“You heard me.”
“Why the fuck would you get her pregnant if you had doubts about marrying her? That’s what condoms are for.”
“We used them. Every time.”
I was missing large pieces to be able to complete this picture. “Okay, so you knocked her up. That doesn’t mean you have to marry her.”
“You don’t get it.”
Well, duh!
My patience was wearing thin. “Spell it out for me.”
“I realized a couple of months ago I’d made a mistake. I tried to be mature about it and talk to her. Needless to say, it wasn’t well received.”
“Yeah, chicks don’t dig being dumped.”
“I wasn’t trying to break up with her. Just postpone the wedding for a while.”
“So why was that a problem?”
“It wasn’t as monumental then as it is now.”
At this rate, he’d be married with kids by the time I figured out the heart of the matter. “Beau, could you tell me what you’re up against so we can figure out how to get you out of it?”
“I lose my trust fund if I get a girl pregnant that I’m not married to.” Well, shit, that complicated things. “I could deal with that part, even though it would suck. But when we started planning the wedding, her parents insisted on a prenup.” He let out a heavy sigh and sat on the edge of the bed. “In that contract—and it’s definitely a legally binding contract—I agreed to pay for any expenses incurred for the wedding if it didn’t take place through any fault of my own.”
That couldn’t be cheap. “How much are you talking about?”
“At this point, roughly a quarter of a million dollars.”
If I’d had anything in my mouth, I would have spat it all over the floor. “For a wedding?”
“Her dress was more than my first car, Lee.”
I couldn’t fathom that kind of wasteful spending. “Okay. Is that it? When did you find out about the baby? Is that why you decided to wait?”
“She didn’t tell me she was pregnant until I told her I wanted to call things off.”
“Are you even sure there is a baby?” I hated shady bitches. They’d lie when the truth would do better.
“Why would she lie about being pregnant?”
There was no possible way Beau was that naïve. “Umm…does she know about your trust fund?”
“Of course. That’s why we always used condoms in addition to her being on the Pill.”
“And you don’t think there’s something a tad off about a girl being dumped and suddenly turning up pregnant, knowing what kind of impact it would have on you…forever?”
“She’s not like that, Lee.”
“Open your eyes, dude. She’s trying to trap you. Birth control and condoms? That’s like a bazillion-to-one odds, and your association with her alone says you’re not that lucky. Who knows about all this?”
“Just my mom.”
“And she’s just standing by while it happens?” Miffed. I was totally miffed. “Why haven’t you told your dad?”
“My mom took the prenup to her lawyer to see if there were any loopholes. She didn’t think we should tell my dad since I’d lose my trust fund. Even if I end up marrying her, my grandfather wrote it to prevent his grandsons from making stupid decisions that might derail their lives. If anyone finds out she’s pregnant, it’s gone.”
“So your dad doesn’t know?”
He shook his head.
“What did the lawyer say?”
“To marry her and file for divorce a year later.” He had resigned himself to this fate.
I’d be puking my guts up in the bathroom facing the fact that I’d just lost millions to get laid. There was no way in hell I’d take it lying down, and I didn’t care what it cost me, I’d kick her ass to the curb.
“That was his advice? What kind of quack tells a guy to get married with plans to divorce a year later?”
“Josten White.” There was part of the problem. “It covers all the bases and prevents me from paying alimony. I don’t even want to consider what child support would be.” He finally made eye contact—I’d never seen shame on Beau’s face, and I hoped like hell I never did again. “If we get married without anyone finding out about the baby, then my trust fund stays intact. After a year, I’m no longer obligated to repay the wedding expenses. We won’t have been married long enough for her to get any type of spousal support or access to my grandfather’s money, but I’m pretty sure she’ll take the baby and move back to New Jersey to be near her family.”
“Have you shared this plan with her?”
He eyed me like I was crazy for asking. “Hell no.”
“Beau, a year is a long time to spend with someone you resent and will eventually hate.”
We sat in silence for longer than I cared to admit. The air was thick with tension, making it hard to breathe. I loosened the bowtie threatening to strangle me and tried to think through this. “What if there’s no baby?”
“I’ve seen the pregnancy test, Lee. She’s pregnant.”
“Did you actually see her take it?”
“No, of course not. Felicity showed it to me when she came to my apartment to tell me.”
“You said you were only obligated to repay the wedding costs if the wedding didn’t take place because of you, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“I think you could argue that lying about pregnancy to continue the wedding planning would be her fault. Not yours. I’m no lawyer, but I couldn’t imagine any court forcing you to pay for a wedding you tried to stop before the expenses got out of hand.”
“There’s no way to prove it. Plus, what if she is pregnant and it’s not mine. Then I’m still on the hook.”
This place was like a sauna. “Do you care if I open the window?”
Beau shook his head with a confused look as if to say, “Like I give a fuck about the window right now.” He also didn’t have on seventeen layers of polyester in fucking June in Georgia.
“Make her take a pregnancy test. We can stop by the drugstore on the way to the church. If she’s not pregnant, you and your mom can have a heart to heart with her and her parents. I don’t see Ryland taking this one sitting down.” Ryland was Beau’s dad. He could be a hard-nosed son of a bitch when he needed to be.
