Chapter 42

Tressa had nothing to do with Jon's decision.

He wasn't the kind of man to run because his feelings had been hurt or his heart broken. Nor was he the type to scurry off and hide because he couldn't bear to see a woman he loved with another man. He had gone out a few times with a few different women, he was back on the market, so to speak, and content with just being her friend. He was just really miserable with his job, truthfully. That didn't mean it didn't bother him at all that his decision was hurting her because it did.

Jon just had to put himself first this time.

Maybe Tressa should have told Jon about her and Drew, but she also didn't want to upset him on the night of Joe's comeback. Maybe tomorrow at the house show she would have time to pull Jon aside and tell him. She fingered the Celtic cross around her neck and sighed gently, getting comfortable behind the wheel before pulling out of the parking space. The hotel was calling her name, along with a soothing bath to relax her. It just sucked she couldn't be in a whirlpool until after the baby was born. The jets were dangerous to the baby and the water couldn't be too hot either. Suddenly, her phone rang and she answered it, seeing it was Joe's name on the caller ID.

"Well hello there, man of the hour." She greeted cheerfully, stopping at a red light, and heard her phone beep, knowing it was Drew wondering where she was. Jon had held her up a little bit.

"Look, I wanted to apologize," Joe said with a chuckle, still standing in the parking lot having watched her pull out and Jon disappear off to his own rental. He drummed his fingertips on the hood of his rental, still waiting on Colby to come out. The 'three amigos' were going out tonight to celebrate. "I thought you and Jon were still together and he was the father." Well, not that they had been together as Jon had informed him tonight, but that was neither here nor there. "Who is the lucky guy who managed to bring that smile around?"

She and Jon were never together – they were just fuck buddies, but she wouldn't remind Joe of that. She bit her bottom lip, not sure if she should tell Joe because she hadn't told Jon yet. Did it matter? Jon would surely tell Joe eventually since they told each other everything.

"It's okay. I don't blame you for assuming that because of what happened between Jon and me." This was complicated to talk about. "Andrew is the father of my baby, Joe. Drew McIntyre. I'm surprised Jon didn't tell you."

Drew McIntyre, now THAT knocked Joe for a bit of a loop. From the few times Jon HAD let some things slip, and he was usually three sheets to the wind and this had been quite some time ago, Tressa had been 'scared' or intimidated by Drew McIntyre. But to pick that skirt-wearing, arrogant mule over the guy who had carried her through her grief? That just didn't make any sense to Joe.

"I don't think he was trying to share your business, honey." He said finally, clearing his throat. "He probably figured you'd tell me if you wanted me to know."

"I wouldn't mind if he told you. I mean, I consider you family, Joe, and I'm so happy you're going to be okay and you're back." Tressa truly meant that, the biggest smile on her face and was glad she couldn't read Joe's thoughts at the moment. "It breaks my heart that Jon is leaving the company. I tried convincing him again tonight to stay because you're back and he's just not happy with the way the company has treated him. I just don't think he'll be happy anywhere else, but then again, maybe he will be. Only time will tell."

Joe sucked in a breath through his teeth, wondering if she was serious. Jon had been carrying a torch for her for years, there was just no way Tressa hadn't known that. She wasn't an idiot; he couldn't believe she was a naïve little simpleton. Because then Jon had been double the fool, loving a woman who was not only married, but also a total idiot. Jon was leaving because she had turned him down and gotten with the wrong man. Jon had been there for her, helping her through her grief when she had finally opened up about her losses. Jon was leaving because of HER.

"I'm sure he will be." He said finally, slowly unclenching his fist and staring down at the crescent-shaped nail marks he had left in his palm.

The change in his tone wasn't missed by Tressa and she frowned, continuing to drive to the hotel, but there was quite a bit of traffic to get through. "Yeah, listen I'm almost to the hotel, but you boys have fun and again, I'm so glad you're back home where you belong, Joe."

When he just muttered 'talk to you later' and hung up abruptly, Tressa blinked at the phone, wondering what had gotten into the big Samoan. Trying not to let it get to her, Tressa made it the rest of the way and pulled into the hotel parking lot, cutting the ignition to step out. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, while trying to get her bag out of the backseat and whipped around to stare up into the handsome face of her boyfriend.

"You ass! You scared the hell outta me!"

Joe didn't care if she heard the change in tone or anything really. Obviously, she was selfish and didn't really care about the impact she had left on his best friend. What a great way to end what should have been a triumphant night of return.

"Sorry, lass," Drew laughed, bending down to help her with her bag before stealing a quick kiss. "But ye do look bonnie with those roses in ye cheeks." He shouldered her bag with his own and let his free hand drop down to her belly to feel the bump that seemed to get larger every day. "I'll kinda miss this when the wee one is out."

Joe's words were suddenly forgotten because she was with her handsome, sexy Highlander, who couldn't help stroking her belly whenever the opportunity presented itself. "I will too." She confessed softly, knowing the bigger she became, the more she would regret saying those words. He wasn't the one carrying this baby, she was. They walked inside the hotel, taking the backway, and thankfully, there was an elevator because she didn't feel up to taking actual stairs. "So, thank you for the handkerchief and the heather, but I'm curious what they both mean. Is that something men in your homeland do for their women?"

"Now, if we were back in the 'good old days'…" He shook his head while they waited for the elevator.

Generally, Drew would have taken the stairs as a form of light exercise and it had become a habit at this point, but now…his woman was tired and he found himself making changes to accommodate her. Changes he didn't think twice about, she was growing and carrying their baby. It was probably a good thing men weren't able to carry babies, he would have tried to volunteer.

