Evolve Series Box Set (111 page)

“Merry Christmas! We missed you guys!” Laney plows into us with a gripping embrace as we walk through the door at Dane’s house.

“You too,” Emmett hugs her while I scoot around them, arms filled with packages. “How was your trip home? Your family?”

I tune out the rest of their babbling, going in search of Dane and a beer, in either order, finding both in the kitchen. “Merry Christmas, brother.” I clap him on the shoulder and steal the fresh bottle out of his hand.

“Merry Christmas, you have a good one?” he asks, going to the fridge to replace his beer.

“Not bad.” I shrug. “Where’s everybody else?”

“I don’t think any of them are back yet, but you’d have to ask the social director.”

“Ask me what?” Gidge walks in, her arm laced through Emmett’s.

“Anyone else coming tonight?” I ask her, but focus on Emmett, a sweet smile on her face, but her coloring a bit off.

“No, they’re all still back home. Just us four tonight.” She shoots Emmett a knowing smirk.

I pull out one of the barstools and pat it. “Come sit down, Shorty. You want something to drink, eat?”

“Maybe a bite of something wouldn’t hurt,” she mumbles passively, taking the offered seat.

“Emmett!” Laney buzzes to the fridge, slinging out trays to the island hurriedly. “You should have said something. We brought back food! Dear Lord, Dane, get her a drink. Some hosts we are, depriving the pregnant girl. Emmett. What do you want? We have juice, champagne, oh wait, never mind.”

Oh yeah, Laney’s gonna need some work before she’s ever allowed to babysit. She gets flustered and it’s all out havoc—a complete one-woman circus.

“Laney, I got it,” I step in, suppressing a laugh, “go sit down before you hurt somebody.”

Emmett pats her hand, grinning. “Thank you, I’m fine really. A few bites of something to settle my stomach is all I need.”

“Can I, uh, feel it?” Laney asks her in the most timid voice I think she’s capable of.

“Of course.” Emmett sits forward, offering out her belly more. “I can’t promise you’ll get any action, though.” She giggles. “Usually if I eat some sugar and lie flat on my back, things get busy.”

“Oh wait! I think I felt something!” Laney’s face lights up.

“Trust me, Gidge, you’ll know it if you do.” I slide Emmett’s juice in front of her. “There ya go, babe.” I start removing tinfoil off platters. “Have a snack.”

“Thank you,” she takes a sip then snags a cheese cracker.

Dane’s silence is actually deafening, catching my attention. He’s watching Laney, like an eagle spots a rabbit, as she rubs Emmett’s belly, trying to coerce the baby to move.

“I can’t believe we don’t know what we’re having. Do you know all the stuff we can’t buy because of that? Kick me once if you’re a girl,” Laney barters with the belly. “I really hope you’re a girl.”

“That surprises me, Gidge. As big of a tomboy as you are I thought for sure you’d be rootin’ for a willie.”

“That’s why I want a girl. I shall lavish her in all things princess, which I’d already be stocking up on if she’d kick my hand already,” she pouts.

Dane still hasn’t spoken, fixated on Laney’s flash of maternal instinct. I decide to throw my man a bone. “So you want a girl then, when you have kids, Gidge?”

“Oh gosh, yes, a girl and a boy. One of each would be perfect.”

The girls show no signs of hearing Dane growl, but I heard it loud and clear. Laney’s right, he is a caveman. “Well, what if that doesn’t happen?”

Emmett’s smirking at me now, totally on to my game.

Laney shrugs and looks at Dane. “I guess we’ll keep trying. If we get a softball team before a son, I’m okay with that. You?”

If I’ve ever known the correct answer to a question, it’s this one. He is so okay with that plan. My man is using every ounce of restraint he possesses not to jump across the island and attack her right now.

“Yeah,” he takes a pull of his beer, eye fucking her over the bottle, “I’m okay with that.”

One step toward her is all he gets before she stops him with a hand up. “Halt! We have company, Caveman.”

Emmett’s head is jerking back and forth between them, her green eyes sparkling wide as she watches the show. She can’t hide her snicker when Dane audibly growls this time, winking promises of later at Laney.

“Are we about ready to open presents? You had enough to eat, Emmett?” Laney changes the subject, saving us from a live porno viewing.

