Page 58 of Summer Nights

"It was a shock. I get the feeling Ivy plans everything, and this threw her off. She's still trying to get her bearings, and she's worried about what everyone else thinks."

Brady shrugged. "You're adults, so what does it matter?"

"I think reputation matters quite a bit to Ivy."

Brady nodded. "Because of how she grew up?"

"Yeah, she takes care of her siblings as much as she can. She didn't want to bring a child into the world because she wanted to be there for them."

"She still can be." He poked the wood, trying to get the initial spark to ignite more pieces of timber.

"She wanted to pay for their college," I said, proud of her.

Brady whistled. "That's expensive for anyone. But amazing she wanted to do that."

"I don't think her plans have changed. She's been working on bringing in more clients before the baby comes so that she has money to stay home for a bit after he or she is born."

Brady's brow furrowed as he lit the timber. "You're going to support them."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "It's not that easy. Ivy fights me every step of the way."

Brady chuckled. "I hate to say this, but I think I'm going to enjoy the show."

I frowned, throwing more wood on the fire. "What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't long ago that Hazel and I were the center of attention. I'm looking forward to it being you and Dalton for a while. And we all know how this is going to turn out."

My jaw tightened. "What do you mean?"

"You and Ivy."

"What about me and Ivy?"

"You obviously like each other. You have so much chemistry; birth control was an afterthought." He waited a beat for me to protest, but I didn't.

I had forgotten to put on the condom twice. Even though we corrected course, it hadn't changed the outcome.

Brady grinned. "You're obviously going to get together. The co-parenting line is bullshit."

I grabbed a stick to have something to do with my hands. I poked the already burning fire. "Ivy doesn't want to be in a relationship."

Brady threw his stick to the side and dropped into one of the Adirondack chairs. "Yeah, okay."

I glared at him. "You don't know her like I do. She's stubborn.

"She might resist you for a while, but it won't be long before you're together again. If you're not already." Brady raised a knowing brow. I refused to rise to the bait, but Brady let out a loud guffaw. "Oh, man, you're so screwed."

I threw the stick into the fire and brushed off my hands. "You're an asshole; you know that?"

"I'm a happy asshole. I have Hazel, we're engaged, and living together. I got her puppy, Max. Everything I've ever wanted."

"And you're rubbing that in my face?"

He sobered, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. "Not at all. I just want you to have what I do, and I know from experience you're going to go through some shit before you figure this out. It's going to suck for you but be entertaining for me."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," I said as the rest of our family joined us.

The guys broke off to play volleyball, but I hung back with Ivy.

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