"How is she?"

Nate grabbed a beer from the fridge and handed it to me. "She's a lot better. She's talking more. She's letting me in." He sat down in the chair across from me. "She's eating. She still has her days, of course, but she's improving. I finally feel like she is getting back to her old self."

"That's great."

"I have you to thank for it."

I shrugged. "No, mate. I didn't do much."

Nate leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "I have no idea why she picked you as the person to lean on about this, but you were there for her when I couldn't be. You made sure she was safe and okay all those nights at the bar. You found her at Central Park and managed to bring her home. I owe you everything."

I felt uncomfortable with all the praise. I wasn't used to it and tried to avoid it. I got up from the chair and walked over to the island. "You would do the same for me."

"I would. In a heartbeat. How are you and Harper, by the way?"

I pushed off the island and started pacing around Nate's kitchen. That seemed to be all I did lately. Pace, pace, pace. Think about Harper. Then pace, pace, pace. I turned towards Nate and exhaled a deep breath.

"Remember when I covered for you at The Rabbit Hole the other night? When you went on your date?"

"Yeah," he answered with a frown.

"A guy came to the bar and ordered a Crown and Coke."

"Okay..."

"He ordered a Crown and Coke and a Vodka-soda."

The bottle of beer Nate was holding stopped before touching his lips. He looked over at me. "It could have been for anyone, Jackson."

"I played it off and asked him to point out the woman. I saw her, mate. She was there."

Nate sat the bottle down on the table. "And you aren't in a jail cell?"

I scoffed before walking back to the dining room table and falling into the chair. "I was close. I was so fucking close to just beating his ass."

"What stopped you?"

I kept my eyes on my beer bottle. I watched as the water dripped down the side onto the coaster that read: Use a FUCKING Coaster!. I chuckled. Must have been Nate's idea. I looked back up at my friend.

"I stopped because...what good would that have done? It wouldn't have helped my situation. Besides, the pain from seeing that overrode my anger. I thought she was already moving on."

"She loves you, Jackson."

"I know she does." I exhaled a deep breath. "I went to the office to cool down and she came in a few minutes later. Turns out that guy was Danielle's cousin. Danielle had dragged Harper out of the house to go with her and show him around. She wasn't there with him."

Nate burst out laughing and slammed his hand on the table.

"It's not funny," I mumbled.

"Oh, come on! You thought she was with another guy, and it was Danielle's cousin! Can you imagine if you actually beat up that guy?"

"I really don't want to. And stop laughing!"

Nate finally sobered and shook his head. "Sorry, man. I needed a laugh—and that shit was funny."

It might have been funny to Nate, but it was definitely not funny to me. Even though Harper explained the situation, it didn't stop the images of her with that guy from continuously playing in my mind. Or her with other men. I didn't think I could fucking handle it if she ended up with someone else.

"Jackson, stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop letting your mind freak you out."

Fuck. He was right. Nate and I had gotten close during this whole Karma thing. Sometimes, like now, he could see right through me.

"What if it doesn't work out, Nate? What if she ends up with someone else? I won't be able to...I can't stay here, in the States, if she does. I just can't."

Nate leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "It's not going to happen, Jackson. Trust me on this."

The certainty in Nate's eyes gave me hope. I knew that he was my friend—probably my best friend—and he didn't want me moving back to London. I knew he wanted me and Harper to be together. But there was no way he could be one hundred percent sure that this would work out.

No one could be.

Knock-knock-knock

I glanced at my hotel room door. I didn't order room service and I wasn't expecting anyone. Who the hell—

Knock-knock-knock

"Alright! I'm coming."

I got off the bed and stretched before going to see who it was I didn't think it was Harper. We weren't supposed to have our night until tomorrow—and we were supposed to meet at the bar. Not that I would mind if it was her at the door. I wasn't kidding when I said I couldn't deny her. That woman was my fucking kryptonite.

I opened the door to my room and frowned. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Standing in the hallway of the hotel, was Nate, Ayden, and Ryan. Well...this couldn't be good.

"We're here to kidnap you," Ayden said with a smile.

"What?"

Nate chuckled. "What he means is, we're taking you out."

"Out?" I didn't want to go...out. What the hell did that even mean? "Why?"

Ryan cleared his throat. "We all got the night off and thought this would be a good chance for the four of us to hang out."

