Hosed (Happy Cat #1)(29)

I exhale slowly. “So it’s yours. That doesn’t mean you and Ginger have to be a couple. Lots of people raise kids together, but separately.”

His features stiffen and a familiar stubbornness flickers to life in his eyes. “Yeah, I know. But despite what the rest of you think, the black sheep of the family has a moral code, too, you know.”

“I never said you didn’t. And you’re not the black—”

“And I’m not about to bail on being there for my kid just because it hasn’t always been smooth sailing with Ginger,” he barrels on. “I don’t want to be an every-other-weekend parent. I want to be there full-time, every day, every night. I don’t want to be a stranger in my own baby’s life.”

Chest aching with a mixture of empathy and pride, I nod. “I get it. Point taken. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be a great father.”

Jace crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. “Right. Sure you do. Don’t lay it on too thick there, bro.”

“I’m not laying it on thick.” I rest a hand on his shoulder, waiting until he grudgingly meets my gaze before I say, “Seriously. You’ve got this. You work hard, you’ve got a good heart, and you’re a lot of fun when you’re not being a cranky bastard.”

His lips quirk. “Yeah, well…I’m working on that too. I told Ginger we have to go to therapy. Get a handle on our shit before the baby comes.”

My eyebrows shoot up so fast for a second I think I’ve popped a contact. And I don’t even wear contacts.

He laughs in response. “You should see your face. I wish I had a picture to show you the next time you tell me you’re good at poker.”

“I’m incredible at poker.”

My brother smirks. “And I’m the King of France.”

“Fine. You’re on. As soon as Dad and Mom get back from their cruise, it’s family poker night, my house. I’ll make the queso dip and you can bring a jar full of nickels for me to take off your hands.”

“I’m in,” Blake announces from behind me.

I turn to see my second to youngest brother—the only one of us with Mom’s green eyes—bounding up the porch steps, his white tee shirt and battered brown Carhartt work pants streaked with dirt. “I’ve been jonesing for a poker night.” He shoves a hand through his sun-streaked brown hair, which is past his shoulders and nearly as long as our mother’s too, and squints Jace’s way. “What’s up? You okay? I saw Ginger head out.”

“Jace can fill you in on the way.” I jab a thumb toward my truck. “I need your help. A dildo bomb exploded in downtown. I told Cassie we’d come help with clean-up.”

Blake’s lips curve into a shit-eating grin. “Cassie Sunderwell, huh? I heard you were out with her yesterday. Didn’t she used to hate you in high school?”

“Like it was her job,” Jace agrees, nudging me in the ribs. “But you know Ryan. Never met a woman he couldn’t smolder into a puddle at his feet.”

“I’m not smoldering at anyone,” I say, though I’ll admit a part of me likes the idea of Cassie in lust-puddle form because of my smoldering skills.

The other part of me, however, is still stuck on the Big Reveal.

I’ve never been with a virgin before, not even when I was one. Assuming Cassie decides she’s ready for the next step, do I have what it takes to make sure she doesn’t regret her choice? That I don’t regret it too? If Cassie and I are together, I don’t want just a fling until she heads back to California. Even two days ago, that might have been okay, but it isn’t now. She’s under my skin and it isn’t going to be easy to watch her walk away.

The responsible choice would be to part ways as friends before we make a mistake we can’t take back.

Instead, I grumble, “I like Cassie. A lot. So be on your best manners, okay? She’s already upset enough about all the Sunshine drama.”

Blake nods, his smile fading. “Of course. We won’t embarrass you, bro. At least I won’t. You know Jace has a hard time not saying stupid shit.”

“Is that right, smartass?” Jace launches into motion and Blake bolts for the truck with a laugh, proving some things never change.

But some things do.

If I take Cassie to bed, things between us are never going to be the same.

But so what? Some risks are worth taking and Cassie is worth this roll of the dice and so much more.





Fifteen





Cassie





* * *



Much like the farmers’ market the other night, Sunshine Square is once again full of people. Ryan was right—half the town turned out to help with clean-up.

The other half turned out to take pictures and protest Sunshine Toys.

I park Savannah’s bike against an old oak at the edge of the square and head toward Ruthie May, who’s already handing out job assignments and garbage bags. I do a double-take as I realize she’s standing under a birch strung with dildos tied to anal beads. It’s a Sexmas tree in June.

“Such a waste, throwing away all these perfectly good products,” she says. “But nobody wants to shop at a second-hand sex shop, no matter how much we clean and sanitize everything.”