Page 86 of The Complication with the Best Man

I’ll be there.

Jesus. First, I get this man’s only daughter pregnant after a one-night stand, and now he probably thinks I was engaged when I did it.

* * *

At five minutes to noon,I knock on the door of Austin and Holly Bailey’s house, Harper by my side. I said I was fine to come face the music on my own, but she insisted on joining me. Secretly, I’m thankful for her presence. I’m hopeful that with Harper here, I might be able to at least get an explanation out before Austin clocks me. Especially after I spotted all the cars in the driveway. Clearly this won’t be a conversation between just Austin and me.

The door swings open and Harper’s mom stands on the other side. She glances between us. “I figured you’d join him,” she says to Harper. “Come on in. Just let me get my coat. You and I are going to do some baby shopping.” She steps back from the door to let us enter.

I step inside, and my first thought is how it feels like a family home in here with the warm wood and family photos displayed on the entry table.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Harper says, crossing her arms.

Holly looks over her shoulder at her from where she’s getting her coat out of the closet. “Finn will be fine, Harp. He can hold his own, can’t you?”

It clear from her steely gaze that I’m expected to agree, but I would’ve anyway. If this is an ambush, I’d rather Harper not be here for it. It might upset her or get her worked up and that can’t be good for her or the baby.

I take Harper’s hand. “I’ll be fine. Go enjoy the afternoon with your mom. I’ll fill you in later.”

She bites her bottom lip. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” I give her the best smile I can manage, then bend down and kiss her, aware that Holly is watching my every move. But when I straighten and look at her, to my surprise, she’s smiling.

“All right, we will see you later.” She hooks her arm through Harper’s. “Good luck, Finn.” They make their way out the door, and I hear Holly say, “So the dressing room, huh? Like mother like daughter, I guess.”

“Gross, Mom. It wasn’t a Jeep,” Harper says, then the door closes behind them.

With a big sigh, I continue deeper into the house toward where I hear voices. When I enter the spacious living room, every head turns in my direction.

It’s a room full of men, but at least one person here will be on my side. I give Hudson a nod, which he returns.

“Finn, good of you to make it,” Austin says, getting up out of his seat and walking over to me. He clamps me on the shoulder and squeezes. “Thought maybe it was time for us to have a little chat, and some of Harper’s uncles wanted to be included.”

“Great,” I manage to say, voice strained.

“Let me introduce you to everyone you haven’t met.” He starts on his left, pointing at each person he introduces. “This is her uncle Colton, her uncle Jamison, her uncle Kingston you already know, this is her uncle Wyatt, and her uncles Rome and Denver—yes, they’re twins—her uncle Liam, and then finally her brother Easton. Her uncle Griffin is in Los Angeles right now or he’d be here too. We were going to conference him in, but he said he trusted us.”

Not one of them gives me any semblance of a smile, but I force myself to smile anyway and raise my hand in greeting. “Hello, everyone. I’ll do my best to keep the names straight.”

No one cracks a smile at my lame joke.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” Austin motions to the chair that’s set up in front of everyone as if I’m being interviewed by the FBI.

I nod and take my seat. Everyone is silent until Rome speaks up.

“So, you’re the guy having a baby with my niece.” He crosses his arms and studies me.

“What’s this about you being engaged?” Easton asks.

I shift in my seat, uncomfortable with all these men in Harper’s family staring me down. “That I can explain.”

I launch into the story of how Tamra and I had broken up when I was in Lake Starlight for Hudson’s wedding and the reason for us being engaged and how it wasn’t real.

“So you only agreed to the engagement so you could try to help out your parents?” Wyatt asks.

“Exactly. And I didn’t know that Harper was going to be our wedding planner, and I had no idea she was pregnant.” I raise my hands in front of me.

“What’s the name of the ski resort your family owns?” Wyatt asks.

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