Emma’s face flushed with warmth as the woman on the sidewalk gasped. Aidan turned to her. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m one of the countless ass**les who break women’s hearts. I couldn’t tell Emma I loved her, and I almost screwed another woman trying to push her away.” He smacked his palms hard against his chest. “But from the depths of my heart and soul, I’m so, so sorry!”
“Jesus dude, have you lost all your pride?” the man questioned, which caused the woman to punch him in the arm.
Aidan chuckled. “Yeah, I have. Because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win her back,” he pointed to Emma and smiled at her.
When Emma strode over to him with a determined look, Aidan felt his hope rising. It quickly faded as she grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up. “Get off my front walk this minute, or I’m going to call the cops!” She shook her head maniacally. “I can’t believe you just embarrassed me in front of my neighbors like that!”
“I thought you wanted a man who would say how he truly felt?”
She rolled her eyes. “This,” she said, motioning wildly to him, “is not what I had in mind.”
“Fine,” he said pulling himself off the ground. He leaned closer to her and cocked his eyebrows. “But can you honestly say you weren’t the tiniest bit impressed by that?”
The corners of her lips pulled up, and he could tell she was fighting not to smile. “Maybe a little.”
“Aha, I knew it!”
“Come on. Let’s go inside before you can be more of a twatwaffle tonight.”
He burst out laughing. “What did you just call me?”
“It’s one of Casey’s words.”
“Hmm, let me guess. It’s probably one of Casey’s words for me?”
She nodded as she unlocked the front door. “Yes, but with some stronger expletives along with it.”
“I figured as much.”
“Have a seat. I’ll go let Beau out of the basement.”
When Aidan eased down on the couch, a memory flashed in his mind of making love to Emma in the very same spot before they went to see her grandparents for the first time. He heard Beau long before he saw him racing around the corner.
“Hey boy!” he cried, rising up off the couch.
At the sight of Aidan, Beau went into full freak-out mode with his whole body wiggling while he whined and cried. He barreled into Aidan, knocking him back down onto the couch. Then he went to licking Aidan’s face, hands, and any other body part he could get his tongue on.
Emma laughed. “See, I told you he missed you.”
Beau barked a few times as if in agreement, and then went back to slurping his tongue over Aidan’s face. “Okay, boy, I missed you, too.” Aidan rubbed over Beau’s back and then patted his head.
“Now sit down, Beau, and be a good boy,” Emma instructed.
To Aidan’s surprise, Beau obediently slid down onto the floor and sat stock still for Aidan to pet him. “Damn, I can’t believe you’ve gotten him to obey.”
“It’s taken some time.”
“Did you take good care of Mommy while I was gone?” Aidan asked, scratching Beau’s ears. At her sharp intake of breath, he glanced up at her and winked.
“He’s been wonderful company. Especially at night,” she replied softly.
“I can imagine. The nights alone have been hell on me.”
Emma opened her mouth to say something, but then suddenly wagged her finger at Beau. “Stop that licking, or I’m going to put the cone of shame back on you.”
Aidan laughed as he patted Beau’s back. “Don’t be so uptight, Em. He’s just a dog. Let him lick himself if he wants to.”
She shook her head. “If he keeps licking like that, he’s going to cause an infection with his stitches from his surgery.”
“Surgery?” Aidan repeated lamely. “What happened to him?” When Emma didn’t respond, Aidan glanced up to see her flushing and ducking her head. Oh no. She couldn’t have gone there. She wouldn’t have done that. Taking Beau by the collar, he turned him slowly around. At the sight of his lost manhood, he sucked in a breath. “You had him fixed?”
Emma nibbled on her bottom lip. “The vet suggested it. He said it would help calm Beau down and make it easier for him to get acclimated when Noah’s born.”
Aidan rose off the floor. “Jesus, Em, first you wanted my balls on a skewer, and now you had to take my dog’s!”
“I never wanted your…balls!” she huffed in protest.
“Symbolically you did.”
She rolled her eyes. “But look how much calmer he already is.”
Aidan glanced at Beau. As much as he hated to admit it, he was way more relaxed. “Yeah, well, you should have consulted with me first. He’s my dog!”
She winced as if in pain. She took a few slow steps before easing down into the chair. “Whoa, wait a minute. Don’t walk away. We’re not through discussing this.”
“Em?” When she didn’t respond, he walked around the side of the chair. He squatted down in front of her. His heart jolted to a stop and restarted at the anguished expression etched on her face. “Em, what’s wrong?”
“I’m…cramping.” She closed her eyes, and her chest rose and fell in harsh breaths. “It hurts really bad.”
Fear crashed over Aidan’s head. “Come on. Let’s get you to the hospital.” Before she could protest, he took her hand and helped her out of the chair. She whimpered and clutched her abdomen. “I’ll carry you if you need me to,” he said.