Page 41 of Unexpected Forever
“Aidan, what the hell is wrong with you?” Noah asks, pushing back on his brother’s shoulder. It doesn’t deter the sheriff in the least.
Del holds his arms out to his side. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Aidan gets right up in my face. “Where do you get off taking advantage of my sister, asshole?” His lips barely move and his voice is tight.
Anger pounds in my blood as I straighten, staring him straight in the eye. It takes all my discipline not to knock him on his ass.
Not only is the man packing, but I don’t need an assault charge showing up in the media, especially right now.
Plus, after what I just learned, I’m tied to this guy in more ways than one.
“How long did you take advantage”—I make air quotes around the words—“of Megan before I finally met you? Of all people, you have no room to talk, Sheriff.” I practically spit the last word.
His eyes spark with anger but also resignation. “It’s different. We’re in love and I didn’t get her pregnant and then leave.”
“I’m going to kill her,” Charley mutters darkly before slamming the door again.
She stalks over and stands between me and her three brothers. Aidan looks like he wants to skin me alive, Noah looks like he’s in the twilight zone, and Del looks like he’s ready to bolt.
“Nate just found out yesterday, okay? Back off.” She pokes a finger into Aidan’s wide chest. “And you’re not supposed to know, anyway! Megan is dead to me.”
Aidan jams his hands on his hips, still glaring at me, but his stance has lost some aggression.
“Don’t be mad at Megan. She swore me to secrecy, and I let my temper get the better of me.”
“Yeah, where did that come from, bro?” Del asks.
“You told Megan already?” My tone comes out sharper than I intend.
She turns to face me, biting her lip. “Well, sort of. She came over and I got sick and then she took me to the drugstore. I wasn’t going to tell her before I told you but”—her eyes fill with tears as she stares up at me—“she figured it out. I’m sorry, Nate.”
All the anger and frustration with the whole situation since I stepped foot in this house yesterday slips away seeing a single tear roll down her face.
I swipe it away with my thumb, then cup her cheek. “You don’t need to be sorry, babe. You just caught me off guard.”
She smiles through her tears. “Much like this whole situation between us, huh?”
I chuckle, my thumb stroking her cheek. “Yeah. Something like that.”
A throat clears, and I sigh when I find her brothers standing shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed over their chests.
Yeah, now they all look ready to fillet me.
Charley turns and mimics their stance with a smaller, but no less formidable version of her own.
“Yes, I’m pregnant. And yes, I’m having it. And no, you guys don’t get a say on anything. Nor do you need to go run your mouths to Mom.”
“When are you telling her?” Noah asks.
She raises her chin. “Soon. So y’all keep your traps shut.”
“Fine,” Noah says before leveling his blue gaze at me. “Do you guys have a plan?”
“Yeah, we do.” I lay my hands on Charley’s shoulders, giving them a light squeeze.
She looks over her shoulder with eyes so earnest, it makes my chest ache and my protective streak roar to life. “We do?”
“Yes, Charley. We do.”