"It would've been me giving ye a sign that I intended to court ye and then marry ye. Now, it's just a token of affection." They had skipped the courting part, gotten pregnant, and then backtracked a bit.

Tressa's throat locked up when the word 'marry' came out of his mouth, but then he clarified what he meant. He made it clear it was just a token of affection and she relaxed, stepping on the elevator with him. "That was very sweet of you to send me." She murmured, reaching up to stroke his bearded face and his head dropped instantly to softly kiss her lips.

Even though Joe was back, there was no other place she'd rather be than with this Scotsman. If Joe couldn't understand it, if people couldn't understand it, that was their problem. She knew who she wanted, and it wasn't Jon, it was Drew.

"You really need to stop spoiling me, Highlander."

"Why?" He asked curiously, quirking a black eyebrow down at her. He caught her hand, keeping it on his face. "Ye deserve to be spoiled, Tressa." If a small token of his affection was spoiling her, he was a bit curious about what her reaction to some of his grander ideas would be. "Spoiling ye is sending ye off to a spa that specializes in pregnant women." He informed her, trying to keep the amusement out of his blue eyes. Nothing harmful for her or the baby, relaxing, pampering…it'd be good for her.

Tressa was not a very materialistic person and enjoyed the little things in life, not needing any extravagant gifts from the man she was with. "A spa for pregnant women?" What was going through that devious Scottish mind of his? The way his ocean blues sparkled mischievously told her, more than likely, she would be going to a spa before long. "Thank you for the gifts and spoiling me, then. I won't argue against what you just said." This man was very stubborn and would do whatever he wanted for her. And she would have to deal with it. "Oh, by the way, I finalize on the house in Tampa next week on our days off. I know we only get two days, but I really need help to move my things from Minnesota to Tampa. Or I thought about just leaving everything behind and starting over by buying new furniture and everything. What do you think I should do?"

"Bring what makes ye happy, leave what doesn't." It was simple enough.

Drew hadn't even thought about moving in because it had only been a month since they had agreed to try being more than friends with benefits. If she wanted to live with him, she would have backed out of the housing thing. Since she closed on it soon, he was assuming she was content to live a few blocks from him and he was fine with that as well, for now.

"I dinnae know how to drive one of those big trucks, however…" Those U-Haul trucks seemed to frequent the highways wherever he went.

"I mean, you know I went back to Minnesota to pack up what I wanted in boxes," Drew had gone with her to help, not wanting her to stress or push herself too much. It was sweet of him and they had gotten everything she wanted to be done. "Maybe I can just hire people to move everything from point A to B." She had money and she wasn't hurting financially, so that was an option for her to do. "It might be a little expensive, but it's better than trying to lug all that shit in a U-Haul and driving it from Minnesota to Tampa." It made sense and she honestly liked her furniture she had in Minnesota too. "I'll have to call around and see when I can get this done. Stephanie said if I need a few days off for the move, to take them, so I might just do that."

"I'll help cover the costs if ye like." Drew offered, really not liking the idea of his pregnant woman trying to make that drive in a damn truck that would guzzle gas and be a pain in the backside to drive, due to the heavy blind spots and other hazards.

One thing they never talked about was money. He knew obviously she had good credit and made good money. She was closing on a house next week, but that didn't mean it wasn't taking a pretty penny out of her. She walked into the hotel room, thinking over his offer, and chewed her bottom lip nervously, sitting down on the bed.

"You will? Are you sure?" Drew just came back to the WWE not even a year ago and, even though he was on the main roster, it took time to build up savings. Then again, he had made decent money in the Indies as well and he was very smart, so she assumed he invested some of his money wisely. "No Andrew, I can't…I can't ask you to do that. I appreciate the offer, but…no, I can handle it. It's my house and I wouldn't feel right if I took money from you to help me move. This was my decision and I'll take care of it. I do appreciate your offer though, please don't think I don't."

"Ye the mother of me child and moving to Tampa, so the baby is closer to me, to have both parents," Drew argued reasonably because, in his mind, she was making the bigger sacrifice here and paying beyond her fair share. She was leaving behind her home, her family, and the only person she knew in Tampa was him. "I think paying to have someone do the actual moving, so ye and the wee one aren't under that stress, is the least I can do, bonnie." He set their bags down before picking up the room's menu, offering it to her. "Have ye eaten?"

"I told you I'm not moving to Tampa just to be closer to you for the baby's sake. I really do want out of Minnesota and I have for a while. Florida makes sense because of you, though." She conceded that fact, taking the menu from him and setting it on the bed before taking his hand to gently pull him to sit beside her. "I want to be close to you, period, Andrew. And I love Tampa, it's beautiful there. And no, I haven't eaten yet and I know you haven't either. I'll order us some food."

She gave him a gentle kiss and felt his arm encircle her waist to pull her closer to him, deepening it. Every time this man kissed her, it made her entire body tingle and she wondered if that would disappear once the baby was born. Tressa hoped not. The connection they had manifested before the baby was conceived, they had it in the bar during Royal Rumble weekend. That deep pull that neither could really explain and over time, it had only grown stronger, deeper. No doubt partially fueled by the child they had created together, but it was definitely more than just that.

"I'm gonna get a shower." He whispered against her lips, smiling when she kissed him again. Normally, he showered at the arena, but tonight had been a cluster bomb, thanks to Joe's return.

Everyone had been clamoring in the men's hallway and making getting in and out damn near impossible.