“Someone is a little full of themselves. Damn shame too, as I thought you were the level-headed one.”
“I was, until I procreated.”
“You make it sound like a sexually transmitted disease. Babies are lovely. Right, Magic?” Ian smiled up at Zoe as she approached. He took the tray of drinks from her and set it on the low coffee table between us, then patted his lap for Zoe to sit. She arched a brow and sat on the arm of his chair. “In fact, her only regret is that she can’t become pregnant again until she has this one.” He patted her belly.
She shoved his hand away, but I didn’t miss her small smile.
“You two have the oddest relationship.” I leaned forward to dump my shot of brandy into the tea. I hadn’t truly expected to be served spirits other than their apple wine varieties and moonshine, but then again, the brandy probably had an apple tinge to it.
I didn’t care. As long as it took the edge off, sign me up.
“It works for us.” Before Zoe could attempt to reach for her own tea, Ian did the honors, stirring in honey and sugar at some precise quantity only they knew. Then he handed it to her and she granted him a rare full smile before she took a sip.
I swallowed some of my own and nearly screamed like a newborn as it scalded my throat.
“Sorry. I should’ve said it’s piping hot.” Zoe balanced her tea cup on the swell of her belly. “So, how is Ivy?”
“She’s well.”
“Gee, so much information. Don’t overwhelm me.” Zoe drank more of her tea. Her throat must be lined with steel.
“What do you want to know? She’s with child. It’s mine,” I said pointedly to Ian, who held up his hands in the perfect picture of innocence. “She’s not doing poorly right now, although it’s early days yet.”
“I hope she’s okay. I should call her.” Zoe frowned into her tea. “That day I saw her at Kinleigh’s, she indicated she might be, but I was hoping she wasn’t for her sake.”
“Why would you say that?” I snapped. “Do you really think it’s so burdensome to be carrying my child?”
Wonderful. Now I was the one shouting. I wasn’t a big deal like Ian in the rock arena, but my name was mentioned often enough in the trades. At the rate I was going, I might as well just phone in a tip to The Tattler and pocket the fee myself.
“Oh, I don’t know, because you’re never around and she’s a hometown girl. A very sweet girl who deserves a family if she wants one, not a guy who comes in and out dropping sperm.”
“So, now it’s all my fault? I did this alone?”
“No. But she’s handling it alone, isn’t she? You just showed up today.”
“Yesterday,” I muttered as guilt and shame twined through my stomach. To combat it, I swallowed more tea. It had cooled off, but at that moment, I wouldn’t have cared if it burned through to my vocal cords.
Zoe was making too much sense, even if I hadn’t known. I only hadn’t known because I hadn’t stepped up.
My first act as a father had been to duck and weave.
“I can just bet you haven’t been going through this with her,” Zoe continued. “She’s probably working her ass to the bone right now while you’ve come here to have Ian assuage your guilty conscience.”
All at once, the righteous anger bled out of me. “You’re right.”
“And for another thing—” Zoe blinked. “Huh?”
“You’re right. I’m always quick to say I never led her on, but things change. People change. I knew soon enough I was developing feelings for her, and in that, I did lie. Because I’m in love with her and she doesn’t know.”
One of them gasped. Possibly both. I was too busy tossing back the last of my tea to notice which.
And that brandy went down smooth.
Ian hadn’t touched his shot glass so I picked it up and drank it. He laughed and came around the coffee table to slap me on the back. “Well, congratulations then, Daddy-to-be. Looks like I beat you there, but at least you’re on the track.”
I couldn’t do more than smile. Weakly.
I was really going to do this. Invest 110 percent, whatever that meant.