She teared up. “Yeah, it did. And I’m not leaving again.” She sniffed and gave me a brave smile. “Learn from me, Rita. The Mastersons are all pretty amazing. And they lovesohard.”
“It’s so fast, though. I don’t want to ruin things between us because this happened before we’re ready.”
“Kinda sounds like you’re trying to talk yourself out of being ready.” Bridget stood up. “But it’s now or never.” She went over to her tests lined up in a neat row.
She gripped the edge of the counter and bowed her head. “Dammit.”
I went to her, hovering just behind her. “Positive?”
“Negative,” she said with a sad whisper. “I really hoped it was positive.”
“Ah, Brig…”
She turned to the voice. Travis filled the doorframe of the bathroom. He opened his arms, and she ran to him. He caught her so closely that my throat closed.
That was what loved looked like.
Unconditional and without a moment’s hesitation.
Then I saw Penn behind him.
Travis drew Bridget out the door. “We’ll let you guys talk.” He stroked a gentle hand down her hair. “Are you okay?”
She dabbed at her eyes. “I am. We’ll just have to try again.”
He lowered to kiss her softly. “Every damn day.”
Bridget laughed and gave me a teary smile. “It’s going to be okay, whichever way it turns out.”
Penn stepped into the doorframe. “Hey, Duchess. You didn’t think you were going to do this alone, did you?”
TWENTY-FIVE
My stomach was in knots.
I’d called my brother—who was on duty—to bring my ass home at the speed of light.
For once, he didn’t ask questions, just saw my face and nodded curtly. He did the speed limit because he was Christian, but he put the lights on.
And because he was my stoic brother, he didn’t try to talk it out with me.
I didn’t think it would be at my freaking brother’s house, but I’d had a feeling and climbed the hill to see her SUV in Travis’s driveway.
Because I knew it would be this.
Rita trying to handle it on her own.
At least she’d had Brig in her corner, even if it should have been me the whole way.
I stepped into the bathroom.
She stood in front of the double sinks in my brother’s spa-like bathroom, her arms wrapped around her middle. “You don’t have to be here. I got this.”
“You got this?” I fisted my hands at my sides. I just wanted to grab her and hold her.
She didn’t have to do this alone.
We needed to be in this together.