Page 10 of The Hermit on the Hill

"Any chance we can skip this part? I've got a busy day ahead."

"Nope. Your problems are my problems."

"That only applies to the business. Your dating life was of no interest to me until you started sleeping with the manager of one of our properties."

"His name is Damian, asshole. And he's my boyfriend. Don't pretend you don't care after you shed tears of sympathy when Randall dumped me."

"There was something in my eye. And that guy was a complete asshole. Who dumps someone via postcard?"

"Tell me what happened," Marcus said. "I've got shit to do, too, you know."

I led the way into the kitchen and handed him one of the Kombucha drinks I kept on hand just for him.

We settled in at the kitchen island. "That conference I went to last spring?"

"So you could figure out some way to get into those academic databases to continue your wild goose chase?"

I ignored his snark. "There's more to that story than I might have mentioned."

"You don't say," he said, all sarcasm. "Let me guess, it involved a woman. I told you, living like a monk leads to nothing but blue balls and bad choices."

Damn, I hated it when he was right. "She showed up at my house today. She walked right in while I was in the shower like she owned the place. And she didn't even bother to apologize."

"She isn't the one you stole the credentials from, is she?"

I said nothing. I was a jackass and Marcus knew it, but this was low, even for me.

"You slept with herbeforeyou stole her credentials?" He snorted. "I don't even know why I'm surprised. Blue balls and bad choices. How'd she find you?"

I scrubbed a hand over my face. "There might be a photograph at the gallery of my ass."

Marcus nearly spit out his Kombucha. He swallowed with obvious effort, before laughing for a good two minutes. "That's you? Shit, that's priceless."

"What are you doing?"

"Texting Damian. He's going to love this."

I grabbed his phone. "Can we focus on my problem for a minute?" Now that he'd gotten me to 'fess up, I wanted his opinion on this mess more than I'd ever admit.

He took his phone back, but put it face down on the counter. "What did she want?"

"Didn't really get a chance to find out. Her brothers showed up, ready to beat me up. Beat me up or do some shit to me involving maple syrup and feathers."

Marcus snorted. "Please tell me they did it and took pictures."

"No. She stopped them, and then she left with them." I paused. I didn't have to tell Marcus anything. The baby might not even be mine. Jenna might have just had an enormous meal. But if… "I think she might be pregnant and I think it might be mine. We might have to pivot a bit with our plans to buy out the brewery. I don't want more of my money tied up until I know for sure what her deal is."

I despised the pity in Marcus' eyes. "I'm so fucking sorry, man. This is the last thing you ever wanted."

Marcus knew me better than anyone, which meant he knew I'd had a rough childhood and had always sworn I wouldn't have children until I had a stable home to bring them into. That had been something I'd desperately wanted, a wife and a bunch of kids, a happy home.

"Yeah, well, it is what it is. We'll figure it out and we'll make it work."

"Keep me updated, but I'll alert the lawyers."

"Thanks, man. Now, what's your bad news?"

"It's not all bad news. Damian and I'd like to have you over Friday night. We'll grill. His parents are in town and his sister will be there. She's really sweet, man."

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