The future never seemed more uncertain than it did while I lay on Brody’s chest. He had one arm around me and one arm under his head. Neither of us had been able to sleep after the bomb his brother threw at him.

Brody took the news better than Tim thought he would. He picked up the envelope, took my hand again, and led me to the truck. He never spoke another word to Tim even when Tim ran up to him and got into his face. Brody pushed him back once to get away, but it seemed Tim wanted to go rounds. I was proud Brody walked away.

“I’ve never given much thought about becoming a father. To be honest, a relationship at all to produce a child seemed impossible to me.”

I propped myself up on my elbow and looked down at him. “And now?”

“I liked us. I liked the thought of helping you with the gym for as long as you let me. I wasn’t in any hurry to leave, but kids never crossed my mind.”

I didn’t like how he was referring to us in the past tense. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like where the conversation was headed. “It’s a little soon for either of us to be thinking about children.”

“But you want them someday.”

I nodded. “I do.”

“I never bothered to think about that kind of a life. Now that I’m faced with a possible kid, it’s all I can think about.”

“I think that’s a natural reaction after getting that kind of news.”

He sat up and placed his back against the headboard. “That’s just it. None of this is natural to me. Drugs, drinking, and fucking. That’s all I cared about growing up. When I got clean, I was just angry. I didn’t like what that lifestyle had done to my life or me, but I didn’t know how to fix it. I missed so much. It was as if I was twelve again when I got clean.

“They taught me how to do everything in rehab. I didn’t have basic life skills like laundry, cooking, or even balancing a checkbook. My high school diploma is a joke. I think the teachers passed me because they were afraid not to. What kind of role model would I be to children?”

“I think you’ve turned into a remarkable man that any child would be proud to call dad. Just think of all the arguments they will win when they say their dad can beat up the other kid’s dad.” I laughed and tried to lighten the mood. I was happy to see his smile, but it didn’t last long.

“What do I do, Maggie?” I’d never seen the fear in Brody’s eyes that I saw that night. “What do I do? Tell me what to do.”

I straddled him and held his face. “Only you can decide that, but I can promise I’ll be here to help you through whatever decision that will be.”

* * *

Brody didn’t sleep much, if at all. Any time I woke up, he was still awake and thinking about what to do. He didn’t eat much, either. I was nervous enough to eat for both of us and was thankful for the diner food even if it wasn’t as good as my mom’s.

I wanted to know what he was thinking, but I didn’t want to overload him with questions. Whatever his decision was, it was going to eat at him the rest of his life and whether he made the right choice.

I wasn’t sure why he was giving it so much thought. If that child was his, he had a right to know. I couldn’t fault Laney for not telling him because she thought he died saving her life. Why would you tell a dead man’s family that he may have fathered your baby when you had another possible father who was more than willing to fill the role regardless of whose child it was? I narrowed my eyes as I took a drink. Did the other guy know it might not have been his?

For all we knew, she was keeping it a secret to herself. She may never have told the other man there was another possible father. I wondered if she would’ve even come clean had they not lied to her and told her Brody was dead. Probably not. I scoffed and took a huge bite of pancake and hash browns.

“Something on your mind?”

I shook my head, chewed the bite I’d taken, and kept my mouth shut, which was difficult given the size of the bite. I needed to pay more attention to my food or I was going to choke on it.

Brody played with his coffee cup. “Please don’t hide things from me. Not you, too.”

I took the napkin and covered my mouth as I worked through my bite and reached over with my other hand to hold his. I didn’t want him to think I was hiding anything. I took a drink to wash it down and then cleared my throat.

“I’m not hiding anything. I promise, Brody. I was just thinking that maybe this guy doesn’t even know there’s another possible dad for this child.”

“That’s actually what I’m struggling with. If she didn’t tell him we slept together, and then I show up and demand a DNA test,” he shook his head, “I will ruin their relationship twice. Bryce is a good man. He will take care of that child. I don’t deserve to interrupt them again.”

