Stumbled into Love

by L. P. Maxa

  But it wasn’t going to be okay, was it?

  “Are you two expecting? Brice, that’s wonderful news.” Mr. Boston was happy for the first time all evening. “It’s been ages since we’ve had news like that around the office.” He leaned forward, knocking his glass lightly against mine.

  What in the ever-loving hell was I supposed to say now?

  I nodded. “Thank you, sir. We’re, um, we’re really excited.”

  Were we though? Was she pregnant? Had I accepted a congratulations on something that wasn’t even real?

  “How far along is she?” Mr. Klein had his arm around his wife, beaming smiles on both their faces.

  I had no fucking clue how far along she was. Was the kid even mine? My hands started to shake so I sat the brandy down so my bosses wouldn’t notice. Was this Trevor’s baby? Did I want it to be? How long was she going to be in that bathroom? I needed to get out of here.

  “Oh, uh, it’s really early.” I got to my feet. “So, we’d appreciate if this all stayed between us for now.”

  Or, you know, until I could confirm what the hell was actually going on.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Holland

  When I came back into the room, everyone was staring at me. Mr. and Mrs. Klein were smiling, and so was that crotchety Mr. Boston. His wife seemed to be sleeping though. And Brice, well, Brice was paler than I was. Had he figured it out? Had he finally let his brain compute what had been happening all day? I hadn’t planned for this. I thought maybe I’d wait until Sunday then take a test. Maybe I’d go stay at a hotel for a few days and try to wrap my head around everything. I’d tell him after that. I’d tell him when I knew how I felt about being pregnant by a guy who didn’t want to tie himself to anybody. Ever. When I was feeling less vulnerable. But the mood in the room told me that ship had sailed.

  I licked my lips, taking a deep breath and putting all kinds of cheeriness in my voice that I certainly didn’t feel. “I’m so sorry, I’m not feeling all that well.”

  “Brice, why don’t you get Holland home, let her get some rest.” Mrs. Klein left her husband’s side and came to kiss my cheek. “We’ll get together soon. We can have lunch and chat a bit. All right?”

  I nodded. “Thank you for dinner. Everything was wonderful.” Except the brandy, which made me throw everything up in your guest bathroom with the odd swan wallpaper.

  Brice slipped his hand through mine after he was finished saying good night, and we walked silently to the car. He opened my door and helped me inside, taking his time as he made his way to the driver’s side. He got in, started the engine and then pulled out of their circular custom cobblestone driveway. His hand was on my thigh, where it seemed to always be over these last two weeks. He was constantly touching me, so when he moved his hand away from me to rest it on the gearshift, I started to cry.

  Not ugly sobbing crying, but the soft silent type where tears rolled freely down my face. Brice didn’t say a word as we drove home. And I didn’t even know where to start.

  He pulled into the drugstore closest to his house, leaving the engine running while he wordlessly went inside. I wiped at my face, trying to clean up the mess my mascara had been making while I cried. He came out, got back in the car, and tossed a pregnancy test into my lap.

  But he still didn’t speak. Not as he parked in the driveway, not as he opened the front door and put his hand on the small of my back to lead me inside. I stood in the entryway, the box in my hand, watching as he took off his jacket and removed his tie. This was usually the moment when he’d throw me over his shoulder and slap my ass.

  But instead he pointed to the bathroom we shared. “Now, Holland.”

  Holland. I stepped past him, shutting the door behind me. My hands shook as I opened the test. I thought I was pregnant, but what if I wasn’t? How would that make me feel? How would Brice react? Would he want things between us to end? Would he feel like he dodged a bullet? Everything was so scary, and so uncertain.

  I followed the instructions and then sat the test on the edge of the sink. In movies the couples are always standing together, hopeful and holding hands. But I was in here alone, not sure what I wanted to happen next. I sank down onto the floor, kicking my heels off and stretching my legs out in front of me.

  I didn’t set a timer, because I was in no hurry to know what that test said.

