His Best Man's Baby

by Lockwood, Tressie

  Tae didn’t try to respond. She knew Zerita was right. Leave it to her friend not to bite her tongue and to lay everything out the way it was. Why hadn’t she told Jax? Because it would mean he’d know his rights and stick around? Was she hoping for Daniel to be the daddy no matter what? She thought about her time with Jax and their grocery shopping. They had both been so ignorant but willing to learn. She admitted they had a lot of fun together, the way they had in the past, laughing together, taking nothing seriously. Her relationship with Daniel was different. Daniel cared for her like a delicate flower, and she loved him so much. What he had wanted in the past was happening now, although she hadn’t planned it.

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I do want what I threw away. I know you’re going to say what about Alise, and I’m trying to think about her, but I can’t. I hated her from the start.”

  “If you liked her, would it have made a difference?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Zerita appeared calmer. She sat down again and faced Tae. “Let’s look at it logically. If you tell Jax the truth, will things change between you?”

  “He might hate me for keeping it from him for so long.”

  “So?”

  Tae blinked at her.

  Zerita sighed. “You like the attention. You want both of them to want you. The fact is you never would have slept with Jax if you didn’t feel something for him. You’re not the type of woman who sleeps around and definitely not without some type of emotional tie. It’s not just physical pleasure with you.”

  Zerita knew her too damn well. Sometimes she wondered if her friend knew her better than she knew herself. “I don’t have feelings for Jax. I like him. He’s a lot of fun, and I see him trying. It’s sweet.”

  Zerita eyed her.

  “Fine. I’m attracted to him. That’s it. I’m not getting off on them both paying me attention. I don’t care what you say. It killed me to see them fighting. They’re like brothers, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “You should have considered that when you broke the unwritten code.” Zerita turned to her computer screen, and her fingers flew over the keys. “Tell him, Tae. He deserves it. If you end up with Daniel, that’s on the two of you, but you can’t block Jax from knowing about his baby. It’s not right, and you’ll never fully live with yourself if you don’t. Now get out of my office. If you need further counseling, the doctor is in after six, at home, and she accepts bottles of wine as payment.”

  Tae harrumphed. “I think the doctor needs to have her license revoked for extortion.”

  Zerita saluted, and Tae slipped her feet into her shoes and left the office. She returned to her cubicle in time to see her cell phone ringing. Speak of the devil, Jax’s name flashed on the screen. She slid her finger across the phone toward the X and set the phone aside. Then she brought up the document she’d been working on the day before. The article on preparing to see your ex was so interesting and entertaining, she’d had to read it several times just to edit rather than get lost in the advice and equate the examples to her own experience. When the phone beeped, she found Jax had left a message. Time to face the music.

  * * * *

  “Mm,” Tae moaned around a mouthful of beef curry. “This is so good.”

  Jax stared at her lips as she chewed. “I like the way you enjoy your food.”

  “Dirty mind.” She laughed.

  He shrugged. “I make no excuses. After all I brought you here because you wanted a break from the food we make together at home.”

  Her heart beat faster at the way he said it, as if they lived together. They didn’t, but he was at her apartment often enough, and they had looked up a ton of recipes online and learned to prepare them side by side. She had to give it to him. Jax made eating healthier more fun, and she hadn’t gained too much weight even though she was now four months pregnant. The changes in her body surprised her in the way she responded to them. She’d thought she would hate her belly growing and her breasts getting heavier. She didn’t. Jax and Daniel both had said she looked even more beautiful and that her skin glowed. Still, her reason for liking her body had nothing to do with what they thought.

  Tonight, she had brought Jax out to ONE-U, the Japanese restaurant she loved, in order to come clean. She had put it off for weeks after discussing the topic countless times with Zerita. No more. Tonight was the night.

  Thinking about her resolution produced butterflies in her belly, and she placed her chopsticks on the side of the plate. Jax paused in the act of eating his udon. “What’s wrong? Portion too big?”

  She examined the massive plate, filled with beef, rice, potatoes, onions, and other veggies. “It’s big, and I usually take some home, but I eat more than this.”

