Take It All Off

by Weston Parker

  Addy’s hand shot out to me, but she stopped it when she realized what she was doing. “It’s fine, Kyle. I don’t want to intrude on you. I’m sure you’ve got a lot going on. You’ll be more comfortable if I stay at a hotel.”

  “Bullshit.” He flashed her a lopsided grin. “You have to come home with me. Who else is going to make sure I eat all my leafy greens?”

  “Uh, you?” she suggested just as the door opened again.

  A scowling nurse came in and wagged her finger at Kyle. “You really shouldn’t be out of bed, Mr. Tidwell. It’s a serious violation of hospital policy for you to be walking around in your condition. I thought you’d been rushed off for some emergency.”

  “I’m sorry if I scared you,” he said, chagrined but charming. Aldo had the same gift. I’d watched it in action plenty of times but never on anybody else. It was mildly fascinating.

  I suddenly got a horrible flash of what might happen if the two of them ever met, but I banished it from my mind. Whatever city said meeting occurred in would have to be warned to lock up their single women in advance. I could only imagine the havoc they would wreak together. Light and dark, both of them oozing charm along with that easygoing manner and lightning-fast smiles? It would be a disaster for the women but fucking entertaining for me to witness.

  On the other hand, maybe I should introduce them. Lord knew I could have used something to lighten my mood a little.

  In the meantime, Kyle by himself would have to do. He flashed the nurse a disarming smile. “Honestly, I didn’t mean to make you think I had to be rushed off. This is my sister. She came all the way from Italy to be with me, but then she collapsed in my room.”

  The woman flushed under his deep blue gaze. “That’s so sweet of you. I suppose I can let it slide this one time. Just let me know if you need to move from your room to hers next time, okay? I’ll walk with you to make sure you’re okay.”

  I very nearly snorted out loud, but I had to give it to the guy. He was good. He was wearing a hospital gown with his ass hanging out, for God’s sake. It was covered in a pair of boxers, but still.

  “My name’s Nancy,” the nurse added. “Let me know when I can get you back to bed.”

  This time, I did snort. But so did Addy.

  Kyle smirked, and Nancy seemed to catch up when his blue eyes shone at her. She stammered out an apology, tried to clear up what she had meant, but got her ass out of the room before she dug the hole too deep.

  Addy punched Kyle’s bicep, rolling her eyes in a way that made me think it wasn’t the first time she’d seen something like that happen. “You’re terrible, but get Nurse Nancy’s number when all this is over. You look ridiculous in that dress. If she’s interested in you while you’re wearing that, she’s definitely not just after your looks.”

  Kyle grabbed the edges of his gown and curtsied. “What? This old thing? You’re crazy if you think the ladies don’t love it. They do.”

  She tried to hold back her laughter, but it spilled out anyway. “I think I just figured out why you’re still single. You’re certifiable.”

  “But I do have those looks you mentioned.” He wagged his brows at her. The two bantered back and forth, and I actually found myself liking her brother.

  It was abundantly clear how much he adored her, doted on her even. I could also see how ferociously protective he was of her, though. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that he’d rip the balls clear off any guy who messed with her.

  He kept sending me questioning glances, like he wasn’t sure what I was still doing here. I waited for him to just ask, curious what Addy’s answer would be.

  I assumed the only reason he didn’t want to ask in my presence was because I was the guy who had just flown his sister halfway across the damn world. Oh, and I’d also caught her when she’d fainted.

  In his mind, those would be two excellent reasons to be polite to me. At the very least.

  Little did he know that I’d done both of those things more for myself than for him, but I would keep that tidbit close to the vest for now. I owed it to Addy to break the news to him her way, especially after what had happened when Aldo interfered with our own plans to tell the family.

  Kyle sent another quizzical glance my way, but his eyes shifted when the door opened, and his jaw hardened. A female doctor had walked in, and she was already opening her mouth and pointing toward the door.

