Page 26 of Play the Game
Cece smiles widely at him. “Now I’d say you already know the answer to that. So, Cooper, am I mistaken?”
I blow out a breath, leaning my elbows on my knees and staring into the fire. “You’re not,” I start, trying to figure out how to tell this story then deciding, what the hell. This is my family. No one is going to clutch their pearls over my one-night stand with my maybe work rival. “The week after Jordan and Jo’s wedding, I slept with Evan Rhodes.”
“You hate-fucked your work enemy?” All three of my brothers say this in perfect unison and everyone cracks up, including me. The moment of unintentional humor loosens the knots in my stomach enough that I breathe a little easier.
My mom rolls her eyes. “Do you three think you could be just a little less crude? I raised you better than that.”
“But did you?” Elliot asks, giving my mom a sly smile and lacing his hand through Amelia’s, leaning over to press a kiss to her neck when she snorts out a laugh.
“Okay fine, maybe not, but this is Cooper’s time of need. Let’s keep our eye on the ball.”
“Yes, let’s,” Cece says, clapping her hands together. “Jordan and Jo got married at the end of August, and now it’s the end of October. I assume Evan didn’t realize she was pregnant until now?”
I shake my head. “She’s been sick for the last few days. Like,really sick. The throwing up kind. Today she was in her office all day, and when I went to check on her, I caught her fast asleep. When she woke up, she kind of just blurted it out.”
“When you went to check on her?” Cece asks. “Why would you be needing to check on your self-proclaimed work enemy? The woman you seem to hate quite a lot.” The knowing look she gives me makes me want to shift uncomfortably in my seat. It’s like she can see right into my head—into the web of my complex, messy emotions that all seem to twine together when it comes to Evan Rhodes.
I shrug casually. “Like I said, she’s been sick.”
“Hang on,” Noah says, leaning forward to look at me. “The other night at the baseball game, you stormed out of your seat when Jo invited Evan to join the book club. Then she ran out, and we didn’t see you for a while. Were you with her?”
“She’s a romance reader?” my mom asks, a little too much enthusiasm in her voice for my liking.
“She sure is,” Amelia says. “She recognized Hannah right away.”
“It was so awesome.” Noah beams and tugs Hannah closer to him, kissing her like our entire family isn’t sitting right here.
“Well then!” my mom says in an excited voice, clapping her hands on her thighs as if to say,Case closed. “She definitely has to join now! A romance reader who is going to give me my first grandchild? It’s like it was meant to be. Cooper, give me her phone number. I’ll add her to the group chat.”
“Hang the fuck on,” I say, shoving to my feet, panic lancing through me. “No one is adding Evan to any group chats or issuing book club invitations. She literally told me an hour ago that she’s pregnant and the baby is mine. I haven’t even had time to figure out what that’s going to look like. Let’s not get out over our skis, Mom. And I don’t even have her number,” I mumble, just realizing this myself.
“Cooper Wyles,” my mom says sharply, shaking her head in disappointment and tugging me back down. “Are you telling methat you’re not going to be a part of this pregnancy and your child’s life? I raised you better than that.”
I roll my eyes at this typical Pam Wyles overreaction. At this point, we just expect it. “Jesus fuck, Mom, you know that’s not what I’m saying. I’ve had, like, five minutes to process this. I don’t know what it looks like to co-parent with someone who barely tolerates me under the best of circumstances. I don’t know how to be a parent. Give me a minute.”
My mom wraps an arm around me and kisses my cheek. “You’re such a good man, my baby. I raised you really well.”
I huff out a laugh, leaning into her comfort. “I guess you did okay.”
“I was mostly kidding about the book club.”
“I wasn’t!” Jo says.
“What?” she asks, when Hannah elbows her. “I thought she was cool, and she knew who you were, Hans. That’s so awesome.”
“Oh, she’s very cool,” Cece chimes in, sounding pretty certain for someone who has never laid eyes on Evan Rhodes in her life. “But that’s something Cooper is going to have to come to in his own time. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing Evan at our book clubs sooner rather than later. The universe practically demands it.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t know what the universe demands, but right now I demand some sort of instruction manual for having a baby with someone you’re not even sure you really like. Or just, like, having a baby in general. I have no idea what to do. I’m out of my depth here.”
“Take care of her,” my dad says, in that quiet way of his. “There won’t be a baby for months yet, but right now, she’s doing all the hard work. What you can do is make it easier for her, however you can. You said she’s sick. Figure out what makes her feel better, and make sure she has that.”
“Sesame bagels with plain cream cheese,” I say without thinking. When everyone just looks at me, I continue. “Earliertonight, in her office, she said that’s the only food she can really eat.”
“So, get her bagels,” my mom says. “And when it turns into something else, get her that. But for the love of god, don’t try to cook anything. Buy it or ask me or one of your brothers. We’ll be happy to cook for her if you want us to, but please stay out of the kitchen so this brownstone doesn’t end up a pile of ash.”
I smile a little, never not enjoying the long-standingCooper is shit in the kitchenbit. It’s really my life’s greatest accomplishment.
“It’s going to be okay,” Elliot says, his eyes serious. “You know that right?”