  “What’s up?” He reached across the table and touched her hand. A tremor passed through her fingers, and he gripped them in a strong hold. She dropped her gaze to her lap and saw the slight swelling to her belly. The base was now firm, and her ankles were sometimes swollen but not all the time. She took in a deep breath and looked up at him. As soon as she opened her mouth, he spoke again. “I know what will make you feel better.”

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  He bent toward the floor and brought up the paper bag he’d carried into the restaurant with them. Tae hadn’t known what to think of the package but was so nervous about her intention to tell him about the baby, she didn’t question him. Now he unraveled the brown paper bag and reached inside. He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned at her, making a big production about it. The next thing she knew he withdrew a colorful baby toy. Tae burst out laughing.

  “It’s…” she began. “What is it?”

  He pointed out the features of the caterpillar handle with various colored rings around its body and the musical notes on the front of the toy. “See? It’s like a radio. There’s an on and off switch and a volume control. It plays seven different tunes to drive you crazy when the baby plays them over and over.”

  Tae shook her head. “Aw, that’s so sweet. I can’t believe you bought that. The baby will love it, and you’re probably right. After a while I’ll want to toss it out the window.”

  Jax glared at her and held the toy protectively against his chest. “But you won’t, right, Mommy?”

  Something tightened in her chest. No, Daddy. “I won’t.”

  His cell phone rang. He held up a finger. “One second while I get rid of this call.”

  Tae almost fell over on the table, but she welcomed the interruption. Why was this a big deal? Maybe because she’d put it off and she feared Jax’s anger. They got along so well when he wasn’t arguing with Daniel about seeing her.

  “Jax here. Yeah, Frank, what’s up?” Jax paused, listening into his phone. He looked across at Tae and winked at her. Once again, her heart stirred, and she lowered her gaze to her plate. Jax continued talking, and she didn’t pay much attention until the tone of his voice changed. “Damn, you’re right. I can’t miss this opportunity. I’m on it.”

  He disconnected the call, and Tae sensed their night out had come to an end, but what surprised her was how disappointed she felt. “You have to go?”

  He nodded. “I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t go if I hadn’t been trying to catch up with this guy for a couple months. He knows someone has been on his trail—me. My friend just informed me of where he’s holed up, and I need to get there before he moves again.”

  “No problem. I understand.” She signaled for the waitress.

  “I’ll drop you home first,” he offered as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “Tae, can I come by later tonight?”

  She hesitated, but she needed to talk to him. “Yes, you can come. Don’t be too late.”

  “I promise. I won’t be.”

  By midnight, Jax hadn’t shown up, and Tae refused to call him. She went to bed cursing his name.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Tae, are you there?”

  She moaned and cracked an eye open to check the time. Six
a.m., way too early for Daniel to be calling her. Yawning, she considered sitting up and dismissed the idea. In a minute she’d tell him where to go and throw her cell phone across the room before going back to sleep.

  “You must be out of your mind calling me so early, Daniel Elliott.”

  “Tae, Jax has been shot.”

  Her stomach knotted so tight, she almost threw up. All sense of sleepiness left in an instant, and she jumped to her feet. The room swirled and then righted itself. This time her stomach somersaults were the result of morning sickness, but it quickly subsided, thank goodness. “Is he okay? What happened? Daniel, tell me he’s fine!”

  Daniel was silent a heartbeat, and she feared the worst. “He’s okay. I’m on my way to pick you up.”

  “I can drive myself. Which hospital?”

  “Huntersville.”

  “I’ll be there.” She disconnected the line and shot to the bathroom. Prayers that Jax would be okay ran through her mind over and over. She hadn’t told him she was having his baby. What if he died without knowing? No, she had to believe he would be all right. If it were critical, surely Daniel would have told her. Or maybe he didn’t want to scare her without being there in person. Don’t think that way, Tae. He’s got to be fine. Think positive.

