Chloe"Would it make you feel better if you just took it instead of waiting until after Christmas? Maybe we can do it on New Year's Eve. Wouldn't that be a fun way to ring it in?""No.""Liar." The knowing smirk he shoots my way is adorable and annoying."Rex, I can't do this today.""Sure you can. Here, I'll show you."He unwraps the stick from the foil package and places it on the counter in the bathroom at my place. Malcom is hovering by his feet, like he does all the time when Rex is here. Rex shoos him out the door and shuts it behind him."I love him but man he's overwhelming at times.""Yeah, yeah, yeah. He loves you, too.""Alright, sit.""I am not peeing in front of you, good sir!""Good sir?""Don't make fun of me. I'm a little nervous and there's really no way I'll be able to pee in front of you without having stage fright.""Is that really all there is? Or is it that you don't think I can handle it? If that test says you're pregnant then I'm goi
Rex"Are you going to tell them?" I ask her as I pull the beef out of the oven.It's Christmas Eve and Chloe's house looks like she had stock in twinkle lights and snowmen for how many decorations are scattered around her house. After finding out this morning that she's pregnant, we spent a few hours in bed then I helped her start preparing the food for tonight's dinner.She's mashing potatoes and gives me a worried look. "I don't think so, right?""It's your call. I'm kind of excited and it's killing me just a little bit but I'll keep my mouth shut if you want me to.""What if, I don't know, something happens? And I'm still getting to know Ethan and Paul. I don't know if I'm ready to see their reaction to me being just like my mother."The last little bit was so quiet I barely heard it, but I did. I wasn't prepared for this line of thinking."What do you mean?""My mom got pregnant with the snap of a finger, apparently. And look how that turned out for Paul and Etha
Rex"You should really lock the door, Chloe, but I see how it is. You were too busy to let your guests come inside from the cold while you were getting mauled by my best friend."Ethan's grumpy voice cuts through the kitchen and I reluctantly release my hold on Chloe."Hi everyone," she says shyly. Her face turns as red as the brightly colored gift bags Olivia's holding."Way to go, Ethan. You embarrassed my girl here," I tease and I know my girl could die of embarrassment. For that, I feel a little guilty but not because I can't keep my hands off her. That, I won't apologize for."You're the one who was about to have sex with her in front of the prime rib!""I was going to do no such thing. I slaved over that thing all day.""You? You're the one who made the prime rib? Since when do you know how to cook?""There are things you don't know about me," I grin then wink at Chloe."Eww. Well, this has been fun." Ethan makes a disgusted noise and his dad grips him by the
Rex"Ethan?"Chloe's lips are pressed together so tightly, the skin is turning white."What? Do you want me to say grace?"Olivia looks at her husband like he's an idiot. "Did you hear Chloe?""Yeah?"Paul grumbles. "Boy. Think about what Chloe said.""Merry Christmas?""No. The other thing."We all watch as he finally gets a clue. He stands up quickly, his chair falling back and landing against the tile with a loud thwack."Uncle?!"Chloe nods, my emotional girl's eyes flooding with tears again."You asshole! You got my sister pregnant?!"I almost laugh. Almost. But I'm smart enough not to. Rather, I just raise my hands. "Hey, it's not like I did that alone.""Wrong answer, man."Olivia's laughing so hard, she's clutching her stomach and bending over. "You. You are such an idiot!""I'm an idiot? How am I the idiot in this scenario?""Because you are!""Oh good come back, babe."Paul stands up, pushes Ethan out of the way while he makes his way
Chloe"Happy New Year, gorgeous.""Aren't you supposed to say that at midnight?""What's the point of only celebrating for a minute?""Hmm," I suppose that's true, I purr, leaning into his touch."I'm sorry I have to work today.""Don't apologize. It's not like you're working all night. Just for a few hours, right?""Yeah. The Zeus twins will take over tonight and Ethan hired two others that were experienced enough they can dive right in."I trail my finger around through the coarse hair on his chest. "Will you miss it?" He told Ethan he was pulling back, as in no more nights and weekends. Which only leaves him filling in when they're short on help. It was Rex's decision"Bartending? No.""I thought you loved it, though.""I love working with Ethan, even Penny. And once upon a time, until a sexy as hell redhead came into my life, I liked the attention it brought.""But not anymore?" I ask, grinning."Not anymore."We're lying in my bed, Malcom on Rex's fe
Chloe"Hey! What are you doing here?" Ethan crushes me in a hug when I walk through the back door with Rex.I nod at Rex and grin. "He couldn't live without me.""He's so needy," Ethan teases with a wink."I know. It's a burden.""I bet. Kind of annoying, huh? Does he follow you around like a puppy? Always getting in your way.""All the time! I really want some space but what can I do?""I'm right here you know.""We know." Ethan and I say the words at the same time and Rex groans, leaving us to it as we laugh at his grumbling. Ever since I announced I was pregnant, Ethan and I turned a corner.The common thread of expecting our first child has brought us together, creating a bond. The fact that he's my brother is something I think we're both still getting used to. But every time I look at him, I see hints of my mother. Being pregnant makes me miss her even more than I did before. I know she'd be by my side through every step, in the delivery room if I wanted her t
