anywhere but work in weeks. What’s going on?”
I pulled him down the hall into the living room, though he was very reluctant to move. He faced me his hands on his hips. We stared down each other; the cop versus the cowboy. I broke first.
“It’s Angela Butler.”
His jaw dropped. I wiped my hand down my face and moved around the sofa. I clicked off the TV. He remained silent. I went back into the kitchen and fished two beers out of the fridge. He took one and poured half of it down his throat.
“You’re seeing Angela Butler?”
“No, but she’s staying here.
“Any reason why?”
“Caleb,” Angie echoed from down the hall. “Since your brother knows I’m here now, can I use the bathroom please?”
“Yeah.”
The door creaked open and we listened as she walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
“Hi, Paul,” Angie said, drawing his attention.
Paul’s mouth fell open. “You got her fucking pregnant, dude?”
The bathroom door clicked shut, leaving me to field this one on my own. I took a swig of my beer. Paul stared at me with the look of someone who had just been punched in the gut.
“The baby isn’t mine,” I explained.
“Okay … So, why is she living with you and not the father?”
“The father’s dead, man. Leave it alone now.” I glared at him.
He conceded with a bow of the head. I lifted my beer and chugged a considerable amount.
“You could have brought her to dinner, though,” he said after a moment.
I almost choked on my drink. I glared at my brother again. “Did parenthood make you stupid or something? I can’t bring her to a dinner with Tom and Lance.”
“But everyone’s married, man. Can’t it just be water under the bridge?”
“Not for me,” I mumbled and went back to the kitchen to throw my bottle away.
“Caleb, what are you getting into?” Paul followed me into the kitchen.
I leaned on the counter and shook my head. “I don’t know, dude. My head’s a fog right now. She makes me unable to think straight, and I need to think straight.”
“You need to get laid, dude.”
“God help me for admitting this, but I don’t want to.” There it was: The truth. It came out hard and flat, a cold admission to both my brother and myself. I wanted her .
The bathroom door creaked open. Angie walked into the room and headed over to my brother. “It’s really good to see you again, Paul.”
She gave him a hug. Paul was always nice to her … probably because he didn’t sleep with her.
“It’s good to see you, too. So … ah … how far along are you?”
“Well, I have about a month, so your timing is perfect.”
My brother looked at me. I looked back at him. We both looked at Angie.
“Why?” I asked.
“I’m going to need a doctor, Caleb. I don’t think you’re qualified to deliver babies, and frankly, I’ll need drugs. So, we’re going to have to figure something out here.”
“I’ll text over all the info for Ellie’s doctor later.” Paul looked at me and I knew I’d have to tell him the whole story one day. Today was not that day.
“That would be great,” I said. “And thanks for the food. With the human garbage disposal here, I can’t keep anything in this house.”
“Oh, shut up, Caleb. It was good to see you, Paul. Don’t tell anyone I’m here.” She smiled.
Paul shook his head as he eyed me with a look that said he’d be back for answers. Paul left a few minutes later and I locked the door behind him. I returned my gun to the closet. Angie grabbed up the plates and started to carry them toward the sink when I met her half way and took the plates from her. “I’ve got these. Go finish watching the movie.”
“I have a better idea,” she said following me into the kitchen. She cleared the other plates from the table. “Why don’t we be lazy and leave these in the sink overnight so you can watch the movie with me?”
I helped her stack the dishes in the sink and said, “I like this plan.”
She grabbed the
I pulled him down the hall into the living room, though he was very reluctant to move. He faced me his hands on his hips. We stared down each other; the cop versus the cowboy. I broke first.
“It’s Angela Butler.”
His jaw dropped. I wiped my hand down my face and moved around the sofa. I clicked off the TV. He remained silent. I went back into the kitchen and fished two beers out of the fridge. He took one and poured half of it down his throat.
“You’re seeing Angela Butler?”
“No, but she’s staying here.
“Any reason why?”
“Caleb,” Angie echoed from down the hall. “Since your brother knows I’m here now, can I use the bathroom please?”
“Yeah.”
The door creaked open and we listened as she walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
“Hi, Paul,” Angie said, drawing his attention.
Paul’s mouth fell open. “You got her fucking pregnant, dude?”
The bathroom door clicked shut, leaving me to field this one on my own. I took a swig of my beer. Paul stared at me with the look of someone who had just been punched in the gut.
“The baby isn’t mine,” I explained.
“Okay … So, why is she living with you and not the father?”
“The father’s dead, man. Leave it alone now.” I glared at him.
He conceded with a bow of the head. I lifted my beer and chugged a considerable amount.
“You could have brought her to dinner, though,” he said after a moment.
I almost choked on my drink. I glared at my brother again. “Did parenthood make you stupid or something? I can’t bring her to a dinner with Tom and Lance.”
“But everyone’s married, man. Can’t it just be water under the bridge?”
“Not for me,” I mumbled and went back to the kitchen to throw my bottle away.
“Caleb, what are you getting into?” Paul followed me into the kitchen.
I leaned on the counter and shook my head. “I don’t know, dude. My head’s a fog right now. She makes me unable to think straight, and I need to think straight.”
“You need to get laid, dude.”
“God help me for admitting this, but I don’t want to.” There it was: The truth. It came out hard and flat, a cold admission to both my brother and myself. I wanted her .
The bathroom door creaked open. Angie walked into the room and headed over to my brother. “It’s really good to see you again, Paul.”
She gave him a hug. Paul was always nice to her … probably because he didn’t sleep with her.
“It’s good to see you, too. So … ah … how far along are you?”
“Well, I have about a month, so your timing is perfect.”
My brother looked at me. I looked back at him. We both looked at Angie.
“Why?” I asked.
“I’m going to need a doctor, Caleb. I don’t think you’re qualified to deliver babies, and frankly, I’ll need drugs. So, we’re going to have to figure something out here.”
“I’ll text over all the info for Ellie’s doctor later.” Paul looked at me and I knew I’d have to tell him the whole story one day. Today was not that day.
“That would be great,” I said. “And thanks for the food. With the human garbage disposal here, I can’t keep anything in this house.”
“Oh, shut up, Caleb. It was good to see you, Paul. Don’t tell anyone I’m here.” She smiled.
Paul shook his head as he eyed me with a look that said he’d be back for answers. Paul left a few minutes later and I locked the door behind him. I returned my gun to the closet. Angie grabbed up the plates and started to carry them toward the sink when I met her half way and took the plates from her. “I’ve got these. Go finish watching the movie.”
“I have a better idea,” she said following me into the kitchen. She cleared the other plates from the table. “Why don’t we be lazy and leave these in the sink overnight so you can watch the movie with me?”
I helped her stack the dishes in the sink and said, “I like this plan.”
She grabbed the
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