  He cut her off before she could get a word out. “I’m not leaving, if that was what you were about to say.”

  “Neither am I,” I said firmly.

  “My name is Mary Winter.” The doctor frowned at us both before zeroing in on Addy. “I’m a doctor, and she’s my patient. As such, she’s the one who has to consent to you hearing sensitive personal medical information about her. I’m going to have to ask you both to step out of the room.”

  Addy smiled at the doctor. “It’s fine. They can stay. I promise I’m not under duress. You don’t need to confer with me without them. It’ll just waste time, and I really want to get out of here. Hit me, Doc. It was stress, right?”

  The doctor held her gaze for another beat, sighing when both Kyle and I planted our feet. She gave her head a sharp shake but lifted and opened the paper chart she’d brought in with her.

  “If it isn’t stress, do I still have your consent to discuss your medical results in their presence?”

  Addy’s smile faltered. “Yes, but what is it then? It had to have been stress. I feel fine now. Perfect.”

  “You’re not sick, Adaline,” the doctor said. “I’m an OB/GYN. Are you sure you want me to proceed without them leaving the room?”

  “I’m not leaving the fucking room,” I growled, my heartrate skyrocketing.

  Kyle frowned at me, but Addy shook her head at him. “It’s fine. Just tell me what’s going on.”

  The doctor glanced at all three of us with more questions in her eyes than even Kyle’s had, but instead of asking, she paused. Then she said three words that I sure as fuck wasn’t expecting to hear.

  “You’re pregnant, Adaline.”

  My entire world flipped upside down. Questions suddenly raced through my mind, but I knew how the birds and the bees worked. Which meant the previously thought to have been impossible had happened. I was going to be a father.

  What the fuck was I supposed to do now?

  Chapter 32

  Addy

  None of us said a word.

  Kyle looked like he was about to pass out. Doctor Winters noticed his hospital gown and called out for a nurse to escort him back to his room.

  He left with no argument. Not even a stare or a glower in my direction. In fact, he hadn’t looked at me at all since the doctor had made the announcement.

  I was pregnant. Holy fucking fuck.

  Marco and I had been having a lot of sex, like a ton of it, for months. But I thought we’d been safe about it.

  We’d slipped up once or twice… It hit me then. That night in the hot tub.

  Running through the time that had passed, I realized that night had been nearly two months ago. And I hadn’t gotten a visit from the red fairy since. I clamped my hand over my mouth as my stomach rolled, but nothing came up.

  Doctor Winter’s expression softened. “We need to check on a few things and talk more, but I’ll give you some time. This is a lot to take in.”

  Hell yeah, it was, but there was something I needed to know before she left. “What was that pain?”

  She gave me a smile. “Extreme stress, dear. The medical history on your chart notes that you’ve made a lengthy flight under less than ideal circumstances.”

  “The flight was fine,” I said dully. “A private jet even. It was more than ideal.”

  “I meant the circumstances surrounding the reason for your flight. Your brother had had a heart attack, I believe?” She looked up from my chart, and I saw realization dawning. “Ah, so that was the other gentleman in here earlier. The rude protective streak makes sense now.”


  “Yeah,” I mumbled, trying to wrap my head around what she had said. “So it’s okay then? The baby?”

  “Your blood tests came back completely normal. We’ll do an ultrasound when you’ve had a minute to yourself to make sure, but I’m confident everything is fine.”

  “What if it’s not?” I asked, fear like I’d never known suddenly gripping my heart.

  “We’ll do the ultrasound in an hour, okay?” she said, leaning over to pat my hand. “There’s nothing but saline and a bit of glucose in your IV, sweetheart. It’s only because you fainted. You’re not bleeding, and the pain has passed. These are excellent signs.”

  “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “You’ll be back in an hour?”

  “With the machine,” she promised.

  It didn’t escape my notice that Marco still hadn’t said a word. He jerked his head in a nod at the doctor when she turned to leave, his face as pale and ashen as I was sure mine was.

