Well Suited (Red Lipstick Coalition #4)(11)

“And God help us all if she figures out she’s too good for me.” He sat in an armchair, draped regally on the article of furniture, effectively turning it into a throne. “I need to know how this went down and why the fuck you didn’t tell me.”

With a sigh, I sat on the couch, leaning to rest my elbows on my knees. “I’m not sure how it went down. She said I smelled good, talked about pheromones. It was the hottest, strangest pickup I’d ever been subjected to. We went back to her place, and I spent the night. And in the morning, she informed me that it was a one-time thing and asked me not to tell anyone. I’ve been hounding her ever since, but she hasn’t returned a single call or text. The last thing I thought I’d find when I opened my door was her. And the last thing I thought she’d say was what she said.”

Tommy shook his head. “A baby. You’re having a baby.”

“Technically, she is,” I said, repeating her observation. “But yeah. A baby.”

“You’re gonna be a dad,” he noted quietly.

For a moment, we sat under the silent weight of that word. Dad. Father. Something we had never known and had no context for. Something we had always wanted and could never have. And now, I had to fill that role as best I could with nothing to guide me but the idea of what a father should be.

I wouldn’t fail. I wouldn’t let either of them down.

My hand moved to my lips, scrubbed my jaw. “There’s more,” I admitted.

His head tilted curiously.

I drew a thick breath and let it out. “I like her.”

His eyebrow rose, just one.

“I don’t know what it was or how it happened. But something happened. Five weeks, she’s been avoiding me. Five weeks, I’ve thought of nothing but her. Last week, Ashley Fairview practically unbuckled my pants in a meeting, and I was completely uninterested. I think Kate broke me.”

Now it was disbelief, written all over his face in black Sharpie. “You’ve been trying to get Ash to pay attention to you for years.”

“It’s like she could smell that I was off the market. I didn’t even realize it myself.”

“And I don’t know how you’re getting away with calling her Kate, but kudos. Though pissing her off probably won’t help your cause.”

“It’s because the girl I took home was no Katherine. I don’t know how to explain it, Tommy. She was just…different. Softer. Lighter. And anyway, I think she doesn’t mind Kate as much as she lets on.”

“Well, she calls you Theodore. Ma doesn’t even call you Theodore.”

I huffed a laugh. “I’ll take Theodore over Teddy.”

Tommy watched me, puzzled and amused. “The last guy who called you Theodore caught a fat lip.”

“I dunno what to tell you, Tommy. I think I like it.”

“Man,” he said with the shake of his head, “you really do like her.”

“I know. And now…now she’s…God, I can’t even say it.” I cupped a hand over my eyes and squeezed, pressing my temples, looking for relief. “I’ve gotta figure out how to get her to move in.”

“She’s a loner, Theo. She needs space, quiet. Boundaries. You really think her living here is a good idea?”

“She’s carrying my baby. Yeah, I think her living here is a good idea. I think it’s the only idea. I want to know her, and I want her to trust me. I want her to stay, because if she doesn’t or if she changes her mind…if she leaves? I don’t want to lose the chance to father my child. And I don’t want to miss the opportunity to be with Kate.”

That eyebrow, which had returned to its resting state, spiked again. “You’re gonna trap her into a relationship with a pregnancy? How modern.”

“A what?” came a sleepy voice from behind me.

Tommy sighed but didn’t say anything. I turned to find our mom shuffling into the room.

My heart climbed up my throat and lodged there.

“Have a good nap, Ma?” I asked, hedging.

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, blinking slow as she rounded the couch. “Did I hear someone say pregnant? One of Amelia’s friends?”

Tommy and I exchanged a look.

“Yeah,” he answered.

I swallowed.

“Which one? The tall one, the curvy one, or the strict one?”

Tommy’s smile tilted up on one side. “The strict one.”

I shot daggers at him.

“Ha, how about that?” she said as she settled into the couch.

“Ma,” I started softly, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

At that, she chuckled. “Don’t tell me it’s yours.”

My throat clamped shut. Tommy’s smirk rose. Ma’s face fell.

“Teddy,” she warned gently, “I am not as healthy as I used to be. Please don’t give your ma a heart attack.”

I took her hand in mine, feeling the tremor through every bone in my fingers. “We got together once, a few weeks ago. She was just here to tell me the news.”

Her eyes widened, her free hand moving to her lips. For a moment, I watched her as her eyes filled with tears. Her lips were hidden behind her fingers, her face pinched with emotion.

Dread crept over me.