Part 4 (1/2)

”I don't mind. Really.”

”My house is only a mile away.”

”Griff, stay.” Rye clasped his shoulder again. ”I'd feel better if you stay.”

”Me too,” Dax said.

He couldn't fight all of them, nor did he want to. Griff nodded. ”Okay.”

Exhaustion took over his body, leaving Griff ready to collapse. ”That bed is sounding really good right now.”

”Let me get a couple of things and I'll leave the room for you.”

”Thanks, Emma.”

She smiled at him before she left the room. Griff rubbed his forehead, where a pounding headache was quickly forming. ”Alaina, do you have any aspirin?”

”Sure. I'll get some for you.”

Once he was alone with his brothers again, Griff turned to face them. Dax stood with his head lowered, his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. ”Sorry I yelled at you, Dax.”

Dax lifted his head. His eyes showed compa.s.sion, sympathy and regret. ”Sorry I pushed you. I was only trying to help.”

”I know that.”

He tugged Dax into a back-pounding hug, then gave one to Rye. His brothers had always been there for him, no matter what. He was so lucky to have them in his life.

Alaina returned with a bottle of aspirin and a tall gla.s.s of water. Griff downed three of the little white pills and handed the empty gla.s.s back to her. ”Thanks.” He glanced at Rye and Dax once more. ”'Night.”

”'Night, Griff,” Rye said.

Griff made his way down the hall toward the guest room. The linen closet door stood open. Emma gathered up a set of sheets and shut the door with her hip.

”What are you doing?”

”I'm going to change the sheets on your bed.”

”You don't have to do that.”

”I don't mind.”

”Emma, you've only slept on them two nights. They're fine. Besides, Mom will be here tomorrow and she'll change them then.”

She drew that full bottom lip between her teeth, the lip he'd imagined nibbling on. ”Are you sure?”

”Yeah, I'm sure. But thanks.”

She cradled the sheets against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. ”Well, then, I'll use these on the couch.”

”Do you have everything you need from the room?”

Emma nodded. ”I guess I'll see you in the morning.”

”Yeah. Good night.”

He watched her until she turned the corner into the living room. Sighing heavily, Griff stepped inside the guest room. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He hadn't meant to blurt out about the baby. His parents had been devastated when Jana died. His mother would've fallen completely apart if she'd known she'd lost a grandchild too. She wanted grandchildren more than anything in the world.

He had to tell them. While he trusted his brothers not to say anything, Griff knew it would be best to tell his parents everything. Soon.

Right now, he wanted to fall into bed and not get up for at least two weeks.

Griff peeled off his clothes and let them fall to the floor. Naked, he crawled between the soft cotton sheets and lay on his back. His head still pounded as if the Lanville High School Band marched through his brain. Maybe if he stayed really still in the dark, his headache would ease.

Rolling to his side, Griff turned off the bedside lamp. He fluffed the pillow, trying to find a comfortable spot for his head. The scent of Emma's cologne filled his nostrils. Instead of moving away from it, he drew the pillow closer to his nose and inhaled deeply. The flowery scent-the same one Jana had worn-filled him with so many memories. Holding hands and walking through the autumn leaves. Cuddled together on the couch while watching a movie. Standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Making love.

s.e.x with Jana had been soft and sweet. He remembered the little gasp in her throat when she came. No fingernails digging into his skin, no screaming, no demands for him to f.u.c.k her harder or faster.

Sometimes a man wanted more than soft and sweet.

Guilt swamped him for thinking anything negative about his wife. Jana had been perfect in every way that mattered. She had rarely cursed, and she'd certainly never said the word ”f.u.c.k”. If things had been a little more...conventional in bed than he'd wanted, that was okay. It didn't mean he hadn't loved every moment with her.

The pounding in his head dulled to an occasional throb. Griff took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and closed his eyes.

Emma sat on the living room couch, her knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. The house was quiet, proof that everyone was sleeping peacefully. Except her.

Her mind whirled too much for her to sleep. She kept thinking about Griff and what he'd told his brothers. She and Alaina had run back to the game room when they'd heard shouting. They'd arrived in time to hear him tell Rye and Dax that he'd lost his baby along with his wife. Her stomach had clenched at the pain in his voice. Her heart had broken when he'd fallen to the floor and cried in his brothers' arms.

She couldn't imagine that kind of pain. She'd never lost anyone close to her. Her parents still lived, as did both sets of grandparents. She usually ended up arguing with her brother when she was in the same room with him, but she knew if she really needed him, he'd be there for her.

Emma turned on the lamp next to her to the lowest setting. She didn't want to turn on the TV for fear of waking someone, but she knew it would be a long time before she fell asleep. She could read. Maybe that would make her sleepy enough to turn off her brain. Except she'd left her book on the nightstand in the guest room.

Rye had a nice collection of books in the game room, but they were mostly westerns and thrillers. When Emma read, she wanted to get lost in a juicy, erotic romance. If she tiptoed, she could sneak into the room and get her book without bothering Griff.

Emma slipped into her floor-length, black robe and padded down the hall on bare feet. Grasping the door lever, she pressed it down slowly until she could push the door open. A nightlight by the dresser gave her enough light to make out Griff lying on his side, the sheet and bedspread to his waist. She tiptoed to the bed, watching him the entire time to make sure he didn't move. She reached for her book on the nightstand. It wasn't there.

She caught herself before she cursed. She moved her hand along the stand, thinking maybe she had laid the book farther back than she thought.

”Turn on the lamp.”

Emma jumped at the sound of Griff's voice. ”I didn't mean to wake you,” she whispered.

”You didn't.” The covers rustled, then he reached over and turned on the lamp. ”I wasn't asleep.”