“I have both of you, and believe me, I do not envy the lives you live.” He licks his lips, smiles. “And I have a hot-as-fuck wife who’s smart, talented, so fucking bratty, and has an ultrasound appointment in about seven hours.”

“The fuck?” Colton’s out of his chair, hands on his hips in my peripheral, but I’m entirely focused on Chase.

He shrugs. “Val told me I had to wait until after her appointment, so if you want me to live to see my fucking kid, act surprised.”

I’m grinning as I remember she pawned off her beer on Colt when we were axe throwing. “Congrats. It’s cute you think it’s yours, brother.”

Chase pulls a face and flips me off. “Fucking bet it is. Don’t make me detail it for you.”

“We already know enough,” Colton says, cringing. “I know more about the interworking of your dick and little dudes than I ever wanted to.”

“Preach.” I raise my beer bottle to that one. “No more demonstrations either.”

Colt nods, eyes wide in his agreement. “But … I am going to wake up Val and tell her you spilled.” He dashes for the stairs the second the last word’s out of his mouth.

“Shit.” Chase grabs a votive candle off the table, intending to launch it at him, but he rethinks and sets it down.

I smile at him when his head swivels around. “I’m fucking happy for you and Val.”

“I’m happy for us too.” He tips his head back and forth, weighing it. “I am until Val comes for me. Which means, we better solve your shit while I’m still with you.”

“Right.” I pull smoke into my lungs, using it as an excuse not to say more.

As if Chase would allow it. He’s still waiting when I blow it out, his brows raised.

“Someone close to her got hurt because of me. When I found her at the lake, I did something that caused her a lot of pain. All this time, she thought it was her fault, but I was the reason it all played out like it did.” I groan and take a swig of my beer, shaking my head as I rest the bottle on my leg. “She said she just needs to process, and I’ll see her when the tour ends, but … I need more. I need to know she can forgive me, and we’ll get what we lost out on before.”

“So get started.” When I look over, Chase nods like he’s onto something. “You need more, do more. You need to know she can forgive you, start your groveling tour. If you want to make sure you have a chance at the life you lost with her, build it so when you have her back, it’s already there.”