  I wasn’t sure how many minutes passed when Brice walked in. My heart started pounding in my chest as he picked up the test, comparing whatever it said to the picture on the back of the box.

  He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before turning to look at me. “Is it mine?”

  My chest caved in on itself while I started to cry all over again.

  “Hollie. Is it mine?”

  I nodded, wiping at my tears.

  “How long have you known? When the hell were you planning on telling me?” His voice was oddly soft yet shaky at the same time. Like he was having trouble hanging on to his sanity at the moment.

  “I didn’t realize until this afternoon, I swear.” I got to my feet, taking the test from his hands so I could see the proof for myself. “I couldn’t stop crying and then I looked at the calendar and saw that I was three days late.”

  “When I came home, when we…when I didn’t wear a condom, you knew?”

  I held the test up. “I didn’t know until thirty seconds ago, but I thought, yes.”

  “This is why people use birth control, Hollie.” He threw his hands in the air. “Fuck, how could you let this happen?”

  My eyes went wide, all my fear disappeared, replaced with a shit-ton of anger. “How could I let this happen? Are you kidding me right now, Brice?” I shoved at his chest. “I told you I wasn’t on the pill, I didn’t fucking hide it from you.” I shoved him again. “You’re the one who demanded we bang like damn rabbits all over the fucking house.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining.” His eyes were hard, his mouth tight. “Was this part of your plan? Is this what you wanted? Move in here, play nice and then make it fucking stick. Well, you got me where you want me.”

  I jerked back like he’d slapped me. I knew he’d be shocked and worried and scared. But this reaction? This was never something I’d expected. “Fuck you.” I moved past him, going into the closet and pulling one of my suitcases off the floor.

  “What are you doing?” He closed my suitcase and stood in front of it when I came out of the closet with an arm full of clothes.

  I tossed them on the bed, going back for another load. “I’m leaving.”

  “Where in the hell are you going to go, Hollie?” He took the clothes from me and hurled them back into the closet. “It’s late, and you’ve spent the day either crying or puking.”

  “If you think I’m staying in this house with you, you’re fucking crazy.” I went into the bathroom, packing another bag with all my stuff in there. “How dare you?” I zipped the carry-on. “Did you really accuse me of trapping you into this fake fucking relationship? You think I wanted this to happen? Yeah, Brice, this is a goddamn fairy tale.” I was yelling and crying at the same time, anger and despair, lovely. “The biggest male whore in Dallas is exactly the kind of man I wanted to be the father of my baby. You caught me. I planned it from day one.”

  I rolled my eyes as I stepped past him into the hallway. I didn’t need clothes. I’d sleep naked tonight and then I’d hire someone to come pack all my things tomorrow. Declan offered one of his rental houses, and now I’d be able to fill it, right? Babies needed a lot of stuff.

  “Hollie, come on, don’t leave.” He jogged past me, putting his back against the front door. “Not tonight, not like this.”

  I scoffed. “Oh, now you’re going to act like you care?” I dropped my bag, making sure it landed harshly on his foot. “Where was that compassion when I was crying on the damn bathroom floor a few minutes ago? Huh? When I was terrified of what that test was going to say.” I shook my head. “Is it mine? Yeah, those are the words I’ve a
lways dreamed of hearing when I found out I was pregnant.”

  “Hollie, fuck.” He hung his head, running his fingers through his dark hair. “I’m sorry, I—”

  “I don’t want to hear it, Brice.” I cut him off, suddenly feeling more tired than I ever had before. “I’m going to bed, and tomorrow I’m moving into Declan’s rental house. I can’t stay here with you, not after what happened tonight.”

  “Hollie, baby, c’mon.”

  “Congratulations on that promotion, Brice.” I nodded, backing away toward the bedroom we’d no longer be sharing. “You played your part well. You even had me fooled.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Brice

  The light from the fire was keeping me plenty warm but doing nothing to get rid of the chill I felt down into my soul. Dramatic, sure. But true. I’d accused Hollie of trapping me, which was fucking ludicrous, and I’d regretted it the moment the words had flown out of my mouth.