  She dressed in record time and stuffed her feet into slippers when she couldn’t find her other sandal. Keys in hand and purse swinging behind her as she ran, she left the apartment. East Charlotte to Huntersville was a good twenty-five minutes with moderate traffic. At just after six in the morning, she had open roads, and she took advantage of them with her foot heavy on the accelerator. All the way, she prayed and begged for Jax. When she hurtled through the emergency-room doors, her throat dry and chest heaving, she scanned the waiting area for Daniel.

  He stood just outside the doors leading past triage and frowned at her when she ran up to him. “Calm down, Tae. Why are you dressed like that?”

  She ignored his question. “I want to see him.”

  Once again, Daniel seemed put out with her concern, but he nodded and glanced at the nurse who buzzed them to the back. Tae clung to Daniel’s arm, feeling unsteady and sick. Her belly ached, and it seemed like all the energy had been drained out of her. Pregnancy meant constant exhaustion, and losing sleep, even an hour, made it much worse. Right now, she didn’t matter. Jax did. If he were on the brink of death, by now surely Daniel would admit it before she went to see him, but he was unusually quiet. Maybe Jax being shot affected him more than it did her. Of course it did. They’ve been friends for years.

  Daniel thrust aside a curtain leading into one of the examining rooms, but the bed lay empty. He whirled to face the nurse’s station, his face a thundercloud, but a perky little nurse headed him off. “Oh, Daniel, your friend has been moved into a room on the second floor. If you’ll hold on a minute, I’ll get the exact number.”

  Tae stared after her as she headed to the station. “Daniel?” she said, pursing her lips.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I guess I was a little chatty when I was worried about that idiot.”

  “Just how long did you wait to call me?”

  His eyes were apologetic. “Not long. An artery was nicked, and there was a lot of blood…”

  Tae had already been feeling a bit queasy with the hospital smell of disinfectant and latex. Daniel’s talk of blood did not help. “I got it. Let’s go.”

  They reached Jax’s room at last, and seeing that it wasn’t located in the ICU gave her some relief. Jax lay in the bed with his eyes closed and his hands resting on his lap. A bandage stretched across his shoulder and down his right arm. His skin, usually tanned, glimmered pale under the LED lights.

  Tae sat gingerly on the side of the bed and took Jax’s hand in hers. “What happened?” she whispered.

  Jax’s eyes opened and captured her. He stared at her, and she looked back, silent and overcome with myriad emotions. After a few moments of him holding her prisoner, he released her and let his gaze lower to her chest. “Your shirt is on the wrong side.”

  Tae looked down and frowned. He was right. That’s why Daniel had asked why she was dressed that way. “I’m not here for a beauty pageant. I’m here to see why you would go and get yourself shot! How are you? What happened?”

  Jax smiled and shifted his position a little. His wince of pain made her do the same and squeeze his fingers. He rubbed her hand with his thumb as if to comfort her. “The guy I was looking for didn’t want to be found.”

  Tae trembled.

  “Shh, it’s fine. I got him before he got me.”

  “He did get you,” she blurted.

  “Only my shoulder. I’ll be good as new before you know it.”

  She tugged her hand free of his and turned away. “Stop being flip, Jax. You’re not invincible. This proves it, and your job is too dangerous. I don’t know what I would have done if you…”

  Daniel made a noise nearby. Tae looked up in time to see him disappearing through the doorway. “Going to find…” he said, pulling the door closed. She didn’t catch the last part he’d said. Jax touched her clenched fingers on her lap.

  “Tae, look at me.”

  A tear slid down her cheek. She sniffed and wiped it away. “You keep trying to be there for me, but how will you do that if you’re gone?” She couldn’t bring herself to say dead. Just the thought was too much, and realizing she cared about him threw her for a loop. She couldn’t call it love exactly, but Jax was a good man. He was special and important to her, more so to his son or daughter.

  “I said look at me.” The stern tone brought her chin up, but she met his slight smile. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

  “You didn’t keep your promise last night.”

  “Ouch, you’re harder on me than the bullet.”

  “So not funny.”

  “Sorry.” He touched her cheek. “Are you going to forgive me, or do I have to use my charms?”