  Once we were alone, his throat worked as he swallowed. His eyes were bright but almost vacant, and they didn’t come anywhere near mine.

  “I need to step out to make a call,” he croaked out. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Are you going to be okay?”

  “I think so,” I said, my own voice also weak and rough. “I need to speak to Kyle. He’s going to freak out.”

  Besides, Kyle had always been there for me. Even if Marco couldn’t be right now, Kyle would be. More than that, we’d faced everything difficult in life together. I only hoped against all hope that wasn’t about to change now.

  My brother was my go-to, my rock. Whenever the universe yanked the carpet out from underneath me, he was there to steady me, to catch me if I fell.

  Right then, I needed him to hold out his arms. The universe had just pulled the mother—no pun intended—of all carpets right out from underneath me, and I needed him to be ready to catch me.

  Marco left the room. I stumbled to my feet, unplugging the machine containing the bag of anti-fainting juice I was on. Using it to lean on, I made my way to the opposite side of the floor.

  Since Kyle hadn’t talked to me since the doctor had broken the news, I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. What I hadn’t expected, what I’d never have expected from him, was the flat disappointment in his eyes when he met mine.

  In all my years, he’d never looked at me like that. I hated it. It was terrible.

  I felt lower than the waste of an ocean creature that had sunk to the bottom of the sea, but I kept moving forward. Once I was inside his room, I shut the door firmly behind me.

  “What happened to Drew?” I asked, not that it really mattered. I just didn’t know what else to say.

  Kyle lifted his shoulder listlessly. “Nancy told me he went home.”

  “Oh.” I nodded. “Right.”

  Standing just inside his room, tears sprang to my eyes again. “Can I sit?”

  “Do whatever you want, Adaline.” His use of my full name sliced right through the center of my heart. “That’s what you always do anyway.”

  Moisture tracked down my cheeks, but I lifted my chin and frowned at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” He expelled a huff through his nostrils. Glancing over at me, he opened and closed his mouth a few times before any words came out. “I don’t really know what to say, sis. I haven’t seen you in person for almost five years. You jet over when I have a heart attack, collapse less than an hour after you get here, and then I find out you’re pregnant.”

  “I know this is hard.” I took a breath, trying to stem the steady rush of emotion welling up in me. “Trust me. I didn’t expect this either. I’m sorry, Kyle. I’m so sorry.”

  My voice broke on the last sentence. My brother didn’t move at first, but then he let out a pained groan and pulled me into his arms.

  Holding me as I cried, he murmured to me. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I’m just trying to process. That’s all. I know you’re an adult, but wow, this is crazy.”

  “I know,” I repeated, hanging onto my brother for dear life. “I didn’t plan for this to happen. I swear. I’d have told you if I’d known. I didn’t know. I promise.”

  “I was there when the doctor told you. I know you didn’t know.” He cradled me gently but released me from his firm embrace. “I hate to have to ask you this, but do you know who the father is? I mean, we’ve got a lot of stuff to figure out, but that seems like the obvious place to start.”

  To be fair to him, he didn’t even flinch when he asked me the question. I supposed he’d gotten pretty good at discussing topics that might have been awkward for other guys to talk to their baby sisters about when he’d been the one to have “the talk” with me. Multiple times.

  As I’d gotten older, he’d remained the person I’d gone to with my questions. He’d even been the one to buy me my first box of condoms.

  And now this. I had the urge to bury my face in my hands, but I couldn’t. I owed him an answer. “We don’t need to figure it out. I know exactly who it is.”

  He cocked his head, rolling his fingers in the air when I took too long to tell him. “There’s no point in trying to make me guess. I don’t know anyone but Elena over there, and somehow, I doubt she’s responsible for this.”

  I dragged in the deepest breath I could. “It’s not Elena. Don’t worry. I didn’t lie to you and dress up my boyfriend in a wig for all your video calls.”

  “Stop stalling, Addy. This isn’t the time. And again, there’s really no point. It’s not like I could know the guy.”

