Tough Love
Page 101
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Even when this—” she gestured between them “—ends, I hope they’ll remain my friends.”
“Nothing between us is ending.”
She blinked at him, making him realize that he’d raised his voice. Stomping down the irritation, Stack gathered his control, lowered his tone and tried to sound more reasonable.
“You know how I feel about lies.”
She gasped hard. “I didn’t lie.”
Distraught, Tabby rushed to agree. “Seriously, Stack, I begged her to keep my secrets.” Fresh tears sprouted. “I couldn’t talk to you, knowing how you hated Phil and how...how stupid I’d been.” Her choked voice immediately brought Vanity to her side. This time it didn’t calm Tabby. “I know I’ve screwed up everything. But this time, it’s the worst!”
For once, Tabby’s upset seemed sincere. Stack stared down at her, knowing there were things she hadn’t yet told him.
Vanity glared at him as if he were the one who’d upset her.
“Whatever it is,” he said over the noise Tabby made, “we’ll figure it out.”
“There, you see?” Vanity told her. “Didn’t I tell you it’d be okay?”
Tabby nodded while wiping away her ruined makeup. “I’m so sorry, Stack. I know I’ve said that a million times, but I mean it. I’m sorry, and somehow I’m going to make it work.”
Make what work?
Vanity rubbed her shoulder. “You have no reason to be sorry. Trust your brother.”
Did Vanity trust him, then? He hoped so. “Tabby?”
She wouldn’t look at him, but when she whispered, “I’m pregnant,” he heard her loud and clear.
And still he repeated dumbly, “Pregnant?”
With another sob, she nodded.
“Phil’s?”
Wailing, Tabby buried her face in her crossed arms on the table.
Stack nudged Vanity aside and went to his knees beside his sister. He smiled just a little. A baby. Wow. “Tabby?” He goosed her side. “Turn off the waterworks, okay? A baby is...well, not a bad thing. Not at all.”
Her head jerked up. “You mean it?”
Never had he seen his sister look so miserable. “Of course I mean it.” The smile widened. “Mom’s going to flip.”
Tabby cried, laughed, choked a little more. “That’s what I told Vanity.”
He twisted to see Vanity standing there, her face filled with uncertainty. “You knew about this, too?”
She nodded.
Damn, she was good at keeping a secret. He’d have to remember that.
He turned back to his sister. “I promise you, this isn’t going to be the hardship you’re imagining.”
“She wants the baby,” Vanity interjected.
“Of course she does.” He glanced at her again. “I do know my sister, darlin’.”
“Oh.” Vanity rubbed her arms. “Yes, of course you do.”
Reclaiming his attention, Tabby said with accusation, “You weren’t happy to know I kicked Phil out.”
“I misspoke and I’m sorry. Believe me, whatever your reasons, I’m sure it was one hundred percent the right thing to do.” However it happened, no matter why it happened, removing Phil from her life was a good move. Especially now, with a kid involved.
But at least when Phil lived with Tabby, Stack knew where to find him. Now, if the bastard went to ground, it’d be tougher to corral him.
“You asked if the baby was his.” Tabby waited for his explanation on that.
“Only because you were so upset. I thought maybe something else was going on.” A thought occurred to him, and he frowned. “Does Phil know?”
Tabby’s eyes went liquid again. “I told him.” She shredded the napkins in her wringing hands. “He...he said it wasn’t his problem.”
Pleased to know Phil wouldn’t be in the picture, mucking it up, Stack smiled at his sister. “How could a baby be anyone’s problem?”
“Even if Phil’s the father?”
“You’re the mother,” Vanity said. “That’s all that matters.”
“Exactly.” Stack stood, pulled Tabby from her seat, and wrapped her in his arms to admit the truth. “I’m excited.”
She laughed against his chest, using his shirt to dry her eyes. “Because I’m leaving Phil,” she teased, “or because you’ll be an uncle?”
“Even when this—” she gestured between them “—ends, I hope they’ll remain my friends.”
“Nothing between us is ending.”
She blinked at him, making him realize that he’d raised his voice. Stomping down the irritation, Stack gathered his control, lowered his tone and tried to sound more reasonable.
“You know how I feel about lies.”
She gasped hard. “I didn’t lie.”
Distraught, Tabby rushed to agree. “Seriously, Stack, I begged her to keep my secrets.” Fresh tears sprouted. “I couldn’t talk to you, knowing how you hated Phil and how...how stupid I’d been.” Her choked voice immediately brought Vanity to her side. This time it didn’t calm Tabby. “I know I’ve screwed up everything. But this time, it’s the worst!”
For once, Tabby’s upset seemed sincere. Stack stared down at her, knowing there were things she hadn’t yet told him.
Vanity glared at him as if he were the one who’d upset her.
“Whatever it is,” he said over the noise Tabby made, “we’ll figure it out.”
“There, you see?” Vanity told her. “Didn’t I tell you it’d be okay?”
Tabby nodded while wiping away her ruined makeup. “I’m so sorry, Stack. I know I’ve said that a million times, but I mean it. I’m sorry, and somehow I’m going to make it work.”
Make what work?
Vanity rubbed her shoulder. “You have no reason to be sorry. Trust your brother.”
Did Vanity trust him, then? He hoped so. “Tabby?”
She wouldn’t look at him, but when she whispered, “I’m pregnant,” he heard her loud and clear.
And still he repeated dumbly, “Pregnant?”
With another sob, she nodded.
“Phil’s?”
Wailing, Tabby buried her face in her crossed arms on the table.
Stack nudged Vanity aside and went to his knees beside his sister. He smiled just a little. A baby. Wow. “Tabby?” He goosed her side. “Turn off the waterworks, okay? A baby is...well, not a bad thing. Not at all.”
Her head jerked up. “You mean it?”
Never had he seen his sister look so miserable. “Of course I mean it.” The smile widened. “Mom’s going to flip.”
Tabby cried, laughed, choked a little more. “That’s what I told Vanity.”
He twisted to see Vanity standing there, her face filled with uncertainty. “You knew about this, too?”
She nodded.
Damn, she was good at keeping a secret. He’d have to remember that.
He turned back to his sister. “I promise you, this isn’t going to be the hardship you’re imagining.”
“She wants the baby,” Vanity interjected.
“Of course she does.” He glanced at her again. “I do know my sister, darlin’.”
“Oh.” Vanity rubbed her arms. “Yes, of course you do.”
Reclaiming his attention, Tabby said with accusation, “You weren’t happy to know I kicked Phil out.”
“I misspoke and I’m sorry. Believe me, whatever your reasons, I’m sure it was one hundred percent the right thing to do.” However it happened, no matter why it happened, removing Phil from her life was a good move. Especially now, with a kid involved.
But at least when Phil lived with Tabby, Stack knew where to find him. Now, if the bastard went to ground, it’d be tougher to corral him.
“You asked if the baby was his.” Tabby waited for his explanation on that.
“Only because you were so upset. I thought maybe something else was going on.” A thought occurred to him, and he frowned. “Does Phil know?”
Tabby’s eyes went liquid again. “I told him.” She shredded the napkins in her wringing hands. “He...he said it wasn’t his problem.”
Pleased to know Phil wouldn’t be in the picture, mucking it up, Stack smiled at his sister. “How could a baby be anyone’s problem?”
“Even if Phil’s the father?”
“You’re the mother,” Vanity said. “That’s all that matters.”
“Exactly.” Stack stood, pulled Tabby from her seat, and wrapped her in his arms to admit the truth. “I’m excited.”
She laughed against his chest, using his shirt to dry her eyes. “Because I’m leaving Phil,” she teased, “or because you’ll be an uncle?”
