“You saying something isn’t meant to stress me out will definitely stress me out,” I interrupt.
She laughs. “Well then, prepare to be stressed for a minute.” Her voice turns gentle as she stares at me. “What will you and Finn do after the baby is born … after you’re finished convincing your parents that he’s the dad?”
I hate that question because I have no idea how to answer it.
Will we stay friends?
Will we have a fake breakup plan?
“I haven’t thought that far ahead.” I narrow my gaze on her. “You guys are the ones who came up with the genius plan. I guess you can come up with post-baby plans too.”
“You two could”—Cassidy hesitates as if trying to come up with the right words—“stay together.”
“Oh, come on,” I sing out, dropping back my head.
“What?” She perks up. “I’m sure Finn would be okay with that plan.”
A knot ties in my belly. “Have you seen the girls Finn has dated? They’re the opposite of me. We’re friends. That’s it.”
“No, I actually haven’t,” she replies. “In all the time that I’ve known Finn, I’ve never seen him with another woman other than you … and our friends, of course.”
The air starts to grow heavy.
My breathing grows ragged.
She’s right.
Finn stopped bringing girls to our social gatherings years ago.
He doesn’t entertain women who flirt with him at the bar, but I’m also not stupid. Just because he doesn’t flirt with them in front of me doesn’t mean he’s abstained from sex. I find it as more of a respect thing for me.
“Same,” Lincoln inputs, twirling a strand of Cassidy’s blond hair around his finger. “Nor have I heard him even mention another woman.”
“You two have sexual chemistry off the charts,” Cassidy adds, nodding with certainty. “Try it. What do you have to lose?”
“Um, our friendship,” I say like duh.
“Cass and I were scared of that too,” Lincoln says, shooting Cassidy a flirtatious grin. “When we got our heads out of our asses and took the risk, it was worth it.” Throwing his arm around Cassidy’s shoulders, he drags her closer to him and kisses the slant of her jaw. “It’s what happened with all our friends. Take that damn risk, Grace. You only have one life, and trust me, shit can change in an instant.” He snaps his fingers. “I know that from experience.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Apprehension and fear gather within me. Lincoln and Cassidy take the hint that I’ve had enough talk, and our conversation gears toward a drunken idiot at the bar story. The conversation of Finn moving in doesn’t arise again. I’m not sure if it’s them giving me a mental break or if they’re upset with me. I make a mental note to ask when my nerves aren’t on fire.
It’s not long until I tread down the hallway and into my bedroom. I pull my phone from my bag to find a good-night text from Finn.
As I slide into bed, my brain goes through memories of Finn.
Other than my father, he’s been the most reliable man in my life. When he says he’ll be there, he’ll be there.
I trust Finn with my life … but can I trust him with my heart?
Chapter Fourteen
Finn
My eyes are heavy as I walk into Twisted Fox.
I spent my night thinking about Brian’s job offer. I’d made it clear to everyone at dinner last night that I wouldn’t make any decisions until I talked to my friends.
As soon as Cohen and Archer decided to open Twisted Fox, they offered me a job. I’ve worked in bars for as long as I’ve legally been able to.
Okay, that’s a lie.
I helped in one before I was even legally able to get my license. My father was a frequent patron at a local bar, and since I was the one always picking him up, the owner hired me to pick up trash and miscellaneous bullshit while I was waiting on my dad to have just one more.
I think the owner felt sorry for me and didn’t want me at home with no supervision that young. He paid me under the table. It wasn’t much, but it paid for my food and the school supplies my father was too broke to buy me. It also paid for the times he held out his hand, asking for every penny I had to make my contribution to the bills.
When I turned twenty-one, I started legally working in bars since it was quick money. It stuck, and I’ve stayed with it since. Working in bars is what led me to my friends, and I’ll always be thankful for that.
Cohen is one of the kindest dudes I know. He’s had it rough, practically raising his sister and then becoming a single dad. The baby mama dipped on him right after giving birth, and then years later, he started hanging out with her younger sister. Some drama happened, but now, they’re happy.
I rub the back of my neck before knocking on Cohen’s office door. The door is open, but he’s my boss, so I respect his privacy and wait for him to let me in.
Cohen looks away from his phone and toward the doorway. “Hey, man.”
I rock back on my heels. “Can I talk to you and Archer real quick?”
“Sure.” His brows draw together as he sets his phone down and stands. “We’ll go to his office because he’ll bitch if he has to come to mine.”
I chuckle. “Fact.”
As much as we love Archer, the dude has to be the crankiest son of a bitch I’ve ever met—and I grew up around addicts. He’s not a people person, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a big heart.
We walk the few steps to Archer’s office, and unlike Cohen’s, the door is shut. There’s never an open invitation into Archer’s world.
“Just a minute,” Georgia yells from the other side after I knock.
I cast a glance to Cohen, who’s pulling at his hair.
“They’re having relationship talks in there,” he says.
I paste on a smile. “That’s definitely what they’re doing.”
Neither of us is convinced that’s what’s happening behind Archer’s closed door.
The door flies open, and Georgia walks out, straightening out her skirt.
“Really?” Cohen grumbles.
“What?” Georgia asks, her cheeks red. “We were discussing the schedule.”
I snort.
Cohen motions toward the hallway. “Go home and read the Bible.”
She smirks and waves good-bye.
Archer reclines in his chair, his large stature making the desk appear small. He eyes us suspiciously as if we’re coming to him with a problem. He prefers to pour drinks and handle business, not deal with employee drama.
Cohen does a sweeping gesture of the room, pinching his lips together. “Dude, do whatever you want under your own roof. Not here.”
Archer’s mood is unreadable. “I expect the same rules to apply to you and Jamie then.” A flicker of a self-satisfied smile briefly flashes along his lips.
Cohen flips him off.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Archer asks, getting straight to the point.
Cohen casts a glance my way.
“I was offered a job,” I say before stopping and holding up a finger. “Not that I was looking. Grace’s brother-in-law offered me a position at his company since I’ll be there for the whole”—I hesitate, my mouth turning dry as I search for the right explanation—“pregnancy thing.”