Chloe"Do you know him?" Olivia asks, staring at the guy's back."No. You?""No. But, gah, I swear he looks familiar.""Probably been in here before?""Maybe.""So how much longer?" I ask Olivia."Too long. Actually, no. I take that back. I've enjoyed being pregnant and it kind of scares me to think about what it will be like when the little nugget's out in the world.""Makes sense.""Anyway, I have about a month left. I'm hoping that I've hit my size limit."I nod, not trusting myself not to say something stupid.Rex comes out of the office and sees me sitting down with Olivia and makes his way toward us.He kisses me on the forehead then leans down to give Olivia a hug."How are the mamas doing?" The level of excitement that he has over this baby has surprised me. I'm only a few months along, though, and I know we need to be careful. Things can happen this early on."Good," I grin up at him and his eyes soften."Rex, do you know that guy?" Olivia asks
ChloeTroy chuckles. This time when he looks at me, his eyes linger and my skin crawls. He might be attractive enough, but he's one of the creepiest men I've ever laid eyes on. I divert my attention quickly and Olivia reaches for my hand. "Oh don't worry. It's not you I give a shit about anymore, brother."He lifts his tumbler off the bar and raises it in Rex's direction then slides off his stool. I know where he's heading and if he follows through, there's no way it will turn out in his favor."Hey there. Welcome to The Flying Goat," Ethan says, stepping in front of Troy. His voice is devoid of any hospitality.Troy, though, is too stupid to get the not so subtle hint. "Uh, thanks?"He tries to step around him but is stopped by one of the Zeus twins.He's a tiny man surrounded by three large, angry men.I don't know how much of Rex's story any of them know, if anything at all, but they see the anger coming off Rex's body and know Troy is the cause of it.Troy turns
Rex"Miss Garcia?""That's me."Chloe stands from our place in the waiting area off of the resort's spa. I arranged for a day of pampering complete with making sure her hair and makeup is done for the wedding later this afternoon. By the time she walks down the aisle, she'll be relaxed and hopefully the tension and stress of the last few months will have washed away.Right after I proposed, we had a bit of a scare with the baby.She started spotting and since this was our first, we both panicked. The doctor assured us it was totally normal, but then her blood pressure started dipping. She'd be at work doing a client's hair and suddenly feel light headed with no warning. After the second time it happened, I made her see the doctor who put her on a limited work schedule, to put it simply. It wasn't bed rest, but for Chloe who loved her job, it might as well have been.She was cranky and irritable but soon started seeing the benefit of being home part-time and putting in
Rex"It's time, babe. It's time!" Chloe's voice is full of excitement as she nudges me awake. Her hair is still wet and she smells incredible. Fresh and clean and I really want to snag her around the waist, and pull her under me."What?""It's. Time!""Shit." I spring up out of bed, trip over the damn cat that never leaves my side, catch myself on the curtains in our bedroom and right myself."Are you okay?" Chloe asks, laughing before groaning."I'm good. Yeah. Are you?""Of course. I'm excited.""Me too, babe. But I'd be more excited if you would have let me sleep a bit longer.""I can't help it! This isn't on me and you know it."I grin. It's not her fault. It's actually mine. I was the one who suggest we elope and promised to take care of everything, including getting our flights scheduled for so early in the morning."You know, it'd be nice if you told me where we were going." She grins over her already packed suitcase. The one I packed for her so she'd be
Chloe"How are you feeling?"Liv glares at me and grits out, "Dandy! Just freaking dandy."I look at Rex and stretch my lips out in an eek face and he smothers a laugh."Okay then. Well, I'll leave you two to it.""No!" Ethan tries grabbing Rex by the arm but he's too quick."Unless you plan on being in the room with us when Chloe's giving birth, I suggest you let us go. This is your time. You got this.""No we do not!" Liv shouts. "There's nothing about this that we've got."The nurse comes in and says, "Let's check you, shall we? See how you're coming along?"Liv nods, shifting uncomfortably in her bed. She looks like hell. Beautiful as usual. Well, that's actually not true. Her face is splotchy, hair matted down from sweat, there's black under her eyes where her mascara has run.She reaches a hand out to me and I shoot wide eyes to Ethan who's already by her side. "You gonna tell her no?" he challenges and I shake my head.Rex moves quickly so he's standing