  “You do actually,” I said softly. “You met him earlier. It’s Marco. He’s the father of the baby.”

  Kyle’s face drained of the little color it had regained, then turned so red it was almost purple before paling again. “What? I thought you said he was your boss. Why would you lie to me?”

  “I didn’t lie to you. He is my boss, but we’ve also been dating for a few months.” The words rushed out of me once I’d started. “I was going to tell you about him, but I’ve just been too busy.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me when you introduced him to me?” His voice was lethally quiet. “You introduced him as your boss just hours ago. Why?”

  “I didn’t want you to get mad or upset. You’d just had a heart attack. I wanted to tell you when things had calmed down a little. Who walks into the hospital room where their big brother is recovering from a heart attack after five years of not seeing him and says, oh, by the way, this is my boss and boyfriend?”

  “You didn’t seem to be worried about my recovery when I had to listen to a doctor telling you you’re pregnant,” he snapped, but then his cheeks flushed with color. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I know that wasn’t on you. I made it plenty clear that I wasn’t leaving, but I wasn’t fucking expecting that.”

  I laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, you and me both. When she said she was an OB/GYN, the first thing I thought was that it had been a cyst that had exploded.”

  Kyle’s brow furrowed suddenly. “What was it that caused the pain?”

  “Funny thing, she said it was the stress.” I shrugged. “Looks like I was right after all, just not completely.”

  “Is the baby okay?” he asked, concern deepening the pools of his eyes. “Did the doctor tell you?”

  My hand went instinctively to my stomach. “She said the pain was due to the extreme stress I was under and that it wasn’t anything to worry about. We’re doing an ultrasound in less than an hour to double-check, but she’s very positive.”

  He eyed the IV bag. “What’s in there then? Won’t the painkillers harm the baby?”

  “It turns out they didn’t give me any. They just gave me something because I fainted.”

  Kyle’s eyes closed in relief, and when he opened them again, he reached for my hand. “I’ll help you however you need me to, Addy. I think it’s time for you to move home.”

  “What? No. Why?” My heart pounded in my chest, and my palms grew slick with sweat. �
�I don’t think that’s the right thing to do at all.”

  “Just think about it, okay?” His lips formed a sad, sympathetic smile. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Marco’s not around right now. His reaction earlier was not one of excitement. Keep that in mind before you make any decisions about what the right thing to do is.”

  Chapter 33

  Marco

  “Hey, bro, what’s up?” Aldo asked, as relaxed and cheerful as he always was. “I got your text that you were taking off. Where’d you go this time? And did you tell Mama, or are you leaving it to me to break the news again?”

  “I’m in Oregon.” My voice and my accent were thick.

  “What happened?” All traces of lightness disappeared as soon as he heard me. “Is it Addy? Is she okay?”

  “She’s—” I cleared my throat. “She’s fine, but, um, she’s pregnant.”

  There was a long minute of silence. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

  “No. I wouldn’t joke about something like this.” I scratched the back of my neck, my tailored suit suddenly feeling like it was four sizes too small. It was like the thing was hellbent on choking me. The material was making me itch, too. An hour ago, it’d been soft and comfortable, but now?

  God. Everything had changed from the way it had been just an hour ago.

  I’d heard people say that your entire life could change in one day, one minute, even one sentence, but I’d never experienced it the way I was now. Hell, even Dad’s death hadn’t come as this much of a shock to me.

  Aldo’s panicked laughter derailed my train of thought. “Oh, my fuck. I can’t believe this. What are you still doing there? Get out of Dodge, man. Come home where we can deal with this together.”

  “I can’t just leave.” I closed my palm over the back of my neck as I let my head drop forward. “There’s an ultrasound scheduled in an hour. The gynecologist wants to talk to us.”

  “Marco, listen to yourself,” he snapped at me. “You’re talking about ultrasounds and gynecologists from the other side of the world. What are you still doing there?”