Dane figured it probably made him a bastard to admit that part of him cheered at the realization that either he or Walker was going to be tied to Joy for the rest of their lives.He only hoped their friendship could survive considering they had both been in love with her for years, despite the fact that neither of them was good enough for her.
Walker didn’t budge though he muttered a sardonic toast, “Here’s to new beginnings.”
Dane hissed over his shoulder, “Come on.”
“You go.”Walker hesitated, so very unlike him when he was around anyone but Joy, who’d always been his kryptonite.“It can’t be me.I’m her goddamned stepbrother.How would that look?”
“Like you’re not leaving a woman you care about and her infant out in the cold.Like you’re not a piece-of-shit deadbeat if that child turns out to be yours.”Dane refused to leave Joy hanging another moment.As it was, she was looking back and forth between him and Walker and then at all the other people gathered there—who’d pretty much all turned to stare at the unfamiliar face in their midst—as though she might bolt right into the frigid, inky night.
Alone.Cold.And scared.
Dane could read her fear in the stubborn tilt of her head that meant she was drawing on pure bravado.As always, it turned him on to see her in fight mode, though he wished she hadn’t needed to don her imaginary armor so often in her past.Especially that one time…
When he’d failed her.
Dane lurched to a stop.
Would Joy even want him to be involved with her child when he hadn’t been able to keep her safe?When he’d let her down so miserably?
No, she would prefer Walker.Always had even if she’d tried to hide her attraction.
In that moment, all of the circumstances and objections that had spurred Walker and Dane to leave her reared up and kept them apart.Their hesitation nearly cost them everything.
Joy saw both of them frozen in place and turned to Tom.“I’m sorry.This was a bad idea.I’m going to go…”
“Like hell you are.”Amber—the wife of the Hot Rides garage owner, Gavyn—inched toward Joy, one hand resting on her own very pronounced baby bump while the other was outstretched toward their party crasher.“Forgive me if I say you look exhausted.I couldn’t sleep tonight if you left on these pitch-black winter roads with that tiny baby.Please, come in.Let’s shut these doors and warm you both up.Even if you’re okay, your…”
“Daughter,” Joy said as she pulled a blanket away from the baby’s face and smiled softly.Her maternal affection, something none of them had experienced, was the most moving thing Dane had ever laid his eyes on.His chest ached as he watched Joy studying her child with such pride and awe.There was no doubt the baby was hers either.Joy’s possessive grip said it plain enough.Though even if it hadn’t, the shape of the infant’s eyes, the color of her hair… All Joy.“Her name is Arden.”
Dane stutter-stepped at the name.He looked again at Walker, in time to see his best friend stagger then hunch over as if he’d been punched in the gut.Apparently he too remembered the random conversation they’d had one summer night, when he and Joy had been cuddled up watching a movie in Walker’s room.Joy and Dane had tossed out some of their favorite names for their hypothetical future children when out of nowhere, Walker had said, “I’ve always liked the name Arden.”
They’d teased him about it some…not because it wasn’t a gorgeous name, but it was so unlike him to admit to having ever thought about a future that included a family of his own.That was the first clue Dane had gotten that Walker might be more than a little jealous of Dane’s relationship with his stepsister.
While Dane—and apparently Walker too—concentrated on drawing a breath past his constricted chest, Amber came to the rescue.
“A beautiful name for an even more beautiful baby.”She said with a thickness in her voice that meant she might cry.If anyone called her on her out-of-control hormones, she’d probably do some of that ass kicking she was capable of, even while about-to-pop pregnant.“She needs shelter even if you don’t, okay?Please, come in out of the cold.You’re welcome here.We take care of our own.”
Several of the other people gathered around echoed Amber’s invitation.
“I’m nobody’s.”Joy swallowed hard even as her gaze dropped.
Dane stood straighter at that and put a hand out toward her, though, like always, he was too far away to actually reach her.
“Somehow I don’t think that’s true,” Amber murmured.
Joy looked between her and Walker, who nodded.Dane followed suit.
They sure as hell weren’t about to send her away.At least not until they’d figured out what the fuck was going on and helped her however they could.Even if that meant keeping her away from them now that everything had shifted once more.
They’d have to keep themselves in check until then.
Her shoulders drooped a bit and she murmured, “Thank you.”
Tom smiled at her and closed the door, shutting Joy in with them.Too far away to make it possible, Dane imagined he caught the sweet vanilla scent he associated with her.Then Tom turned the music back on, though lower, and shooed the rest of the crowd away to give them some space to get reacquainted.
While he did, Amber’s mom and Tom’s wife, Ms.Brown stepped in to take Joy under her wing.“Come on, honey.There’s hot chocolate in the break room.My other daughter, Nola, has her two kids here tonight too.There are several others playing somewhere around.You seem new to this, but we’re not.Let’s get you settled and you can tell us what you need.We’ve got you covered.”
Walker seemed as stunned as Dane, though they recovered enough to intercept Joy and Ms.Brown on the edge of the impromptu dance floor.He still had no idea what to say to her, though.So he stood there like an idiot, staring at Arden.