“I can’t just show up at the church, force her into a bathroom stall, make her flip her fucking Cinderella dress up into her painted face, and take a leak on a stick. Come on, Lee. Think this through.”
“I am. I’m doing what you should have done months ago when this shitstorm started brewing. What do you have to lose? You don’t want to marry her, anyhow, so who cares if you piss her off before the wedding? Worst-case scenario, you still have to marry her and spend the next twelve months in exile or hiding out in a bar.”
“You’re a dick. No wonder you’ve never had a girlfriend.”
“Whatever. I’ve never had anyone corner my ass into marrying them, either.” I was a smug prick, but I didn’t give a shit. Someone needed to set this straight. Either Beau could do it, or I would do it for him.
He licked his lips, ran his fingers through his hair, and the red spots on his cheeks and neck lightened. Beau was coming back to life—hopefully, to fight.
“Just know, if this goes south, I’m moving in with you.”
“You’ll have to share a bed with Masyn. I’m not giving up my room.”
Out of nowhere, he smiled.
Chapter Five
It didn’t matter how many years passed or where the two of us lived, nothing ever changed. I’d never had a hard time convincing Beau to do things my way…which was probably why he hadn’t wanted to tell me about any of this. I had no problems playing dirty when the deck was stacked, and it was most certainly stacked in Felicity’s favor.
“Why the hell are there so many to pick from?”
“Keep your voice down.” With my head bowed, I glanced around to see if anyone was around. “Two guys should never
buy a pregnancy test together. Just get that one.” I pointed to the box that showed a digital test window. There’d be no mistaking one or two lines. It would either be a yes or no. It was also the most expensive, so I assumed it was accurate.
“Should I get a couple?”
Like I knew. “Sure. That way, she can prove over and over what a liar she is. It’ll be great. Get one for each member of the family she’s fucked over, too—including yours. Kind of like memorabilia.”
“You’re an ass.”
Only when someone threatened a person I loved. A deep laugh rolled through me and shook my shoulders when he picked up nine boxes: one for each of the four parents, the bride, the groom, Peyton, Braden, and Bodie. I was sure we were quite the sight in our tuxes—Beau had gotten dressed just in case this backfired and he still had to marry Felicity—on aisle four in the family planning section. There wasn’t a soul in this store that hadn’t known us since childhood, and the rumor mills would start churning out stories before we even got back in my truck. I wondered which one of us would get the honor of carrying the love child we’d be having by the end of the day.
Nancy had run the register at Wilson’s drugstore since the dawn of time. “Hello, boys.” There was a gleam in her eyes and a smirk on her lip. “Do I even want to ask what you’re up to now?”
“Probably not.” I winked at her and pondered whether or not to tell her they were gifts for the groomsmen, but I decided against it. Mystery was always more fun.
She blushed and bagged the pregnancy tests. Beau paid for them, and we said goodbye.
“Wonder what tale she’ll tell Allison once we get in the truck.” I clicked the alarm button on my key fob and opened my door.
“Allison’s an old prude who stocks shelves in a small-town drugstore. I can’t imagine she even knows how pregnancy occurs.” Wilson’s needed to hire some new staff.
Once we were both in the cab, it was easy to see that Beau struggled with what he was about to do. Sweat formed along his hairline, and he kept tugging at the collar of his heavily starched shirt. The bow tie was slung around his neck, although he hadn’t bothered to tie it.
“You’re doing the right thing.”
“Remind me of that when the yelling starts.” He stared straight ahead as I drove toward the church. “And again when I’m running up thousands of dollars in legal fees trying to get out of this.”
“I’ll always be there. Next time, don’t wait so long to tell me you need backup.”
“Do you have any idea how embarrassing all of this is?”
“Nah, but I’m sure it’s going to be even worse for her and her family in about thirty minutes.”
It took thirty-three minutes, but only because Felicity still wasn’t at the church when we got there. Peyton called her sister—at my request—and insisted she get there immediately. Maybe Masyn was right. It was possible Peyton might be interested in me. Right now, I’d use that to my advantage. Bros before hoes.
Peyton had fetched Masyn from the dressing room to come wait in the hall with Beau and me. The moment Masyn saw Beau, she knew it was bad and nearly tackled him with a hug. But she didn’t ask what was going on or pull me aside to get the scoop. In true Masyn style, she leaned against the wall between us with her foot propped up behind her and just showed her support. She didn’t have to know the details. All she cared about was standing united. We’d been a force to reckon with for years, and today was no different.
Peyton, on the other hand, tried countless times to wrangle information free. The poor girl knew her sister was about to be creamed. I didn’t get the impression she wanted to defend Felicity’s honor, more like prepare for the fallout. I left that to Beau. If he wanted to share, that was up to him. My lips were sealed.