  She hated me again, and I couldn’t blame her. I’d reacted like an asshole. I’d reacted like the old me would have reacted. The me before Hollie let me into her life. The me before I’d let her into my bed.

  “Hey, buddy, whatcha doing?”

  I glanced to the side when Declan came to stand next me. I wasn’t surprised to see him. He liked to pop up where he wasn’t welcome these days. “Self-loathing.”

  He nodded, pointing to the fire in front of us. “Why you burning a mattress in your backyard in the middle of the night?”

  “It’s tainted.” I shrugged. “And it deserves to be destroyed.”

  After Hollie had locked me out of our room, I’d gone into the guest room. I’d lain down on the bed and immediately felt disgusted with myself. All the women I’d brought in here. All the women I’d kicked out the next day. I’d gotten up and dragged the mattress into the backyard, soaking it in lighter fluid before watching it go up in flames. It felt good, cleansing almost.

  “Why are you out here and not in there with Hollie?”

  “She locked me out after I reacted less than favorably to the positive pregnancy test sitting on our bathroom sink.”

  He nodded, rocking back on his heels. “What did you say to her?”

  I bit my lips together, hating myself. “If I tell you, you’ll hit me.”

  He nodded again. “You’re probably right.”

  “I asked her if it was mine, then I accused her of getting pregnant on purpose to trap me.” I turned to face him.

  And he punched me right in the jaw.

  Not hard though because I was still on my feet. I’d seen Declan hit someone in real anger and this wasn’t that.

  “Do you love her?”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the conversation we were having while we watched a mattress burn. I’d asked him the same thing about Cassie a little over a year ago.

  “I don’t think I know what that kind of love feels like.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe not, but you sure know what it looks like.”

  The only reason I knew what love looked like was because of Dec and my sister. I knew because I’d watched him want Cassie from afar, even back when we were kids. I’d known that they’d hooked up in Florida before her fiancé’s bachelor party by the stupid grin that had been perpetually on Declan’s face. I knew Wyllie was his by the way Cassie melted when she looked at her son from the moment he was born.

  “Hollie and I aren’t you and Cassie. We’ve been playing house, Dec, this isn’t some decades-long flame that’s finally getting a chance to burn.”

  He chuckled. “Isn’t it though?” He clapped his hand on my back. “I’ve watched you lust after Holland Baxter since the day I hired her. She was eighteen and I told you I’d have you arrested. I’d recognized that look in your eyes. And that look? It never went away. You two may have acted like enemies for the last seven years, but I could see past it. And that’s why this whole situation scared the shit out of me.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the house. “She’s always had the ability to bring you to your knees, Brice. The thing was, I never knew how you’d react when you finally realized it.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I kept quiet, my eyes focused on the fire in front of me.

  “I was against this, you two living together. But then I saw you at dinner last weekend. I saw the way you smiled at her. The way you couldn’t help but touch her. You two know each other so well, you move so fluidly together. You care about her, Brice, we all see it.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “That girl in there, that girl who makes you laugh and makes you want to be a better man? That beautiful girl is going to have your baby.”

  I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry.

  “And she’s going to need you, man. They both are. She’s going to feel sick, and she’s going to be perpetually exhausted. She’s going to cry and she’s going to be scared.” He paused a moment. “She’s making you a father, Brice. She’s giving you the greatest gift you could ever imagine. Don’t let her go through it alone.”

  I swallowed past the huge lump that had formed in my throat. “What if I mess this up? What if she ends up hating me? What if I’m a terrible father?” I wiped at my eyes quickly before the tears had a chance to fall. “I don’t want to let them down.”

  Declan crossed the patio, dragging the hose from the side of the house. “Again, do you love her?”

  Did I love Hollie? I loved the way she laughed, and the way she hated the guys I worked with. I loved how she made fun of my dancing and slept with the covers pulled up to her neck. I loved that she listened to music while she cooked and didn’t mind taking a break to have sex with me on the kitchen floor.

