Sweet Distraction: Stag Brothers Book 1

by Lainey Davis

  “Alice! Where the hell have you been? I’ve called you 100 times.”

  I look at my phone and notice that it’s still set to Do Not Disturb from when I went to sleep last night. “Oh, Tim. I’m sorry. I had it--”

  “Let’s go, Alice, we need to get your things.”

  “What are you talking ab--”

  He grabs my hand and snatches the keys from me, unlocking the front door. “You need to pack your things. I’ll have someone come to get them and move them for you.”

  “Tim, what the hell?” He looks stunned. “Have you even slept? Tim, I’m concerned about you right now.”

  He shakes his head. “No, Alice, I haven’t, but it’s fine. I figured it all out.”

  He launches into some convoluted explanation that evidently involves me quitting my job, moving into his apartment and--”Wait. Tim, did you just say marriage?”

  “Of course.” He looks at me like I’ve got spinach in my teeth. “We have to get married. My child will be a Stag.”

  “Tim, we don’t need to get married for the baby to have your last name. But this is besides the point. Everything you’re saying is just...it’s too much right now.”

  “Alice, if you think for one minute that I’m going to live separately from my child and his mother, you are gravely mistaken.”

  I shake my head. “Tim, just wait.”

  He looks manic. “I’ve made some calls. You’ll be seeing the best obstetrician in the tri-state area and we’ll schedule your delivery the day after the due date. Everything will be safe and controlled, Alice. Especially once you stop working. You can focus on the baby and staying healthy!”

  I blink my eyes, not wanting this to be really happening. “Timber Stag, if you think for one minute I’m moving into that sterile wasteland you call a home you are out of your damn mind. And quit my job? Really? To be what? Barefoot and pregnant at your house? What makes you think I even want to be with you if this is how you really feel about raising babies?!”

  I didn’t really mean to say that, because of course I want to be with Tim. But Tim as he’s been the past few weeks. Not this maniacal, safety-obsessed madman with bloodshot eyes. How is he going to respond to late night wakeups if just knowing about the baby has him insisting I quit my job?

  My words have cut him. I can tell. “Look, Tim, we both need to cool down and think here.”

  “You don’t want to be with me?” His voice wavers and I can tell this is not something he had considered as part of his “master plan.” “But it’s my baby, too...it’s my baby, Alice. I have to keep the baby safe.”

  “Tim, you’ve had a shock and you’re exhausted. You need to shower and sleep. I’d like you to leave now and go do those things. We can talk tomorrow.” He lunges for me, and I duck past him into the house. I have no idea how he’s going to respond right now. “You should call Joe to drive you,” I shout through the open window. “You shouldn’t drive like this.”

  “ALICE!” he pounds on the front door. “Let me in right now.” I close the window and sit on the couch, clutching my shopping bag to my chest. This is just not how I ever imagined starting a family. This isn’t what happened when my sister got pregnant. I screw my eyes shut tight. She was married and had been with Doug for three years I remind myself. Tim persists. “Alice! You cannot do this. It’s my baby, too, God damn it!”

  When I open my eyes, my Dad and brother are standing in the kitchen. They must have come in the back door together. “Alice, pumpkin, want to tell me what’s going on before I call the cops on this guy?”

  Twenty-Six

  TIM

  A fter Alice’s brothers chased me off their property and threatened me with a PFA, I wandered the park until dark. And then I couldn’t figure out what to do next, so I sat down next to the fountain to watch fireflies. I have no idea what time it is. My phone is in my car, double parked where I screeched to a halt outside the Peterson house.

  I hear someone approaching, but don’t look up. The massive forms of my brothers come into my line of vision, and I grunt by way of greeting when they sink down into the grass next to me. “Been looking for you, bro,” Thatcher says. “Gran is beside herself. You were supposed to take her to dinner today.”

  Shit. What day is it? “Is today Tuesday?” I look from one brother to the other. “How did you find me?”

