Page 76 of The B!tch List

“Great,” I muttered. “Two for the price of one.”

“They both saw the doc,” Hunter continued. “He gave them both the same due date. Can you believe that?”

“Great. Now I have an image in my head of you both banging your wives at exactly the same time and seeing as one of them is my sister, I kinda feel sick.”

A hand reached across to my plate. “Does that mean you’re not finishing that burger?”

“No, it fucking doesn’t.” I whacked his hand with my knuckles. “What the hell are you doing here anyway? I thought you were busy branding this week.”

“Nope, next week which is why Pop gave me some downtime this week. Carter and I are going to have some lunch and then go over to Jesse Connor’s place in Bridge Vale. He’s got a pony that he’s selling, and I want to take a look at it. Carter is going to give his veterinary expertise.”

“You’re buying your kid a pony already?”

“Yep.” He looked proud of himself.

“Does Ellie know?” The grin disappeared. “You are in so much fucking trouble my friend.”

Hunter shook his head. “She’s so damn happy at the moment nothing would piss on her grits, not even me getting our tiny little peanut a pony.”

He looked pretty ecstatic himself and I felt a twinge of envy. I had a daughter but no one to share that joy with, and that was even if I got to keep her.

“Anyway,” Hunter said. “What’s up with you? You look like shit.”

“Well, thank you. You’re too damn kind.” I sighed and pushed my unfinished burger away. “You know Tia’s grandmother wants her back?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I heard. That’s crap man.”

“I’m waiting for a visit from Child Services, and they’ll make the decision. I’m hoping that because I’m in the process of having my name added to her birth certificate and have applied to enroll her for childcare at college that they’ll see I’m serious.”

“You’re going to take her to college with you?” Hunter blew out a breath and relaxed back in his chair. “That’s a big commitment.”

“I know and it might not come to that. Mom has offered to take care of her during the week if I’m at school, but I don’t know.” I shrugged. “It doesn’t feel right just leaving her or asking Mom. Her and Dad should be enjoying almost having an empty nest, not starting again with my kid.”

Hunter levelled me with serious look. “Shaw you know they wouldn’t have offered if they didn’t want to. That’s why we’re all going to be such great parents, because we have amazing ones of our own.”

He was right, I knew that, but I still felt bad asking Mom and Dad to help out.

“You know what you need?” Hunter said, giving me a wink.

“What’s that?” I sighed, expecting some remark about sex.

“A woman who wants to marry you and take your kid on as their own.”

“And there he is, the neanderthal prick.” I rolled my eyes and Hunter burst out laughing.

“I’m joking you idiot.” He picked up my screwed-up napkin and threw it at me. “You’ve got this. If anyone can do it, you can.”

I was saved from some emotional, less than manly reaction by the door opening and Carter calling hello to Delphine. I smiled and waved, but when I saw Minnesota was closely following behind, my hand went into a fist.

It was getting that I hated the sight of him. We’d never been particularly friendly, even though we were in the same class at school. He was always the cocky jock with model good looks while I was the cocky nerd with the boy next door good looks, and we seemed to clash a fair bit. Minnesota was the least likeable of the three Michaels brothers, not that I knew their older brother Tallahassee that well. Tally worked as a soccer coach in the UK and had done so for the last twelve years. He was now married with a couple of kids and Alaska always talked highly of him. I remembered he used to have a thing for Bronte when he was in college and she was in high school, but nothing ever came of it because after his first year he transferred to the UK and never came back except for a vacation every now and then.

It was just a pity that Minnesota hadn’t been the one to go overseas—oh yeah wait, he did that and came back and took my woman.

Fuck. What the hell was I thinking? She was no more my woman than Taylor Swift would ever write a love song about me. Then again, I was no Jake Gyllenhaal.

“Hey, guys,” Carter smiled, but it looked a little forced. “Look who invited himself to lunch.”

Minnesota, without waiting to be invited, sat down next to Hunter and picked up a menu. He was still tanned from his travels, and he had a bunch of boho bracelets on his wrist and his hair was a little longer than it used to be. He was so good looking that I hated him a little bit more.

---