  I loved that when her feet got cold she shoved them unapologetically under my ass. I loved living with her and eating dinner with her. I loved that she always brought me coffee before joining me in the shower in the morning. I loved spending time with her when she hated me. And I loved everything about my life with her now.

  “Yes. I love her.”

  He sprayed the mattress down, the smoke making us both wince. “Then you won’t let her down.”

  “I need to go fix this. I need to apologize.” I turned toward the back door.

  “She’s not in there.” Declan still had the hose in his hand, trying to drown the few remaining flames.

  “What? Where is she?” I suddenly felt panicked. “She’s been sick all day, she could barely keep her eyes open at dinner tonight. She doesn’t need to be alone—she needs me.”

  “Cassie took her to stay at the Ritz for the night. She needs to relax and she needs a break from all the drama.”

  “No, what she needs is me.” I was beyond pissed. Was that why he’d come out here? To distract me while my sister stole my girl?

  “No, what she needed was for you to be supportive and kind. Not rude and fucking moronic.” Declan turned off the hose and tossed it back in the direction of where it was supposed to go. “Now what she needs is sleep. And a friend who knows a bit about what she’s going through.” He put his hand on my shoulder, leading me back into the house. “Come on, man, make me a drink.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Holland

  I’d passed out the moment my head had hit the pillow in the hotel room I was sharing with Cassie. When there had been a light knock on Brice’s bedroom door last night, I had hoped Brice would be standing on the other side when I opened it.

  But when I saw Cassie, she’d held her arm out and I’d let her take me out of there. Away from Brice and away from the house we’d been sharing. I knew that if she was with me, Declan was with him. I shouldn’t have been worried about Brice being alone, not after the fight we’d had. But I was, and I couldn’t seem to help it.

  Now we were sitting at a little table by the window, looking out over the busy Dallas streets while we ate breakfast.

  “I’d stick to the toast, but there is really no stopping morning sickness once it starts.” Cassie handed me a glas
s of orange juice.

  “Were you sick with Wyllie?”

  She nodded. “Wyllie and this new kiddo.” She rubbed her hand on her stomach. “But it only lasted a few weeks this time around.”

  There was so much I needed to do now. I needed to find a doctor. I needed to find a place to live. Eventually, I’d need to have a talk with Brice. I needed to know if he planned to be involved with this baby at all. It would be a little tricky if he wanted nothing to do with either of us. I knew I’d always be close with Cassie and Declan, which meant Brice’s parents would know about the pregnancy. I was so näive yesterday, thinking he’d step up. Thinking he’d be a great father.

  “I know there are a million things going through your head right now.” Cassie reached across the table, giving my hand a squeeze. “The best advice I can give you is to take it one day at a time. Take a deep breath and take a moment to be happy.”

  I put my hand on my stomach, smiling automatically. “How is it possible to already love this kid so much?”

  “That’s motherhood.” She laughed, leaning back in her chair. “You love them so much it physically hurts. It doesn’t matter how much they make you throw up or how often they destroy your furniture or pee in your car. Your love grows every day.” She winked. “It’s your love for their father that has a tendency to ebb and flow.”

  I shook my head, not even laughing at her joke. “I should have told him before we went to dinner. I should have told him yesterday afternoon. He got blindsided, in front of his bosses.” I stood, sipping on orange juice while I paced the floor. “He reacted terribly, but I knew he would. I knew he’d be upset when I first told him, and I was nervous to have that conversation. This is partially my fault.”

  “Look, I love my brother, you know that.” Cassie propped her feet up on the bench at the base of the bed. “But he can be a real jackass. And last night was no exception. I blindsided Declan on a crowded airplane with the news that the child he was playing with was his. And he still didn’t act as stupid as Brice did last night.” She sighed. “Although to be fair, Brice reacted badly when I told him I was pregnant with Wyllie too.”