It was clear when Felicity came stomping down the hall that she wasn’t aware of just how close all of her attendants actually were. Masyn, Beau, and I had grown up in this church. Felicity had only been in it once—last night. Behind these thin walls were her other twelve attendants, her mother, aunts and cousins, junior bridesmaids, and flower girls…not to mention hair and makeup people. The walls were paper thin, and she was airing her dirty laundry to the world by not keeping her voice down. None of us bothered to warn her, either. If it wouldn’t have been tacky or cost us more time, I would have ran home to pop some popcorn and sit back for the show.
“What was so urgent that I had to race down here? The wedding doesn’t start for hours, Peyton.”
Peyton stepped aside without saying a word to allow Felicity to see me, then Masyn, and finally Beau.
The bride rolled her eyes. “What? Is this some initiation into the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?”
Beau pulled the bag of tests out from behind his back. “Yeah, and to get in, you have to pass a test.” He extended the hand holding the plastic bag for her to take.
“What’s this? I don’t have time for games, Beau.” She looked at Peyton for an answer, and when she got nothing, she peered inside. I’d never actually witnessed steam come out of anyone’s ears like it did in cartoons, but Felicity came close to being the first. “Are you kidding me?”
Beau’s lips stretched into a thin line just before he rolled them into his mouth and popped the P in “Nope.”
She closed the sack and tried to force it back. “I’ve already taken a test. You saw it.”
He refused to take it and pushed it toward her. “Then you won’t mind taking a few more. You’ll be in and out in five, six minutes tops. Just pee in one cup, and I’ll dip each one of the tests for you. You don’t even have to wait for the results if you’re so certain. Think of this as an early wedding present for me.”
“I’ve never been so insulted in all my life. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, Beau, but it’s tasteless and ill-timed.”
“So was a pregnancy when I tried to put the brakes on things.” There was zero emotion on his face…unless I took the freaky, red spots into account.
“Do you have any idea what you’re stirring up here?” Her voice escalated the further this went. “Or what you stand to lose?” Her smug indignation only served to piss me off.
“I’d say marrying you would be the worst fate he could suffer. Anything else is manageable.” I hoped like hell I was right about this girl; otherwise, I’d just alienated my best friend for at least a year. I wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near their house, and I could pretty well guarantee she wouldn’t be visiting Harden anytime soon.
“Your jealousy is almost as hideous as your little girlfriend.”
Catty bitch. Masyn hadn’t said a word. There was no reason for Felicity to lash out at her. Before I could get in her face, Beau stepped in.
“Cut the crap, Felicity. Either the two of us head into the bathroom, or I’ll go get your parents, and they can be a part of this family gathering, too.”
It was like the mention of them conjured her mother to the door, or it could have been the walls that lacked proper insulation and soundproofing. “We can hear every word that’s said inside. And Felicity, I do not like your tone. What is going on out here?” She waited for an answer none of us were going to provide.
“Nothing, Mother.” She was like a damn chameleon. That girl could change colors faster than I could name them. She’d gone from red with anger, to green with jealousy, to a calm blue to appease her mom.
Mrs. Holstein made eye contact with each of us and then jerked her head to indicate Peyton needed to return to her side. Felicity took that as her escape and grabbed the bag from Beau the second the door closed and her mother and sister disappeared.
“You’re going to regret this. All of you,” she hissed over her shoulder. If she’d been close enough, I was pretty sure we would have all felt the spittle I saw fly from her mouth.
Idle threats. Beau might be scared of her, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass what this girl thought of me, or Masyn for that matter. We were less than ten minutes away from escorting her out of Beau’s life. I hated that her
sister might somehow be implicated since she’d helped get her here, but Peyton joined in without any persuasion on my part.
Beau pushed off the wall and led his bride-to-be to the bathroom. I prayed to God I hadn’t led him down the wrong path. If she were pregnant, things would get infinitely worse for him. And there was no chance in hell he’d ever leave her and risk his child growing up without a father. He’d suck it up and do whatever he had to do, including leave me—and Harden—behind.
Once they were both out of sight, Masyn turned to me. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”
“It’s probably better you don’t know.”
“Stop trying to protect me. I’m already in Felicity’s crosshairs.” Gotta love a girl who hunts.
“He tried to postpone the wedding.”
“And that led them to the bathroom…how?” Only Masyn wouldn’t have put the pieces together by now. Even as jaded as she was toward men, she still failed to recognize how deceptive women could be.
“She told him she was pregnant.”
Masyn grabbed my arm, and the alarm on her face nearly scared me. “You have to stop him. If she takes that test and she is pregnant, he’ll lose his trust fund.” She shook me by the bicep with all her strength while I just looked down in confusion.
“How the hell did you know that?”
“We are in a church. Stop swearing!” Her command came through clenched teeth. Her fists were tight at her sides, and I waited for her to stomp her feet to make her point.
“Stop with the tantrum, Masyn, and answer the question.”
She shook her hands at her sides, and her eyes went wide. The crinkle of her brow always made my chest swell and my heart beat faster. “How did you not know? All the talk about safe sex and him handing out condoms like they were wet wipes. Don’t you ever question anything?”
I was living in an alternate universe. “Not when it’s useless information. And I never took condoms from Beau.” It appeared I knew far less about these two than I could have imagined.
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