Shane
Holy Shit.She’s pregnant, and it’s mine. I’m gonna be a dad. She would probably still be talking if I hadn’t covered her mouth. I should be freaking out. I mean, I’m having a baby with a woman I had one incredible night with and who I recently asked out on a date. A woman who’s three older brothers are my pres and two VPs. This all should be freaking me the fuck out, but I feel a calm in me, like this is supposed to happen, and happen with her. I’m still in my head about things when she tries to talk with my hand still on her mouth. Mumbling behind my hand, she gets me out of my head.
“Please say something, anything.” I look her in the eyes and realize they are glassed over in tears, worried about my reaction.
I sit up in bed quickly, realizing just how much I don’t like to see her crying, and I definitely don’t like being the cause of it. I gently grab her and set her on my lap.
“Gorgeous, look at me.” She does, and I wipe away the two tears that are starting to fall on her beautifully freckled cheeks.
“Don’t be scared. I’m surprised, I won’t argue that, but something inside feels right. One, I know I will be involved with everything. I will be here to help you during the pregnancy and you better believe I’m going to be a present dad. My stepdad wasn’t a good example, but between doing the opposite of what he did and watching my uncle Grant as I got older, I’m gonna do my best by my kid and by you, no matter what that ends up looking like. I know this baby is going to have lots of love and family and that’s what matters. I also know I do still want to date each other, and I want us to be serious about it. I’m going to be there when you tell your family. I know they may hate me for a while, but I’m not going to let you do that shit on your own. I—” She stops my talking by kissing me briefly, but with passion and giving me a great smile that lights up her face.
“I’m so glad you aren’t freaking out and I don’t have a you-sized hole in my door as you ran out of here. Honestly, that was one of my biggest fears. I know this isn’t traditional, but maybe that’s okay for us, for our baby. Now, when I went to the doctor yesterday, she said a lot of people wait until the end of their first trimester to tell people in case of a miscarriage. We’ve got almost a month or so till then. If you’re okay with it, I think we should wait to tell everyone. That also gives us time to get used to it and to get to know each other more.”
I get this feeling that I’m gonna be willing to go to the ends of the earth for her and be more than happy to do so.
“I can work with that plan. Now, I know what we just did wasn’t planned on both our parts, but I plan to do that again and very soon. However, I also just realized that it’s getting late and I need to feed the two of you. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Well, I haven’t been to the store yet for a big shopping trip to get a bunch of staples. I have pasta, I think I could whip up or I could order something. I might have some leftovers from this weekend that was supposed to be dinner last night, but I didn’t eat it.”
“What sounds good to you right now? Like, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?” She grins.
“I really want one of those burgers you brought my brother yesterday. The smell of it had my mouth watering for hours, long after I ate the fries. Oh! Maybe some onion rings too.” I grab my phone. I put in our order through the local delivery company and throw in a milkshake for her too.
“Did he give you the sandwich yesterday?” Now I’m even more glad I brought her lunch, and I think that might become a regular thing. Gotta keep my family fed.
“No. Not that I didn’t want it, but I’ve been reading the pregnancy books and they said I shouldn’t eat lunch meat while pregnant, and that club had turkey and ham lunch meat. But the fries were amazing. That was really sweet of you to think of me.” Hearing her, I realize just how much I don’t know about babies and women having them.
“I think I’m gonna need to get those books too, ’cause I don’t want to give you something you can’t eat. I need to learn so I can ask the right questions at your doctor appointments.”
She gets up and puts her shirt and leggings on.
“You wanna come to my appointments with me too?” This woman. She needs to get that I’m all in and not going anywhere. I grab my jeans and throw them on, leaving them undone for now, and I sit back down on the edge of the bed.
“Come here, gorgeous.” She walks over to me, and I pull her in between my knees.
“Kierstie, look at me.” She turns to me with those light eyes, a few of her curls hanging down in front of her face.
“I meant what I said. I’m gonna be there for everything. Doctor appointments, cravings, putting together the furniture, all of it. If you want to take a class or something, I’ll be there for that. I know we’ve technically known each other for years, but you and I never really ever hung out when we were kids. I hung out with the boys when we’d come to visit in the summer and you were hanging with your sister and the other girls. I want us to get to know each other as we get ready to be the best parents we can for this little one.”
Kierstie
I think I just fell in love with him a little. He says those words and caps it off by kissing my stomach and talking to our baby, telling it he needs to get us fed and taken care of. I mean, I knew my brothers wouldn’t let an asshole into the club. After learning who he was, I know Grant wouldn’t stand for his nephew to not be a stand-up guy, but him wanting more is making my heart pitter-patter.
We head back to the living room just as the doorbell rings and our food arrives. We eat and talk for at least a couple of hours. I think he’s not used to sharing with a lot of people. He seemed a bit surprised that I actually listened to what he said when I asked him something. What kind of women has he been with before? Like, who wouldn’t listen to someone they’re supposed to be getting to know? People, especially shallow people, bug me. Like why bother asking a question you don’t want an answer to?
I must yawn a few times, ’cause he gets up and tells me to go to bed and get some rest. He kisses me goodnight. Lord, he can kiss me whenever he wants to. That man is just yummy.
“Gorgeous, lock the door behind me.” I follow him to the door, get one more kiss. I know he’s gonna be like my brothers and not start his bike till he hears the lock. I go to bed realizing that one big worry of mine is lessened. Now to get to know each other better and figure out how to tell the family and not get him killed. Yeah, that’s not gonna be tricky or anything.
CHAPTER 4
Kierstie
The next few weeks go by quickly and are not super eventful. Shane’s been over almost every night, either bringing food, or helping me cook dinner. We’ve spent so much time talking and getting to know each other, it makes him even sexier than before. He does little things without much thought that make me see he really is a good and caring guy. He won’t drink caffeine around me ’cause he knows how much I miss it. He makes sure we have vegetables with every dinner cause the baby needs to be healthy. He’s spent time reading all the baby and pregnancy books I’ve gotten and has made a list of questions that he’s either gone online to look up the answers or will ask the doctor at our next appointment.
He doesn’t even seem fazed when my temper rears its head. I admit to having a few meltdowns regarding what I can and can’t eat, and there might have been a pretty large one when I realized I couldn’t have lox on my bagels. I blame that one on hormones and the lack of caffeine in my system. Most guys I’ve dated before have told me to calm down, shut up, or that I overreact to things. Not Shane. He said he understood my feelings and promptly went and got me my second favorite breakfast of waffles and hash browns. He told me my temper only comes out when I’m passionate about something or when it involves family. He said that when it involves my family, it’s my love showing. He swears that just means I’m gonna be a great mom who fights for my kid. He told me he read about the food meltdowns and that means I’m a normal pregnant woman. See, he’s so sweet, trying to make me feel normal.
He talks to the baby most nights he’s come over for dinner. Even if he doesn’t spend the night, he insists on lying on the couch with his head in my lap, talking to our little one. He talks about all sorts of things. Sometimes, I listen. Other times, I read and give him his time. At the end, he always sings the same song. He said he didn’t know any lullabies or kid songs, but the one he chose says the words perfectly. Wouldn’t you tear up every time you heard the man you are quickly falling in love with sing the John Hiatt song “Have a Little Faith in Me” to you and your unborn child? Yep, I’m in serious fucking trouble.
