Page 11 of Happily Evan After (Dog Tags #5)
chapter
eleven
Evan
I am not in the mood to meet with the guys right now, but I’ve been summoned to the VFW Hall, where we currently have our staff meetings. It’s been a hell of a twenty-four hours. A life-changing twenty-four hours.
My phone rings and I see Abel’s name flash up.
“It’s about fucking time,” I say as a greeting.
“Good morning to you, too, Mary Sunshine. What crawled up your ass and died?” My brother’s voice comes through my truck’s speakers.
“I called you like four times last night,” I say. “Where were you?”
“Production meeting. Everything is a shit show here, but I’ll figure it out. What’s going on there?”
“I’m going to be a father,” I blurt. Shit, I meant to ease into that part. Tell him about Marley.
“What?”
“A dad. You know, me, which I guess means you’re going to be an uncle.”
“You knocked someone up? Are you sure it’s yours? Did you take a paternity test? Don’t make any promises, verbal or otherwise, until you speak to an attorney. I can have one of mine call you,” Abel says.
“Slow your roll, brother. No, I didn’t take a paternity test, but yes, I’m sure it’s mine.”
“Have you been in an exclusive relationship you haven’t told me about?”
“Well, no. But I know her. She wouldn’t lie about anything, much less something this big.”
My phone pings with an incoming text.
DANE: Meeting only works if you come inside and sit with us. Not stay in your fucking truck.
I blow out a breath.
“Abel, I gotta go. Work meeting. We can talk later, yeah?”
“Course. But promise me you’ll talk to an attorney.”
“I really don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Evan, be serious, man. This girl could be?—”
“What? After your money? She doesn’t even know who you are. Or maybe she knows you, the movie star, but she doesn’t know you’re my brother.”
He’s still protesting when I disconnect our call.
Yeah, Hollywood has not been good for Abel’s trust issues.
When you have a dad who only pops into your life when he needs something—primarily to borrow money—then you tend not to take people at their word.
Abel and I handled our distrust in different ways.
I joined the Army and learned that you can actually rely on some people. Abel ran off to Hollywood and became a blockbuster hit.
ABEL: Call my attorney. I’ll share his contact info with you.
I roll my eyes as I get out of my truck and head inside the VFW. Sure enough, as soon as I step inside, I can easily see that the rest of the guys are already here and gathered around one of the large tables.
Per usual, Romeo is whittling something.
“About damn time,” Dane mutters as I sit at the table.
“Give the kid a break,” Romeo says.
“Dane filled us in a little on your situation,” Liam says.
I shoot a glare at my boss. “Not your news to share,” I mutter.
“Is it good news?” Jack asks.
“Yes, it’s good news. I’m excited about the baby, but even more so to have found my girl,” I say.
“I feel like we’re missing details,” Flynn says.
“Not a whole lot of details to share. We met in Crescent Bend, right before I moved down here. Shared an incredible night together. We had originally agreed on no names, but by the time I woke up the next morning, I was ready to give her my Social Security number, if she needed it. But she was already gone.”
I shrug. “I tried to ask about her, but I knew next to nothing about her except that there was something special between us and I wanted more.”
“So then what all happened yesterday?” Beau asks.
“You know the veterinarian was giving me a hard time yesterday via text. I decided I was going to go over there and meet her so she could feel more confident in my ability to administer the vaccines. But we never even got to that part. I walked in, saw her, and she ran away.”
“She came to my house to see Shelby,” Dane adds.
“And you kicked my ass without knowing the full story,” I say.
He holds his hands up. “Look, I have a younger sister. When girls cry, I act, that’s just how it is.”
“You thought I’d done it on purpose. Got her pregnant, that is.”
“Incorrect. I thought you’d been a moron and hadn’t worn a condom,” Dane clarifies.
“Same fucking difference,” I mutter.
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions,” Dane says.
“And?”
“And I’m sorry I messed up your pretty face.”
“Thank you.”
“That is quite a shiner you’ve got,” Flynn says.
“I suspected as much yesterday, watching you with her, but am I right to assume you want to be with Marley?” Dane asks. “Long term?”
“You know what’s funny? I totally asked her to marry me that night. She never answered. Probably assumed I was joking, and maybe I was. But I think a part of me knew she was meant to be mine. The baby proves that.”
“So then what’s the problem?” Beau asks.
“She doesn’t want to be with me,” I say. “Or at least she doesn’t want to be an obligation to me.”
“That’s easy enough to fix,” Liam says.
All eyes turn to him.
“You just have to show up. Again and again. Eventually she’ll believe that you mean what you say. That you’re not going anywhere. And that you’ll wait for her as long as she needs you to.”
I nod. “I can do that.”
“You bet your ass you can,” Flynn says. “And we’ll help.”