Page 79 of Single Chance

“She’s not planning to eat the cat, is she?” Max asked with a chuckle.

“She’s a vegetarian.” Ben finished his beans, as unbothered as could be. “Emerson tried to slip past Esmerelda, and the llama spit at her. My wife is threatening to make llama sausage.”

That spurred laughter all around. Emerson might talk tough, but she’d never hurt her husband’s beloved llama.

Once Ben had stuffed his food down the gullet, he stood, took care of his plate, and said, “I’m off to battle the beasts and see if I can help a stray cat.”

“That one’ll end up adopted,” Max said to the rest of us. “You watch.”

“You’re a cat household now,” Ben said to him, pointing at the duo of kittens asleep in the center of the pool table while we took a break from it. “I’ll get Harper on my side, and soon you’ll have three instead of two felines.”

“Not gonna happen,” Max called out to him.

Ben left, and the rest of us joked about his situation while we finished eating.

I needed to spill my news soon. Once the food was cleaned up, they planned to go into video game mode, and my chance would be lost. I wanted these guys to know before word got out all over town. Now that Sam knew, it was a matter of time.

“So,” I said, standing at the bar where the food had been served. “Before the games begin, I’ve got something to say.”

West already knew everything, and he seemed to sense that’s where I was going. For once he didn’t crack any smart-ass comments. He stood next to me, as if in support. I nodded at him in thanks.

“What’s going on?” Knox asked as he tossed some trash in the waste basket.

You’d think I’d have a plan for what to say, but I still hadn’t figured it out. To hell with easy. I opted for blunt.

“I’m going to be a father again,” I said.

All movement in the room halted as three heads turned my way. I saw West nod out of the corner of my eye.

“I don’t know which question to ask first,” Luke said.

“You got a girl pregnant?” Max asked.

“I’m not planning to give birth myself,” I said dryly.

“Who?” Knox asked.

“What the fuck?” was Luke’s question.

“Did you know about this?” Max asked West. “You must have for you to be able to keep quiet right now.”

“Fucker,” West said to him with a grin. “I knew.”

“Your roommate hasn’t been there long enough for you to get her with child, has she?” Luke came up on the other side of me and stopped, looking like he was doing math in his head.

“The timing is suspect,” Max said.

“You gonna put them out of their misery?” West asked me.

“Once they shut up and listen,” I told him lightly.

“I’m listening.” Knox stood on the opposite side of the bar, his attention fully on me.

“I hooked up with someone on New Year’s Eve,” I said.

“It was your roommate,” Knox said, sounding sure of it. He’d been at the inn’s party.

“Was it?” Luke popped the lid off another beer.

---