I squeezed his hand. “I scoffed because I wondered if she would’ve told you had she known you were alive.”

He looked off to the side and furrowed his brows. “I honestly don’t know.”

I tugged on his hand to get him to look at me. “I have one more question, and then I’ll stop.”

He nodded for me to continue when I hadn’t. “Go ahead. You can ask me anything.”

“Would either of them give you this much consideration?”

It was as if the question flipped a switch in him, and I wasn’t sure it should’ve been flipped. He sat up, grabbed his fork, and hunched over his cold meal. “Not even a little bit.”

* * *

After breakfast, Brody drove to the bank to get his money situated into a new account that Tim couldn’t control. He spoke to the manager to ensure Tim wouldn’t be allowed to touch it. I liked watching him intimidate people, but I hoped to never be on the receiving end of his displeasure. Unless there was make-up sex. I could’ve gone for some make-up sex or any sex, really. He was sexy when he was intimidating.

We walked back to the truck and he tossed his checkbook into the glove box when he got in. “That wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be.”

“Maybe not for you.” I stared at his hand just inches from my leg when he was digging through the glove box. “What are you looking for?”

He scooted a little closer, pressing me up against the door. “I’m looking for the old checkbook. I don’t want to get them mixed up. Here we go.”

He pulled it out and took the book of checks out of the plastic sleeve and ripped them in half. His strength was a turn-on, too. I swallowed.

“So,” I looked out the window, “do you have a park around here?”

“A park?” He shut the glove box and slid back to his side to start the truck. “We have a couple.”

“Would it be possible if we just went somewhere and talked for a few minutes?”

“You want to talk?”

I nodded. “If you don’t mind.” I cleared my throat. “We’re going to your brother’s after this, and I’m not sure when we’ll have a few minutes to ourselves.”

“Sure. Okay, I guess.” He watched for traffic as he tried to pull out of the parking lot and looked at me a couple of times. “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you first.”

I looked at him. “Asked me what?”

“Oh, uh, why exactly do we need to talk?”

I turned my hips as much as the seat belt would allow. “Brody, we aren’t supposed to hide anything from each other. What’s going on?”

He glanced at me a few times before he confessed. “I used the gym address on my new account. I can get a box at the post office if you’d rather, but I don’t want my mail going to Tim’s anymore.”

“You what?” I opened the glove box and checked the address on the checks.

“I figured since that’s where I plan to be for a while, I’d use that address. I should’ve asked you first.”

I put the checks back and waited for a red light before I responded any more. He used my address for his home address. It gave me hope for our future. It gave me hope that he loved me. It made me horny as hell.

As soon as he stopped at the red light, I unfastened my seat belt, put the truck in park, and kissed him. My hands went to his jeans and unfastened them. When the car honked behind us, I put the truck in drive and looked at Brody. “Drive.”

I slid back a few inches in the seat as my hand worked up and down Brody’s dick. I needed to have him. I bent down between him and the steering wheel and licked the tip of his cock. That helped to get him hard, but I wanted him harder.

I took him into my mouth and bobbed up and down as much as the steering wheel would allow. I needed more of him and hoped he found a place to park, soon. I sealed my lips around him and sucked as I pulled my head up slow. It was fast on the way down, but I took my time sucking him each time I came up. I smiled when I heard his grip on the steering wheel.

“Oh, God. You’re going to make me crash this fucking truck.” One of his hands slipped into the back of my jeans.

I pulled him out of my mouth and gasped when he found my clit. I was grateful for his long reach. “I really need you to park somewhere.” I placed my forehead on his thigh as his finger moved faster over my clit. It was backwards to what he normally did, but it still felt amazing.

I put him back into my mouth and continued to suck. At the rate we were going, we’d finish each other off before we got somewhere private. I felt the truck take a sharp right and then a sharp left before it came to a stop. He placed the hand he’d been using to drive with on my head and guided me to go faster.

