know that everyone probably already heard that Beth’s pregnant.”
“Yeah. Suzy told me in a pretty colorful way.” Gray laughed.
Clapping Gray on the shoulder, Nick said, “Sorry about that, man. I bet that was rough. I’m sure she plans to rip me a new one before the day is over.”
“She was pissed, but she realizes that you aren’t completely to blame. I think having to deal with the mental image of you and Beth on our kitchen counter was much harder for her than finding out that her sister was pregnant.”
“Shit, how much did Beth tell you guys? Women really do share everything, don’t they?”
Gray laughed at Nick’s obvious embarrassment. It wasn’t often that his confident brother looked uncomfortable where a woman was concerned. “Oddly enough, she was just trying to defend you. She basically said that you tried to resist, but she was determined to override you.” As if realizing what he had said, Gray added, “Maybe
override
wasn’t a good word to use.”
Nick chuckled at Gray’s poor choice of words. Then, taking pity on him, he decided to change the subject. “I told Beth this morning that we were going to get married and find a house. That seemed to really piss her off.”
Grinning, Gray said, “Well, if you said it just like that I can’t imagine why she wasn’t jumping for joy. I’m constantly wondering why people think you are the smooth talker in the family.”
“What the hell is this, Pick on Nick Day? What should I have said, man? It’s not as if she was going to believe a big declaration of undying love. I care about her too much to lie to her. I don’t think either one of us saw this coming, but now that it has we need to make some plans.”
Gray studied him quietly for a few minutes before asking, “You do understand that you are going to be a father, right? I was expecting a different reaction from you this morning. Maybe more pacing, profanity, and less calm acceptance. You’ve realized that marriage means monogamy?”
“Yes, smart-ass, I do. Despite your high opinion of me, I can actually be faithful to one woman. I have never screwed around while I’ve been involved with someone and, believe me, the opportunity has presented itself more than once.”
“Being faithful for a few months is a lot different from a lifetime.” Gray held up a hand to silence his protests. “I’m just saying that you can be a father to this baby without getting married. I don’t want to see you and Beth trapped in a marriage that makes you both miserable. I know that you care about her, but make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. I almost messed up my whole life with this very thing, so I know what I’m talking about. I dodged a bullet, but if Beth is pregnant, then I damn well know that you are the father without question because Beth isn’t Reva.”
Nick felt his anger dissipate. He knew this was hitting a nerve with Gray and that he had his best interests at heart. He was just tired of first Beth and then Gray automatically counting him out. Why did everyone assume he would cut and run as soon as he found out? Was it a crime to have a long dating history? He had a demanding job that he excelled at and no one ever had to worry about him letting any of his business responsibilities slide. He never had to be told anything twice. He took the ball and ran with it every day. Granted, a baby was a hell of a lot more important than a job, but why did they automatically assume that he couldn’t handle it? One thing was for certain: He would show them that there was more to Nick Merimon than just a good roll in the sack. But the first person he needed to prove that to was Beth.
Chapter Seven
When Beth walked off the elevator, Ella was standing right there, as if waiting for her. The two had met when Beth had started working at Danvers, and the changes in Ella since their first meeting were nothing short of amazing. Ella had been raised by strict religious parents and
“Yeah. Suzy told me in a pretty colorful way.” Gray laughed.
Clapping Gray on the shoulder, Nick said, “Sorry about that, man. I bet that was rough. I’m sure she plans to rip me a new one before the day is over.”
“She was pissed, but she realizes that you aren’t completely to blame. I think having to deal with the mental image of you and Beth on our kitchen counter was much harder for her than finding out that her sister was pregnant.”
“Shit, how much did Beth tell you guys? Women really do share everything, don’t they?”
Gray laughed at Nick’s obvious embarrassment. It wasn’t often that his confident brother looked uncomfortable where a woman was concerned. “Oddly enough, she was just trying to defend you. She basically said that you tried to resist, but she was determined to override you.” As if realizing what he had said, Gray added, “Maybe
override
wasn’t a good word to use.”
Nick chuckled at Gray’s poor choice of words. Then, taking pity on him, he decided to change the subject. “I told Beth this morning that we were going to get married and find a house. That seemed to really piss her off.”
Grinning, Gray said, “Well, if you said it just like that I can’t imagine why she wasn’t jumping for joy. I’m constantly wondering why people think you are the smooth talker in the family.”
“What the hell is this, Pick on Nick Day? What should I have said, man? It’s not as if she was going to believe a big declaration of undying love. I care about her too much to lie to her. I don’t think either one of us saw this coming, but now that it has we need to make some plans.”
Gray studied him quietly for a few minutes before asking, “You do understand that you are going to be a father, right? I was expecting a different reaction from you this morning. Maybe more pacing, profanity, and less calm acceptance. You’ve realized that marriage means monogamy?”
“Yes, smart-ass, I do. Despite your high opinion of me, I can actually be faithful to one woman. I have never screwed around while I’ve been involved with someone and, believe me, the opportunity has presented itself more than once.”
“Being faithful for a few months is a lot different from a lifetime.” Gray held up a hand to silence his protests. “I’m just saying that you can be a father to this baby without getting married. I don’t want to see you and Beth trapped in a marriage that makes you both miserable. I know that you care about her, but make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. I almost messed up my whole life with this very thing, so I know what I’m talking about. I dodged a bullet, but if Beth is pregnant, then I damn well know that you are the father without question because Beth isn’t Reva.”
Nick felt his anger dissipate. He knew this was hitting a nerve with Gray and that he had his best interests at heart. He was just tired of first Beth and then Gray automatically counting him out. Why did everyone assume he would cut and run as soon as he found out? Was it a crime to have a long dating history? He had a demanding job that he excelled at and no one ever had to worry about him letting any of his business responsibilities slide. He never had to be told anything twice. He took the ball and ran with it every day. Granted, a baby was a hell of a lot more important than a job, but why did they automatically assume that he couldn’t handle it? One thing was for certain: He would show them that there was more to Nick Merimon than just a good roll in the sack. But the first person he needed to prove that to was Beth.
Chapter Seven
When Beth walked off the elevator, Ella was standing right there, as if waiting for her. The two had met when Beth had started working at Danvers, and the changes in Ella since their first meeting were nothing short of amazing. Ella had been raised by strict religious parents and
Similar Books