  She rolled her eyes, looking him up and down, dressed in the hospital gown. “You think you can pull off a statement like that dressed the way you are? That gown won’t get you on the cover of GQ magazine.”

  “The nurses aren’t complaining.”

  She stood up.

  “Tae, marry me.”

  Her mouth fell open, but she lost the ability to move.

  “Give me a chance. I know I can make you happy, and I’ll be there to take care of you.”

  She rounded on him. “I don’t need to be taken care of, Jax. I’m a grown woman. Besides, you’re only here because I’m pregnant.”

  “Is that so wrong?”

  “No.”

  “The baby will have an easier time if he or she has both a mom and dad present.”

  She didn’t want or expect declarations of love from Jax, but damn, couldn’t he have pretended for a moment? Despite what she’d said about the hospital gown, he was sexy as hell. She just bet the nurses were falling all over themselves for him, just as that one nurse had done with Daniel downstairs. Jax would eat it up and flirt without reservation. Daniel hadn’t exactly denied flirting while he waited to know his friend was okay. “I’m not marrying anyone for that reason.”

  To her surprise, Jax frowned. “If Daniel asked you, you would say yes.”

  “Excuse me?” She put her hands on her hips. “Maybe you forgot he asked me three years ago, and I turned him down then.”

  “Things change.” He glanced at her swollen belly, and her heart sank. “Daniel still loves you. He’s proven that chasing after you. Maybe it’s time you give in.”

  “I’ll thank you not to make decisions for my life. Feel better.”

  She left the room and kept walking until she reached her car outside and drove back home. Let them comfort each other. She needed a break and sleep. When she’d called in to work to tell her boss she had a family emergency and should be in by ten, then was lying in bed drifting off to sleep, did the full impact of Jax’s proposal hit her. He had asked
her to marry him, and she’d blown it off like she received offers every day of the week!

  * * * *

  “Crud, I forgot the dressing,” Tae said as she set the huge bowl of tossed salad on the dining room table next to the platter of pulled beef.

  Daniel pushed his chair back and stood. “I’ll get it.”

  Jax made a gagging noise, and Daniel glared at him. Jax raised his eyebrows. “Is there a problem?”

  “Yeah, you,” Daniel snapped. “Why are you here?”

  Jax surged to his feet. “Why are you here? Don’t you have a wife?”

  Daniel didn’t even redden this time around. Tae guessed he was done being shamed. “The only reason you’re hanging around her is because you’ve always wanted what’s mine.”

  “When the fuck did she become yours?” Jax growled back.

  “Boys!” Tae had gone to get the dressing herself and slammed it down on the table. “Both of you are going to be outside hungry in a minute. Try me.”

  They lowered their gazes to the table in unison and muttered their apologies. Tae stroked her belly. She hadn’t meant for this to happen, her seeing both of them almost nightly, both running errands for her, shopping with her. Jax even rubbed her feet, but neither of the men were willing to give an inch. At least they hadn’t come to blows again, but she had to break up arguments too often.

  Jax pulled out a chair for her. “Here. Sit down. Let me finish whatever else you need done.”

  She took him up on the offer of a seat. Her feet ached. “I’m done. We have everything we need. I just don’t want you two fighting anymore tonight.” Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away, annoyed. They appeared too often lately. “Can you do that for me?”

  “Of course, baby,” Jax said. Before she realized what he would do, he kissed her lips. He drew back, a look of surprise on his face and glanced at Daniel. She did as well, but her ex-boyfriend’s face held no expression.

  “No more fighting tonight,” Daniel said.

  Tae rubbed a twinge in her side and then began serving the three of them. Daniel reached across the table and relieved her of the serving spoon. While he piled their plates with food, Jax poured himself and Daniel a glass of wine and her a glass of grape juice. She raised her glass to take a sip, watching them over the rim. Things had begun to change. She still loved Daniel without a doubt, but as she turned her gaze to Jax, she couldn’t deny wanting to keep him a part of her life. What did it mean? Was it just because of their connection with the baby?