  Ty slaps a hand on my leg. “Listen, Timber. Juniper told me what happened during the Cavs meeting, and then she told me you holed yourself up in your office covered in blood, and then she told me you tore out of there muttering to yourself about some plan of action.”

  “Why the hell is Juniper calling you with that information?”

  Ty lets out a long breath. “She’s my lawyer and she’s worried about you and she knows I’m your brother, dude. And we all know you’ve been fucking Alice Peterson. And I know your car is parked half-assed in front of her driveway because I went over there to move it for them.” I close my eyes, but Ty keeps talking. “AND we know her family thinks you’re a fucking lunatic. Thatch, does that cover everything?”

  Thatcher grabs hold of my other leg. “Almost, baby bro. I believe the Petersons said something about a shotgun, owing to the fact that our brother Timber seems to have gotten Alice Peterson pregnant.”

  “Right.” Ty starts talking again. “So. Talk to us, bro, and then we’re taking you home to get cleaned up.”

  Thatcher hands me a bottle of water, and I suck it down gratefully. And then I tell them all of it, starting with my inability to stay away from Alice since the first second I saw her. I tell them how she has consumed my thoughts, how good it felt to have her at my apartment. How terrified I’ve felt since the minute the doctor said she was pregnant and I realized it was my fault.

  Thatcher puts his arm around my shoulder. “Tim,” he says. “You’ve been on watch for a long time, man.”

  “On watch?”

  “Yeah. On watch. Watching out for us, day and night, around the clock. Since mom died. But from what I’ve seen and from what you’re saying, it sounds like Alice helps you let your guard down.” I nod. “It’s ok to let your guard down, Tim-bo. You know that, right? You don’t have to be the one in control all the time…”

  And then we sit in silence for awhile until they help me to my feet. Ty climbs into the driver seat of my car and I start to protest, but they push me into the back seat. I fall asleep and don’t wake up until we pull into the garage in my building. My brothers walk me into my apartment. It really is a sterile, empty shell, just like Alice said. Thatcher procures a six-pack and my brothers camp out on my couch while I shower. I don’t even like being in my fancy shower without Alice. Nothing feels right. I’m worried I fucked everything up with her and she won’t ever come back.

  I walk to the living room after I shower. Ty hands me a beer and looks at his watch. “We keeping you from something, Tyrion?” Thatcher doesn’t let anything slip by.

  Ty shrugs and looks around my apartment. “This place sucks, Tim.”

  I frown. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Do you even live here? There’s, like, nothing here. Just furniture.”

  “I’ve got pictures of you clowns,” I say, pointing to the wall across from us. But he’s right. That’s the only personal touch in the whole place. I really don’t spend much time here, and once I took Alice's bag to her house, all the little things she had set around this weekend were gone, too. I take a long swig of my beer. “I fucked up, guys.”

  Thatcher doesn’t look away from the TV. “We know, bro.”

  We sit in silence for awhile and eventually I fall asleep. I wake up to the sun streaming in the windows.

  Alone.

  Twenty-Seven

  ALICE

  A fter I finish hurling up my breakfast, I take a deep breath and head into work. I try to arrive before everyone, but there’s a stream of well-wishers coming into the kitchen. Everyone has heard what happened by now and wants to check on me. I know they care, but it
makes me feel a little like a freakshow as they ask about my black eye. The bruise from my forehead has sunk down so my whole cheek is purple and green. There’s no hiding it.

  So far, Juniper has helped me spread the story that I was so focused about catering the Cavs meeting that I didn’t eat or drink anything. It was a really hot day Monday. Nobody has trouble believing I passed out from dehydration. I make sure to keep a huge glass of lemon water nearby at all times. Lemon is about the only thing I can consistently keep down. Whatever else this baby is, he or she most certainly is not interested in food. Definitely doesn’t take after me, I think.

  Once the first big wave of Stag Law employees heads back to their offices, Juniper hangs around in the kitchen. She bites her lip and looks at me. “Want to go get some coffee and talk?” she asks. “I thought about calling you yesterday, but wanted to give you some space.”