“I’ve never had enough to eat, but yes, I’m good for now.” She struggles off her perch, legs nowhere near reaching the ground, sticking the landing before I scramble around to her.

***

“I sure as hell hope ya’ll deliver,” I say hours later. “No way is this all fitting in the car.” I take in all around me, Dane’s living room resembling a nursery more than the actual nursery.

“Damn shame she didn’t know what you’re having so she could really shop,” Dane fires off dryly, giving Laney a wink. “We can bring it over later.”

Emmett’s no longer gut sobbing, which started at present number two, but the sniffles still echo through the room every few seconds. Laney and Dane showered Alex in presents, everything from a high chair, which I’m pretty sure could’ve waited, to a crate of diapers.

Obviously we hadn’t gotten them near as much, but they both seemed happy with what we had managed: some movies, a sweater and spa day certificate for Laney, City & Colour concert tickets and a handcrafted wooden guitar stand for Dane. I’d struck gold when Jack, who owns Jack’s Jukebox music store, needed his bike worked on and traded me the labor for Dane’s presents.

But the gift of the night was Emmett’s surprise to me. Seems her and Laney were in cahoots to make it a Christmas I’d never forget. Don’t catch me lying, I debated crying like a girl, then had a Dane moment and had to force myself not to jump her after I opened it. The present in question is a large, framed picture of my Emmy, sheer white top opened down the front, hands cupping her stomach, head down, her dark hair falling over her face. A beautiful, amazing portrait of my girl and child, with the perfect layer of seduction, reminding me my woman’s in the picture too.

Best gift I’ve ever received.

Now that the room is in complete disarray and the girls are engrossed in chatter, Dane jerks his head for me to follow him. They don’t notice as we walk out and he leads me down to his rec room, heading behind the bar to pour us both a short stack of the good stuff.

He raises his glass for a toast. “Another year.”

“Here’s to it.” I clink my glass to his and sample a taste. “Thanks for all the baby stuff, man. You didn’t have to do all that.”

He throws back his head and laughs. “Yes, I did. Laney was hell bent.” He punches my arm. “Kidding. I wanted to.” He eyes me and I know there’s more he wants to say. “We haven’t had a chance to really talk since I laid into ya that day. Where are you and Emmett at now? Better yet, where’s your head at?”

Maybe I should get a fucking t-shirt made so everybody knows, all the time, where I’m at. Namely her.

I take another drink, rolling the smooth whiskey over my tongue, luxuriating as it warms down my throat. “I love her. Honestly, between you and me?” He nods firmly and I rub my head nervously. “I’m scared shitless I won’t be able to do right by them, to provide enough, but I’ll do whatever it takes. Before, what you said, that wasn’t it at all. I never didn’t want her, the baby, the whole thing—I just worry, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know. So this is what you want, you’re sure?”

“Completely.”

“I thought so.” He sets down his glass and opens the drawer nearest him. “Merry Christmas, Sawyer.” He hands me an envelope. “Lord knows I don’t have much luck handing people envelopes, Laney in particular,” he grumbles, “so I’m warning ya, if you refuse it I may lose my shit.”

I eye him questioningly, opening it up. It’s a thick document, folded in thirds, a million words covering the pages. “What is this?”

“It’s a contract. Have someone neutral look over it for you, but in a nutshell, it’s The K.” His face is solemn as he sips his drink, leery of my reaction.

“No,” I shake my head, “no fucking way, man.” I throw the papers on the bar and stand. “I can’t accept that. I can do this on my own. I don’t need handouts!” Anger, shame, embarrassment flood me at once, reminding me of what I already knew; I’m a never has been, biting off more than I can chew and everyone around me can see it. “What the hell, Dane? You don’t think I can take care of my family without goddamn charity? Thanks for the vote of confidence, man.”

“Since I knew this is how you’d react, why don’t you sit the fuck down and let me explain before you go AWOL?”

“I’ll stand.” I cross my arms and widen my stance, challenging him.

“That contract appoints you 51% partner in The K, which you’ve more than earned. You run the place now, with little to no help from me, anyway. You keep doing what you’re doing and buy me out, at a very reasonable price, over time. Not charity, but a legitimate business deal. Just like Tate and the gym, this is not a handout, just a stepping stone that was due you anyway.”

“Tate’s your brother.”

“As are you,” he deadpans.

“You know what I mean.”