I looked at each of my friends expressions, and the answer was as clear as day. I crossed my arms over my chest and arched a brow. "Okay, which one of your wives set this up?"

Ryan and Nate both had sheepish expressions. Ayden, on the other hand...

"We don't need our significant others to tell us what to do. Besides, Ryan is the only one married here."

I glanced at Ryan and he shrugged his shoulders. "Guilty."

My eyes flicked back to Ayden and I arched a brow. "So it was Lanie who put you three up to this, wasn't it?"

The three of them looked so guilty, thank God they weren't in front of a jury. I exhaled a deep breath and shook my head. Damn. If I didn't do this, I would never hear the end of it from that guilt-tripping brunette.

I ran my hand over my face. Clever vixen, one. Jackson, zero.

"So, what's the plan?"

Nate's shit-eating grin worried me. "Get dressed and we'll tell you."

One Hour Later

"Please tell me you didn't take that from The Rabbit Hole," I said to Ryan.

As I sat on his couch, he came towards me and handed me the bottle.

"Look more closely."

I read the label on the front of the bottle and my eyes widened. I looked back at him and my mouth was agape. "This is thirty-year-old scotch."

"That it is, my friend." My brother took the bottle from me and walked over to his wet bar. "We told you tonight was going to be fun."

I got up from the couch and clapped Ryan on the shoulder. "You were never fun, big brother."

Ryan rolled his eyes and continued pouring the scotch into four separate glasses. "I'm the definition of fun."

"Yeah, yeah," I taunted him. "I'll be right back. I'm going to use your bathroom."

I turned away from Ryan and passed by Ayden and Nate as they were fighting over the TV remote on the couch in the living room. They were going back and forth about whether to put on a movie or a sports game. I honestly didn't care which they chose, I was just glad to have this distraction tonight.

I walked into the long hallway, passing one of the two guest bedrooms that Ryan had. Just as I went to step into the bathroom, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.

I pushed open the door to the guest bedroom that was right beside the master. What I saw when I stepped inside, was a complete and utter surprise.

I slowly turned in a circle, my eyes going from the expensive brown crib, to the rocking chair in the corner, then finally to the changing table.

"I thought Danielle closed this door."

I turned around so quickly, I'm surprised I didn't fall down. "Danielle's pregnant?"

Ryan winced. Yeah, even I knew how my voice sounded. Hoarse as fuck. "Yeah. About ten weeks." Ryan walked over to the crib and ran his hand over it. "She wanted to wait until she finished the first trimester before telling anyone. Even the girls don't know."

I swallowed hard. Even though the items in this room were answer enough, I still found myself asking,  "Are you both happy about it?"

"Of course!" A huge smile broke out on his face. "I couldn't believe it when she told me. She bought me a World's Greatest Dad T-shirt."

Even now, in the darkness of the nursery, I could clearly see the excitement on my brother's face. He was over the moon about this. Ryan and Danielle were having a baby.

"I'm sorry, Jackson."

I looked at him like he grew three heads. "What the hell are you apologizing for?"

"With everything you and Harper are going through, I..."

When he didn't continue, I took a few steps towards him. "No. You have nothing to apologize for," I repeated. I pressed my finger against his chest, right over his heart. "You feel that pride, Ry. Don't hide it."

I pulled Ryan in for a tight hug. "You're my brother and I love you." I pulled away and gave him an honest smile. "Congratulations, mate. I can't wait to be an uncle."

Ryan cleared his throat several times. "Thanks, Jay. That means a lot."

I slugged him in the shoulder. "Now we have something to celebrate!"

"Wait...what?" He pulled me to a stop when I tried to leave the room. "I promised Danielle no one would know yet."

I threw my head back and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

I cast my brother a pitiful look. "The four of us are here. That means the girls are together. The four of them. You really think that secret is going to make it past tonight? Hell, past the next twenty minutes?"

Ryan's expression fell when the truth dawned om him. "Fuck."

"Yep. Sorry, mate, but the cat is out of the bag."

"Danielle is going to kill me."

I wrapped my arm around Ryan's shoulders and led him out of the room. "Don't be ridiculous. You're the father of her child. You'll probably get the couch, though."

Ryan groaned as we stepped into the hallway. I cast a longing look over the nursery one more time before I shut the door. I really was proud for my Ryan and Danielle. I really was overjoyed to be an uncle.

But walking into that nursery...it was one of the most painful moments of my life.