  I exhale deeply and nod. It will feel good to talk to Juniper. We head toward the elevator together. There’s a coffee shop across the street, and I try ordering mint tea. Juniper and I grab a table near the back and as soon as we sit, she says, “Look, I know there’s something more going on with you and Tim. And I want to be someone you can trust to talk about that.” I open my mouth to speak and she holds up a hand. “I want to prove that you can trust me, because I need a friend to talk to about something, too. So I’m just going to tell you--I’m sleeping with Ty.”

  My jaw drops. “Ty Stag?”

  She nods and takes a long sip of her drink. “It started before I even knew him. I needed to move on from...well, I needed to get laid, and I picked him up in a club. I had no idea who he was. You should have seen my face when Tim said he wanted me to represent his brother, and his brother ended up being that nameless guy I fucked in a bar bathroom.”

  “A bathroom? You? Jeeze, Juniper. This is all...well I’m really surprised.”

  She raises an eyebrow at me. “You know more than anyone how irresistible the Brothers Stag can be, right?” We share a laugh. “So tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help? Or just be a friend at least. I’m new to this city, and there aren’t enough women at work.”

  She’s right about that, which I remember she had planned to speak with Tim about last time I talked to her. “I slept with Tim during one of Ty’s hockey games,” I tell her and brave a sip of the mint tea. My stomach seems to accept it gratefully.

  “Oh my god, Alice! The first playoff game where the whole office came to watch! I remember you snuck off for a ‘tour’ of the arena!” She laughs. “So this has been going on for awhile.”

  I tell her how at first we were just infatuated, how we both thought we could get it out of our system. “But then, I don’t know. It just started to feel like more. He really opens up to me, and I really like how that feels.”

  Apparently things are going the same for Juniper and Ty. It sounds like her feelings for him are stronger than she’s even admitting. For a brief minute, I let myself fantasize about us being sisters. Then a wave of nausea washes over me and I cram a crumpled napkin against my mouth.

  She starts pushing a drink stirrer around in her empty cup, then says, “So look, Alice, I care about you and I care about Tim. He’s a good boss and a good guy. I just want you to know that you can talk to me. Because it sure seems like the other day was about more than a bumped head and dehydration.”

  I bite my lower lip and nod, not trusting myself to talk without crying. I haven’t actually said the words myself yet. Even the nurse on the phone at the midwifery practice had access to my medical records from the emergency room when my sister made the referral. But if Juniper is in a relationship with Ty, she’s going to find out soon. I’m sure Tim talked to his brothers about what’s going on. Or at least I hope that he did. Juniper looks at me expectantly, and I figure everyone is going to know soon enough, anyway. At least I’ll have an ally when I have to run off and hurl while I’m serving lunch. My voice is barely above a whisper, and I tell her, “I’m pregnant.”

  Juniper breaks into a wide smile. “Alice! That’s so exciting! I mean, I guess it must be a shock for you. But I was afraid you had cancer or something. Seriously, this is the best news!” And then she’s run around the table to hug me. To my surprise, I let her, and it feels really good to have a friend like her around. I tell her a little bit about Tim’s breakdown. She doesn’t seem surprised, telling me how he wouldn’t come out of his office until he stormed out of the building. She apparently called Ty and he came to get Tim’s car from outside of my house.

  By the time we walk back up to the office I’m feeling ready to forgive Tim for freaking out--he’d had a shock, after all. Now seems as good a time to go talk to him as any, and Donna gives me a warm smile as I approach the executive office. “Is he in, Donna?”

  “He is! Do you want me to buzz him for you? He’s just reading over some contracts that arrived this morning from Cleveland.”

  “No, Donna, that’s ok. I’m just going to go in and...thank him...for helping me on Monday.” She nods and returns to her computer screen as I push open the door.

  Tim’s desk is covered with papers, and he’s turned to face out the window. He stares out at the river below, looking peaceful and contemplative. I gently clear my throat and he spins around to face me. “Alice,” he says, his voice quiet and questioning.

  “Can we talk?”