“Not really. That baby cooking in her belly? Thought you said that was your baby?”

“It is,” I hiss through my clenched jaw.

“And you’re my brother.”

Fucking Dane, my brother in all the ways that matter, who I wanna punch right now.

“I have more than I can say grace over, Sawyer, you know that. Why would I covet more than I need and watch the people I love struggle? To me, The K is just a club. To you, it’s a game changer.”

“I just cut back my hours to be with Emmett more. I’ve got school, a baby coming,” I’m grasping at straws now, shocked and overwhelmed and looking for an excuse.

“Do you ever hear Laney complaining that I’m not around?”

I shake my head, thinking back to this exact conversation I’d recently had with Emmett.

“Hire six, work them like they’re eight and pay them like they’re ten. Things will run themselves and you can keep your input as is. You can do it. Hell, I’m still tossing around the idea of going back to school myself.”

“No shit? Good for you, man.” I can do, as can he, but… Damn, his offer’s so tempting I can almost taste it—some breathing room, some stability. I have worked my ass off at that club…but can I take it with pride?

“Let me think about it?”

“Whatever you need,” he walks around the bar, slinging an arm over my shoulder, “so long as you say yes.”

CHAPTER 33

Guess Who’s Going to Dinner

***Emmett***

Everything’s happening so fast, I barely have time to catch my breath. One day it was Christmas, then I turned around and it was the middle of January. Which I guess is a good thing since all I hear the women at the clinic saying is how they feel like their pregnancy is taking forever.

Sawyer’s all moved in and back at school…and trying his best to keep his fatigue hidden from me. There’s something else going on with him though, a glaring shift in his demeanor I can’t quite put my finger on. A certain confident air about him, more determination in his steps. And at work, he’s a totally different guy.

Like today for example. I drive myself to work because he had class, and when I walk in, Kasey’s directing people for prep and Sawyer’s nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, Kasey, where’s Sawyer?”

“Office.” He points.

“With Dane?”

“No,” he looks at me like I’ve got two heads, “alone.”

No part of me wants to climb those stairs, but my curiosity gets the better of me so I tackle the feat. Out of breath, I knock lightly on the door.

“Come in,” he answers.

“Hey,” I look around, reconfirming he is, in fact, alone, “whatcha doing?”

He rises from behind the desk, coming to hug me and kiss the top of my head. “You shouldn’t be climbing those stairs, Shorty, but I’m awful glad to see ya. How ya feeling?” He rubs my belly as he speaks.

“Fat and sassy.” I wrap my arms around him, inhaling his sweet scent of man and cologne. “How was your day?”

“Damn near perfect. Listen, I took you off the schedule tonight. I should’ve called before you got all the way here.”

“Okayyyy?”

“I have a lot I want to talk to you about. I thought we’d go out to dinner.”

We never go out to dinner, a definite takeout or homemade, both eaten on the couch couple. I’m definitely intrigued. “Okay,” I agree with what’s apparently my word of the day.

“Let me finish a couple things and we’ll head out.” He kisses my head once more and heads back behind the desk, sitting as though he belongs there, tapping away on the keyboard.

“I’ll just wait for you downstairs then.” I start for the door.

“Crap, hang on.” He jumps back up, jogging over to me. “I’ll walk you down.”

I have to snicker and roll my eyes at his chivalry, as though I’m helpless. “I can make it down some stairs, Sawyer. I’m not that big.” I slap his stomach with a laugh.

“You’re beautiful.” He ushers me down with one arm around my back, the other on my arm. “It’s for my piece of mind; humor me.” When we reach the bottom, he kisses the knuckles of my hand and releases me. “Ten minutes tops.”

I was right, something’s up, and it sounds like I get to find out what it is tonight. I’m praying, like a hooker in heat, whatever the evening holds, it ends in sex. I watch him take the stairs back up two at a time, his jeans stretching tight across his ass; I could probably come on command if he said it in the right voice…if that was possible. But yes, the hormones are still in full effect.

I’m visiting with Kasey but a moment when Sawyer strides up beside me and lays his hand at the small of my back. “Em and I are gonna go. You got it?” he asks Kasey.

“Absolutely,” he salutes him with a huge grin, “don’t worry about a thing.”

“All right, call me if you do end up needing anything. You ready?” He turns to me now and I nod, rising with his help.