“I know that now,” Tyler shot back. “We screwed up. And I’m going to make it right.”
“How? Just tell me how?”
Tyler groaned. He did not have the emotional energy to deal with this man. Steve’s temper was just beginning to get annoying.
“Get it into your head, Steve. Do you know why I chose Kristie to carry my baby?”
“Because you trust her. Kristie said so.”
“It’s more than that.” Tyler took a deep breath. “I love her. I didn’t realise that until more recently. I wanted her, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.”
“So you asked her to carry your baby instead?” Steve scoffed. “You can’t be that pathetic.”
Tyler didn’t answer. He knew he was pathetic. Hearing it all out loud from an outside perspective was really driving it home. It was all he could do not to hang his head.
“Fuck,” Steve breathed. “You really are pathetic.”
“I…I don’t really have a response to that.”
“All this to get Kristie?”
“My desire to be a dad is strong. I’m not discarding that.” Tyler swallowed. “But when I thought about Kristie, it just felt right. She is just…she was it for me.”
“You do know you could have gotten it just by asking her out, treating her like a girlfriend, and then asking her to have your kid.”
“Would you have agreed to that? You do hover over Kristie too much.”
Steve looked like he was about to protest, but then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I guess so. She’s my baby sister, and I’ve always seen her as that.”
“She’s an adult now, and it’s up to her what she wants.”
“Do you think she wants you? She’s very protective over you, even after I found out what you were doing. She was pretty much screaming at me, and she’s never done that before.”
Tyler hadn’t realised that. He hadn’t expected that. Maybe he hadn’t screwed this up.
“I’m going to ask her to be my girlfriend, Steve. I don’t care what you think, and I don’t care what the rules are. If it means I have to move clubs, I’ll do it, but I’m not letting Kristie go.”
“Like hell are you leaving the club. I’ll make sure you’re staying.” Steve shook his head. “No fucking way are we losing one of our best bowlers.”
“Even if I’ve screwed your sister?”
“As long as you don’t put it into so many words. Just do what’s right by Kristie, and I’ll tone down my attitude.” Steve spread his hands. “As long as my sister is happy, and you don’t screw her over. Think you can do that?”
Tyler didn’t need to think. He knew he could do it.
“Would you have kicked my ass if I had said otherwise?”
“If you had said anything other than you love her, I would have. I know what you’re like with women, and I didn’t want my sister to become another notch on your bedpost.”
“No more notches. She’s it for me.”
“She’d better be,” Steve warned. “Otherwise you’ll have to deal with me beating the shit out of you for hurting her.”
Tyler didn’t doubt that at all.
* * *