  Twenty-Eight

  TIM

  A lice offers me an opportunity to explain my behavior, which, given the way I yelled at her and pounded on her door, seems like more than I maybe deserve right away. “I’m so frightened, Alice.”

  She walks around the desk and reaches for me. I rise to hug her, and as soon as I have my arms around her, I feel so much better. She’s solid and real and as I hold her, I begin to think that maybe this can eventually be ok. “I’m here, Tim,” she whispers. “I’m scared, too.” She starts to cry softly against my chest and I stroke her hair.

  We hold each other like this for awhile until Alice says, “I know we have a lot to talk about, but I’d like it if you came with me for my first prenatal appointment later today.”

  “Of course! Alice, I want to be at every appointment. You need to understand that this is my top priority. You are my top priority. That’s why I panicked the other day.”

  She squeezes my hand. “Tim, I know you panicked. But you have to know that there aren’t going to be one-sided decisions here. You’re not, like, the king who hands out the laws for me to obey.”

  “I know that, Alice. I know. God, I’m such a fool.” I pound my fist against the desk, stirring the papers. I turn to the window again, looking out at the river. “I don’t know what the hell to do, Alice.”

  “Do you have to decide today? Can you talk to me, Tim? What are you thinking about right now?”

  I gesture to my desk. “This...Cleveland...the Cavs. I’ve been chasing this client for almost a year, Alice. A year. This is a signed retainer contract and right now I don’t feel like I can accept it.” She sits and I explain how I don’t want the travel anymore. I don’t want to spend half the week heading to Cleveland and miss ultrasounds or birthing classes. I want to assemble the crib and just be present. “Alice, I want to be all in for this.”

  “Tim, neither of us has to give up our dreams because I’m pregnant. You know it’s not just the two of us, right? Like, you understand that my family is going to be very, very involved in this baby’s life? That’s not negotiable for me. And I’d really like Baby Stag to have some Uncle Stags around, too.”

  Fuck me. Uncle Stag. I hadn’t even thought about my family’s response. I try to imagine Thatcher holding a baby and realize I can’t even picture myself holding a baby. Alice stands up. “One day at a time, ok? Just meet me in the lobby at 2 to head over to my appointment.” She walks out of my office and I can tell this round of Deep Discussion is over.

  After lunch, where I try not to bother Alice in her element, I call for Joe. I realize I’m not sure where we are heading exa
ctly, so I tell him to hold tight on our destination. She stands by the elevator waiting. I don’t even stop to think about it, but I walk right up and kiss her on the cheek. She blushes and looks around to see if anyone is watching. “I don’t care who sees, Alice. Things are different now.”

  We ride down to the lobby in companionable silence and Joe is parked right out front with the town car. “Where to, Miss Peterson?” She smiles at him and fires off an address I don’t recognize.

  A short ride later, Joe pulls up beside some nondescript building near an industrial complex. There’s murals of women painted all over the outside. Alice climbs out of the car and walks toward the door. I follow, skeptical. “Alice, what the hell is this? Did you cancel the appointment I made with the obstetrician?”

  She turns to face me. “Tim. First of all, you never graced me with the name of this fancy obstetrician you keep talking about. And second, I told you. No unilateral decisions. I’d like you to come and meet the midwives who worked with my mother and sister.”

  I follow her up the stairs, past the wall of photographs of babies and their half-naked mothers. Midwives? “Tim!” she shouts at me and I catch up to where she’s signing in at the registration desk. This isn’t going well.

  The receptionist smiles at me. “Congratulations, Dad! We’ve got paperwork for you, too. Just your basic family history stuff.” She slides me a clipboard. I start sweating. Alice plunks down on an armchair. This place looks like someone’s living room. I walk over to her. “Alice, I really would prefer a medical provider.”

  She doesn’t look up at me. She starts scratching away at her forms until a woman comes out the doorway. She has gray hair tied back in a loose ponytail. “Welcome to the Midwife Center, Alice!” First names? She’s not even wearing scrubs. I really want to drag Alice out of here, but she grabs my arm and pulls me over. “And this must be Timber. Right?”