Page 92 of Hook Up

She knows she’s magnificent.

“All I can say is I like you a hell of a lot more when you and Greer are talking. And fucking.”

I can’t deny the truth.

“Hey,” I whisper, leaning forward, “you still have the ring, right?”

“I don’t have it with me, but I’ll get it to you in the next few days. When do you plan on announcing your marriage?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Mandi called the other day. No clue how she finagled my phone number,” Colton states, the disgust evident in his voice. “Wanted to know if you’d regained your sight yet. What did you ever see in that woman?”

“Not a damn clue. She might have tried to call me, but I had Greer block her number. I don’t need my past mucking up my future.”

“Smart man.” He clears his throat, his shift into the official reason for his visit. “They finished the investigation, and it turns out that although a few of the crew were nursing hangovers, their actions weren’t the cause of the crash. A couple of the bolts sheared off. An issue with the metal alloy. The company has issued a recall and a public apology, likely trying their damnedest to avoid a lawsuit.”

Sinking back into my chair, a feeling of relief washes over me. Yes, I’m blind, but not because of my pit crew.

Not because of Greg. With a grimace, I recall the fury I spewed in his direction during our last phone call, so certain of his involvement in my wreck.

The guilt is compounded by the way I treated Greer for that first couple of weeks, assuming she and her brother were in cahoots and trying to placate me.

Talk about being way off.

“What about the crew?”

“Well, I put them all on leave, pending the investigation, but those who tested positive are well aware there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of getting their job back.”

“What about Greg?”

“He actually helped us solve the mystery of what happened. He swore he heard something pop right before your car dropped. Turns out, he was right. You know his test was clean, Ryder.”

“He went to rehab over this situation.”

“Not quite,” my wife’s voice interrupts the conversation. “Greg knew he had a drinking problem, and he wanted to get it under control. Turns out, he has a good reason. Jillian is pregnant.”

I stroke my chin, a grin lighting up my features. “Holy shit. Greggo is going to be a dad. I need to speak with your brother and apologize for accusing him of trying to hurt me.”

Gigi’s arms twine around my neck, and I feel the dampness of her tears against my skin. “I knew he would never be that careless with your life. He loves you too much.”

“I’ll fix it, Gigi. Promise.” I mean it, too. Greg deserves an apology and I’m not too big a man to admit it.

“Damn Greer, you must be starving. Quite a sandwich you’ve got there,” Colton remarks, and I bite back a grin at Gigi’s snort of indignation.

“What can I say? I’m not one of those salad chicks. I’ll be inside, if either of you needs me.”

“It’s amazing. She has quite the appetite for someone who keeps throwing up.”

Colton sputters his drink, chuckling. “Is she pregnant?”

“She hasn’t admitted anything, but I’m pretty positive she is.”

“Ryder Gray is going to be a dad. Damn, you’ve had a busy couple of months.”

“That’s one way of putting it, although the timing couldn’t be worse. I can’t see my hand in front of my face, Colton. I can barely take care of myself. How the hell am I supposed to be a dad, too? I’m totally overwhelmed at the idea.”

Colton squeezes my shoulder. “You’d be totally overwhelmed even if you weren’t blind. Trust me, it’s a good thing. I’ve seen you with kids. You’ll be an amazing father.”

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