Page 93 of Not Your Average Vixen
“But there are eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen. Comet, and Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. Well, nine with Rudolph,” Tom replied.
“We had to nix Blitzen. Too many folks came in to getblitzedon Blitzen night. You’ve never seen unruly until you’ve seen a herd of drunk Santas.”
Soren bit back a grin and shared an amused look with Tom. “I can imagine.”
There! They were back—sharing inside jokes and shooting the shit!
“And the Rudolph burger is only available on Christmas Eve, of course,” the woman answered before heading off to check on another table.
“Your namesake’s got a burger,” Tom joked, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Something was on the guy’s mind. Soren nodded, giving his friend space to talk.
Tom tapped the table pensively. “Listen, Scooter, I want to tell you something that I haven’t told anyone.”
This was it. He could see it in Tom’s expression. Despite all theLori’s the onetalk, he wasn’t completely sure.
“You can trust me with anything,” he replied.
Tom nodded, then drained his beer stein in one long gulp.
This had to be big. Soren leaned forward.
Tom set the empty glass on the table and stared at it as if he were rehearsing something in his mind.
“I’m just going to say it. Not even Birdie knows this.”
“Just say it, Tommy. You know I’m behind you no matter what.”
Tom released a slow breath. “I hoped you’d say that.”
“Well, what’s weighing so heavy?” he pressed.
“Lori’s pregnant. I’m going to be a dad. I had to share it with you, Soren. And I could use a night of getting hammered with my best friend,” he revealed with a glazed, dumbfounded grin.
“Pregnant?” Soren repeated as the blood in his veins went ice cold.
No fucking wonder he was marrying her, and no wonder Tom wanted to knock back a few.
“Life will never be the same,” Tom added, shaking his head.
Soren stared at the man. No shit!
Now, it was his turn to chug the beer. What the hell was he supposed to do now?
The waitress stopped at their tables and assessed the empty steins. “You boys must be thirsty. Can I get you two another round?”
Was this their last round? Had the judge figured out what was going on with Tom and Lori? Was that why he’d gotten thetreasured momentsspeech?
Soren pulled his credit card from his wallet and set it on the table. “Open up a tab and keep the rounds coming. We’re drinking until we can’t see straight,” he said, doing his best to keep his tone even.
“I’m in!” Tom replied, slapping the table.
The sound reverberated like a door slamming shut.
And that door was the one that led to the only place he’d ever felt whole. He looked at Tom and wondered if that’s what his father had looked like when his mother had dropped the news of her surprise pregnancy.
A pregnancy neither wanted, producing a bundled burden they were wholly unprepared to meet.
