Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3)

He stood up. “I know, but we need to celebrate. Rocco! Another round for the table.”

My brothers tossed back their drinks, so I went ahead and swallowed mine. It burned going down, but I was starting to feel better. Warm, loose, calm. Maybe even a little bit happy?

Zachary was happy for me. Could I be happy too?

That was probably the bourbon, but I couldn’t help the half smile on my lips.

Theo got up to help Zachary bring the drinks over from the bar. They sat and Zachary lifted his glass.

“To Garrett and Harper. And to the crazy fucking curve balls life throws at us.”

I could drink to that. I lifted my glass, then drank it in one swallow.

That one didn’t even burn.

“Lissen,” I said, vaguely noticing my speech was a little off. “Don’t tell Dad and Mom yet. Or anyone.”

“We got you, bro,” Luke said.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” I continued. “I’m a cop and responsible father. Or I thought I was.”

“That’s why this isn’t the worst news,” Zachary said. “You’re a great father.”

I had the most insane urge to get up and hug him. That was definitely the bourbon. Instead, I lifted my empty glass, as if to toast again. “Thanks, Z.”

“Need another?” he asked.

“Sure, why the hell not?”

“Rocco, my good man,” Zachary called as he stood. “Another round.”

My head was getting increasingly fuzzy, but I couldn’t seem to make myself worry about it. There was a part of me, buried beneath the alcohol, trying to remind me that drinking lowered inhibitions and led to poor decision making. That while another drink sounded like a great idea, it was anything but.

Unfortunately, I was already too drunk to listen.

Another drink turned into two. Or maybe three. I lost track. We gave each other shit, like we always did, and laughed our asses off. I had no idea which one of us was staying sober or how we were all getting home.

Or maybe I was the only drunk one. That was a solid possibility.

They gave me crap about Harper, repeating the “compatibility symbol” with their hands. We teased Josiah and Zachary about going soft for their wives, but we didn’t really mean it. There was something unexpected and a little bit awesome about seeing Josiah and Zachary both happily married.

If I was being completely honest, I was jealous.

I’d never had what they did, even when I was married. Was that what Harper wanted? Was I crazy for thinking about it?

Probably.

But she did something to me. Filled a void I didn’t like to acknowledge. I’d fallen hard and fast for that woman, and maybe it wasn’t the worst thing in the world that we were having a baby together. Maybe it was meant to be.

I picked my head up, realizing I’d put it down on the table.

“Come on, my dude.” Zachary and Luke hoisted me up between them.

“I this got.” I shook my head, trying to clear it. “I got this.”

“Yeah, you do.” Zachary draped my arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go. Time for bed.”

“Drank too much,” I muttered. “Blood alcohol above limit legal. No, above legal limit. Too high.”