“Wow.” I stood, already jerkily removing my clothes. “That was easy.”
“Yeah, well.” She lifted a shoulder. “I know how much you like to see tits, remember? I figure if you’re always looking at mine, when you touch others, it will be like feeling up a nice old grandma.”
“Let’s leave grandma talk out of naked time, yeah?”
She nodded and then crooked her finger at me. “You know, I think your dad’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, glancing at her stomach. “I think so too.”
Chapter Forty-Three
AUSTIN
His mouth.
Why would I ever want a job?
Sex with Thatch. That was my new job title.
He was probably just trying to distract me from watching the news, since my dad’s face was all over it right along with his mom’s.
Every time I tried to reach for the remote, he slapped my hand away and started kissing me.
“Focus on us. Focus on this,” he’d say over and over again, loving me with his mouth, holding me, touching my stomach. So I listened.
But it was time.
And it was like we both knew we needed to face it, to watch the news and see what happened once the story hit.
I grabbed Thatch’s hand and rose from the bed, leading him out into the living room and pointing at the remote.
“They’re still our parents,” I whispered.
“Yeah, they are,” he echoed, and then hit the power button.
It was breaking news alright.
But it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.
I mean, it wasn’t like he was guilty of embezzlement. Speculation said that the affair had been going on for years.
I knew the truth, just like Thatch, but it wasn’t our place to correct anyone. There were several pictures of his mother and my father together.
And it made me sick to my stomach when, in one of them, he was kissing her on the mouth and laughing.
That could have been Mom.
We should have had a happy family.
He broke that.
And for what?
I still didn’t get it.
“Why?”
I didn’t realize I had said it out loud until Thatch hit “Mute” on the remote and grabbed me by the hands.
“Sometimes people do stupid things, make the wrong choice out of boredom, revenge, pride.” He shrugged. “You may never know why, and I know that kills you, because when I broke us—” I opened my mouth to correct him, but he shook his head. “When I broke us, I didn’t tell you why—I thought I was protecting you, now I know the truth. You may never know the truth about my mom and your dad, but know this—you won’t ever be cheated on again.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “I know.”
“I’m serious, Austin.” His grip was firm, solid on my fingertips. “I will never cheat on you. I want this relationship to be one of communication, I want a real family. I want love.”
“Me too.” I nodded. “And I promise, I won’t ever cheat on you.”
He sighed.
“Unless cheating means I can beat you at board games, or if we race and I trip you beforehand, or if I cheat with calories on a non-cheat day, or—”
He kissed me.
I giggled against his solid chest.
“I love you,” he murmured, “and I always will.”
“Good, because you’re stuck with us.”
“Thank God,” he whispered reverently before kissing me again. And then once again, helping me remember why we were so good together. Because our love was shared equally, because it wasn’t about obsession, or even lust, but about that very real thing that was shared between two people who got it. Who understood the sacrifice it took for something to work—and were willing to make it.
We were cheated.
But we weren’t cheaters.
And it felt good to say it.
Epilogue
AUSTIN
“You’re doing so well.” My father-in-law winked at me and moved around the bed to grab my hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Oh, you know.” I clenched my teeth. “Like I’m giving birth to a ten-pound gorilla, but other than that, splendid. Hey, where are we on those drugs?”
He grinned, and his expression reminded me so much of Thatch.
Over the past few months, father and son had mended their relationship so much that we had family dinner nights, and he’d even paid off every cent of Thatch’s student loans so we could start fresh. The divorce settlement had gone through, and the very first thing his father wanted to do with his money was take care of us.
Thatch said no.
But his father said it was necessary, and said if we didn’t take the money, he’d just set up a trust fund for the little boy we were about to have.
So Thatch took it, and later that night, cried in my arms.
Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars’ worth of loans.
Gone.
Forgiven.
Funny how the minute he was able to forgive both his mom and dad—his dad was able to forgive himself.
“Ahhhh!” I shrieked as my belly tightened and a giant invisible vise squeezed me like a tube of toothpaste. “This isn’t natural!”
Thatch was calm.
He would be calm.
Weren’t dads supposed to pass out?
“STOP BEING SUCH A DOCTOR!” I snapped at him when he was ducking his head under the sheet and discussing God-knew-what about places that should never be discussed or looked at by a father-in-law and sexy husband!
“The drugs are here!” Avery announced.
Lucas chose to wait in the waiting room.
Smart man.
Avery held out a MoonPie. “You can have this once you push super hard.”
“I hate you, I hate you so much.”
She dangled the MoonPie in front of me.
“No solids!” The elder Dr. Holloway wagged his finger at me.
I flipped him off in response.
Thatch burst out laughing. “You okay, baby?”
“You’re never touching me again. I’m joining a nunnery, how’s that for okay?”
“You’re just in a lot of pain.”
He nodded toward the door as another man in scrubs walked in and said, “Someone need an epidural?”
“ME! Yes! I volunteer!” I shouted as Avery, watching me, winced when another contraction hit.
I reached for her hand and grabbed the MoonPie by accident, smashing it into tiny bits before dropping it on the floor.
“No! My MoonPie!”
“I have more.” Avery patted my shoulder. “So, you good here? I think I’m just going to go . . . back to my husband and . . . pray . . . for you! Not for me. I’m fine.”
She wasn’t fine. She was twelve weeks pregnant.
“This is your future!” I yelled after her.
“Austin,” Thatch snapped. “Is that really necessary?”
“Oh, I don’t know, is THIS necessary!” I pointed at my belly and made a face.
He smirked. “I love it when you’re feisty.”
“Get it out!” I said with a snarl. “It hurts.”
“Drugs.” Thatch kissed my forehead, my utter weakness, and then nodded to a doctor who looked too young to be holding a needle so big.
“Hi, Austin. My name’s Ben. I’m going to make this feel like a cake walk, alright?”