“Yes, suck me.” He reached down and tried to move the seat back another notch, but it was already as far back as it would go. “Fuck.” He took both hands to scoot me down so he could slide to the middle, but my mouth never left his dick. He groaned. “That’s it. Take it all in.”

I took him to the back of my throat but didn’t make him lose control. I had other plans for his dick than just sucking him off. I wanted to ride him.

He pulled me up, and I looked around as much as I could before he slammed onto my mouth with his own. I wanted to make sure no one was around. It was a wooded area. I had no idea where he had taken me to. I didn’t care, either.

As soon as I had my jeans unfastened and over my hips, he tossed me to my side of the truck and grabbed the jeans at my ankles. In one swift motion, they were off and on the dashboard of the truck. I wrapped my hand around him again to pump him a few times. He didn’t need the extra prep.

Brody grabbed my hips and brought me to his lap. I rubbed myself against him and kissed his neck when he tilted his head back with a groan. “You will be the death of me.”

I held his cock as I hovered above him and positioned myself. “I could say the same to you.” I sank down, kissing him as I took all of him. He fit me so perfectly.

I placed my forehead on his shoulder as I moved my hips and adjusted to his size. It didn’t take long. I needed him. I tugged on his ear with my teeth before whispering, “I hope your truck survives this.”

I sat up, tucked my knees into the truck seat to get as close to him as possible, and rode him. I knew the truck would rock with the force of my thrusts, but I didn’t expect it to help with the sensation. It made everything more real. I was fucking him in the middle of nowhere and anyone could’ve driven by. I fucked him harder.

He gripped my hips and helped keep the pace up. “Forget the truck. I hope I survive this.” He lifted my shirt up but wouldn’t allow me to take it off and slipped one breast out. “No one sees this but me.”

I looked around again. Someone could see us. “Oh, God.” I leaned my head back when he sucked on my nipple. I had never done anything that bold before. Most of the men I dated were just like my ex-fiancé. They were groomed to take the head of my father’s company when he retired and had no time for things like life.

Brody took my other breast out and sucked on that nipple. “You are perfect.”

I touched his shoulders and ran my fingers to the back of his neck. I was getting tired, but I didn’t want to stop. He felt so good. It had never felt that good with anyone else. “You’re perfect for me, too.”

I took one hand and moved it down my belly. I needed to speed it up. I would spend all day in bed with him when we got back, but we had things to do before we could leave.

He stopped sucking my nipple when I rubbed my clit. “I could watch you do that all day.”

“As long as you’re inside me, I could do it all day.” I kissed him and moved my hand faster. I let him take over pumping into me. “Yes, go faster.”

I had one hand on his shoulder hanging on to him, my other hand working my clit, and my head thrown back in ecstasy. I never wanted to leave that truck. Brody sat up a little more and kissed my neck. I cried out when he bit me, but it wasn’t in pain. I wanted his marks all over me.

When my legs shook, he twisted us to lay me down on his seat. I gripped the steering wheel as he put one of my legs on the floor and bent my other knee up over his shoulder. I wasn’t sure how he held that position, but the angle was incredible.

“Right there. Fuck me right there. Yes, yes. More.”

He moved my hand back to my clit. “Keep rubbing yourself. I want to watch.”

It was difficult to concentrate with the way he was working my body, but I did my best to keep my hand going. It all felt so good. Almost too good.

“Oh, God. I’m close.” I couldn’t catch my breath. “Don’t stop.” I moved my hand faster as I felt the buildup coming. I never needed something or someone so much before.

His head fell forward when I clenched my walls around him. I kept doing it. “Fuck. You know I can’t last too long when you do that.”

“That’s the plan.” I did it again.

“Two can play at that game.” He batted my hand away and took over.

I arched my back and gripped his shoulder. “Don’t stop. Fuck me.”

A few more hard thrusts had both of us over the edge. His knees were on the floor of the truck while his upper body lay on top of me. I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back. “That was amazing.”

He lifted his head up to look at me. “You are what makes it amazing every single time.” He kissed me.