell would happen next.

  “You’re sitting here drinking lime and soda after five?” Loch asked as he took the stool next to Fox. “What’s wrong?”

  Fox stared at the little lime wedge in his glass and shrugged. “Nothing.”

  “Well, that was a lie if I’ve ever heard one,” Dare said as he walked up to them on the other side of the bar. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m fine.” He sipped his drink, doing his best to avoid both of his brothers’ eyes. He knew it wouldn’t work for long, and he had come to the bar to tell them about Melody and the baby, but he still fell out of sorts. Once again, he had no idea what he was doing, and he hated that feeling.

  “It’s not busy here yet since half the town is at the game, so I can sit here and stare at you until you tell me. I’m good at that.” Dare leaned against the bar, his eyes on Fox’s.

  Loch twisted on his stool so Fox could feel him staring, as well, and he knew that he’d break soon. His brothers had perfected this routine over time, and he knew when to give up.

  “You’re making this really hard to keep to myself when you keep staring at me like
the weirdos you both are.”

  “Then our job will be complete once you fess up and tell us what’s on your mind.” Dare raised his brow, and Fox had a feeling that Loch was doing the same on his other side.

  “You know Melody?”

  “The woman opening up the new dance studio next to my place? Yeah. We know her. What did you do?”

  Fox scowled. “Why do you think I did anything? I’m the one sitting here frustrated.”

  “Because you are a man, so it has to be your fault. But let’s not get off track. Melody. Yes, we know her. I remember her from that first night when you and she were in here pounding down whiskey and thought the rest of us didn’t notice.”

  Fox let out a breath. He hadn’t actually known that everyone had been looking at them, but then again, his mind had been on whiskey and Melody. And, honestly, that hadn’t really changed.

  “If you saw us together, then you probably know that we left together that night.”

  His brothers didn’t say anything, but they both nodded. He could go into every single detail and try to figure out how he was going to tell the people closest to him that he was going to be a father, but for all the words that he knew and used every day in his life and in his passions, he couldn’t think of a damn thing to say.

  “She’s pregnant.”

  “Say that again.” Dare leaned closer, his eyes wide.

  “My girl is pregnant.” He hadn’t actually meant to call Melody his girl, but then again, it felt right to say it. They hadn’t talked about what the baby would mean for them, or what it would do to whatever relationship they had, but with this new life they created between them, everything had changed. They would be forever connected, no matter what happened in the future. And that should’ve probably scared him beyond all reason, but it didn’t. In fact, it gave him…he wanted to say purpose but he wasn’t even sure that was the right word.

  He’d spent so long feeling as though he were falling behind, and that everything was happening at once, that he couldn’t quite pull together the right idea of what he should be thinking now. Because the fact that Melody was pregnant really hadn’t hit him yet. He could say the words and try to think about the ramifications, but it didn’t really feel real. Add that to the fact that every time he was near Melody, he couldn’t help but want her, couldn’t help but want her in his life, and he knew that he needed to slow the fuck down and get his thoughts in order. Because he was starting to scare himself, and he knew that he would scare Melody away just as easily if she heard the thoughts running through his head at a thousand miles per hour.

  “What?” Dare’s voice brought Fox out of his thoughts. “Who is pregnant? Melody? She’s your girl? When the fuck did all this happen? Did you say pregnant? Oh, God, I think I need to sit down.”

  “If you can keep your voice down, that would be really helpful. We haven’t actually told anyone else, even though she said I could tell the two of you. And we are in a public place, even though no one else is around right now. So, if you could stop screaming that word, that would be really helpful.”

  “She’s your girl?”

  Fox turned to Loch, his mouth gaping. “That’s what you got out of that? That I called Melody my girl? Because I really think there’s something a little bit more important in what I just said that you’re sort of glazing over.”

  “I’m not glazing over anything. I’m trying to figure out exactly what is going on. Dare is over there looking like he’s about to have a stroke, and I’m a little bit behind. So slow it down for us. She’s your girl?”

  That was possibly the most words his brother had ever said in a full sentence without breathing.

  “You know what, screw it, come with me to my office. I really don’t want to have to explain to the guests why I’m freaking out and why Fox seems to be staring at his drink—without alcohol by the way—and acting as if nothing is wrong.”