RexI'm nervous. Fuck me, but I think I'm going to throw up.But it's not every day that I get to ask this question, and I don't want to mess it up.I knock on the door to hopefully my future. "Come in.""Hi.""What's going on? Why'd you ask to see me like this?""I need to ask you something. And I really need you to hear me out before speaking because it's important.""Okay? You're acting really fucking weird, man. What's going on with you?"I place a small, black velvet box on his desk and I pop open the lid, presenting the small piece of jewelry to him.Ethan takes a close look, lifts it out of the soft cushion it's cradled in, inspects it before slipping it back in the box. "Ah, for me? You shouldn't have. But it's a little flashy for my taste. I prefer something a little more subtle. Not so many diamonds." I realize he's just trying to lighten the mood and he knows exactly what this box means, but I still have to say it. Need to. For Chloe. It's the right t
ChloeTroy chuckles. This time when he looks at me, his eyes linger and my skin crawls. He might be attractive enough, but he's one of the creepiest men I've ever laid eyes on. I divert my attention quickly and Olivia reaches for my hand. "Oh don't worry. It's not you I give a shit about anymore, brother."He lifts his tumbler off the bar and raises it in Rex's direction then slides off his stool. I know where he's heading and if he follows through, there's no way it will turn out in his favor."Hey there. Welcome to The Flying Goat," Ethan says, stepping in front of Troy. His voice is devoid of any hospitality.Troy, though, is too stupid to get the not so subtle hint. "Uh, thanks?"He tries to step around him but is stopped by one of the Zeus twins.He's a tiny man surrounded by three large, angry men.I don't know how much of Rex's story any of them know, if anything at all, but they see the anger coming off Rex's body and know Troy is the cause of it.Troy turns
Chloe"Do you know him?" Olivia asks, staring at the guy's back."No. You?""No. But, gah, I swear he looks familiar.""Probably been in here before?""Maybe.""So how much longer?" I ask Olivia."Too long. Actually, no. I take that back. I've enjoyed being pregnant and it kind of scares me to think about what it will be like when the little nugget's out in the world.""Makes sense.""Anyway, I have about a month left. I'm hoping that I've hit my size limit."I nod, not trusting myself not to say something stupid.Rex comes out of the office and sees me sitting down with Olivia and makes his way toward us.He kisses me on the forehead then leans down to give Olivia a hug."How are the mamas doing?" The level of excitement that he has over this baby has surprised me. I'm only a few months along, though, and I know we need to be careful. Things can happen this early on."Good," I grin up at him and his eyes soften."Rex, do you know that guy?" Olivia asks
Chloe"Hey! What are you doing here?" Ethan crushes me in a hug when I walk through the back door with Rex.I nod at Rex and grin. "He couldn't live without me.""He's so needy," Ethan teases with a wink."I know. It's a burden.""I bet. Kind of annoying, huh? Does he follow you around like a puppy? Always getting in your way.""All the time! I really want some space but what can I do?""I'm right here you know.""We know." Ethan and I say the words at the same time and Rex groans, leaving us to it as we laugh at his grumbling. Ever since I announced I was pregnant, Ethan and I turned a corner.The common thread of expecting our first child has brought us together, creating a bond. The fact that he's my brother is something I think we're both still getting used to. But every time I look at him, I see hints of my mother. Being pregnant makes me miss her even more than I did before. I know she'd be by my side through every step, in the delivery room if I wanted her t
Chloe"Happy New Year, gorgeous.""Aren't you supposed to say that at midnight?""What's the point of only celebrating for a minute?""Hmm," I suppose that's true, I purr, leaning into his touch."I'm sorry I have to work today.""Don't apologize. It's not like you're working all night. Just for a few hours, right?""Yeah. The Zeus twins will take over tonight and Ethan hired two others that were experienced enough they can dive right in."I trail my finger around through the coarse hair on his chest. "Will you miss it?" He told Ethan he was pulling back, as in no more nights and weekends. Which only leaves him filling in when they're short on help. It was Rex's decision"Bartending? No.""I thought you loved it, though.""I love working with Ethan, even Penny. And once upon a time, until a sexy as hell redhead came into my life, I liked the attention it brought.""But not anymore?" I ask, grinning."Not anymore."We're lying in my bed, Malcom on Rex's fe
Rex"Ethan?"Chloe's lips are pressed together so tightly, the skin is turning white."What? Do you want me to say grace?"Olivia looks at her husband like he's an idiot. "Did you hear Chloe?""Yeah?"Paul grumbles. "Boy. Think about what Chloe said.""Merry Christmas?""No. The other thing."We all watch as he finally gets a clue. He stands up quickly, his chair falling back and landing against the tile with a loud thwack."Uncle?!"Chloe nods, my emotional girl's eyes flooding with tears again."You asshole! You got my sister pregnant?!"I almost laugh. Almost. But I'm smart enough not to. Rather, I just raise my hands. "Hey, it's not like I did that alone.""Wrong answer, man."Olivia's laughing so hard, she's clutching her stomach and bending over. "You. You are such an idiot!""I'm an idiot? How am I the idiot in this scenario?""Because you are!""Oh good come back, babe."Paul stands up, pushes Ethan out of the way while he makes his way