  Thinking that was probably a good idea, Fox followed Dare and Loch into Dare’s office. He couldn’t believe that he’d actually just blurted that out like he had, and he had no idea what to say now. But it wasn’t as if he could backtrack and pretend that nothing had happened. He couldn’t pretend that Melody wasn’t pregnant. He couldn’t pretend that their one night together didn’t have consequences beyond an awkward morning after, and he couldn’t pretend that he would be fine doing everything alone while he tried to figure out what the next step was. His family was close for a reason, and he really just needed to talk to his brothers. Then he could find the courage to talk to his sister and his parents. And then maybe he could figure out how to talk to Melody. He’d already been trying to think of ways into her life before everything changed, and now he knew it would be just that much harder. So, yes, he needed to talk to his brothers and get his thoughts in order so he didn’t make a mistake and act like a fucking asshole. Because when Fox got stressed and confused, that’s exactly what he turned into. And he had no desire to be that kind of man.

  Or that kind of father.

  Oh, God. Father. He kept thinking the word, and now his stomach hurt. Thankfully, as he sat down in one of the chairs in his brother’s office, Dare held out a glass of whiskey, and Fox clung to it as if it would save his life.

  “Bottoms up.” Dare met his gaze, and Fox figured the panic there was probably only a fraction of what was in his own eyes. Because the more he let the situation sink in, the more he wanted to run around screaming.

  Both his brothers held their glasses, and the three of them drowned the shot in one. The burn felt damn good down his throat, the smoky flavor perfection. Of course, it was his brother’s whiskey so it would be the best taste for any situation. That was one thing his family did right, and one thing the town was known for. Its whiskey. He never would have figured that he would need it and tradition to calm down after finding out that he had gotten a woman pregnant after a one-night stand. He was truly a fumbling idiot.

  “You’re going to have to break this down to us step-by-step,” Loch said slowly from Fox’s other side.

  “And make it slow,” Dare added.

  “I met Melody that night in the bar. I didn’t know she was moving here, and I don’t think she knew until halfway through our night that I actually lived here. We had too much whiskey, and then we went back to my place. I’m not going to give you the details of that, but needless to say, dear God.”

  Thankfully, his brothers didn’t comment on that, but they did toast him with their empty glasses.

  “I figured I would never see her again, even though I kind of wanted to. I don’t even know what that means, and now it’s even more confusing, but I digress. Three months later, she showed back up in town, and I found out she actually moved here. You know that she’s Ms. Pearl’s granddaughter and that she’s opening up a dance studio. The two of us have slowly been becoming friends because I actually really like her and, yeah, the sex was fucking fantastic, but I also like her as a person. And then, apparently, when Kenzie and Ainsley came to the dance studio, Melody passed out, and they took her to the hospital where she found out she was pregnant. The girls don’t actually know that she’s pregnant because she wanted to tell me or her grandmother first, but yeah, Melody is pregnant. She’s having my baby. And she’s over three months along, meaning I have even less time than usual to figure out what the hell to do. What the hell we’re going to do. In other words, I’m freaking out, and I think I need another glass of whiskey.”

  Dare poured another glass for the three of them without a word. He knew Loch needed to work later that night, and Dare was on shift, and neither of them usually drank when they worked. But finding out that one of their own was going to be a dad was a good reason for booze. They took the shots like the first, the burn a little smoother this time. Then Fox set down his glass and shook his head when Dare held up the rest of the bottle.

  “Whiskey is what got me into this situation in the first place. I think two is more than enough.”

  “Good point.” Dare put aw
ay the bottle then folded his arms over his chest, mirroring Loch’s position. Fox sat on the chair, his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands.

  “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

  “But you’re doing it,” Loch said softly. “You’re going to be a father. I’m not going to ask if you actually think the baby is yours because you’re not one to trust easily. You’ve seen the hell that Dare and I went through when it came to our kids, and I know you’ll try to do a better job than we did.”

  “Not going to be hard, since I pretty much sucked at trying to get custody because of my job and my injury.” Dare shook his head but didn’t continue. Fox didn’t blame him since it had taken a while for his brother to get over everything that had happened.

  “I trust her. And if it comes to needing actual results or tests or anything like that, I’m sure we can figure it out, but you didn’t see her, you guys. She looked just as pale and scared as I do. She came here to start a new life and to open up her studio, and she ended up pregnant because she and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. I’ve no idea what I’m going to do, and I have no idea what the two of us are going to do. But in the end, we’re going to have to do something. Because she’s pregnant. And those months will go by fast.”