Page 63 of Honest Boys Don’t Play

“Brady?”

“Sounds like a frat boy name.”

“Luke,” she laughs. “Are you going to like anything?”

“Eventually. I hope. Naming our son is a huge deal, it has to be perfect.”

Her cheeks tinge the slightest shade of pink. “It is a big deal, isn’t it?”

“He’s only going to have the name for the rest of his life.”

“Carson?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

She looks like she wants to laugh at me, but she presses her lips into a hard line instead. “Deacon?”

“No.”

“Fine, you look.” She nods at my phone. “I can take notes.”

With a sigh, I do as she asks. I’m not purposely trying to be a pain, but I’m realizing that there might not be a lot of names I like. I bring up a website and start back at the A’s.

Forty minutes later we’ve only added a few names.

Billy.

Callahan.

Connor.

Henry.

Julian.

Noel.

Perry.

Rory.

It’s not a lot, but it’s a place to start.

We settle into bed for the night, and I curl against Bertie, wrapping my arms around her. I expect her to protest, but she doesn’t. Instead, she grabs my hand where it rests on her stomach and twines our fingers together.

I want this forever with her, but I still don’t think she’s there yet.

One day, though, she’ll know this is serious and that I’m not going anywhere.

CHAPTER 22

BERTIE

I knew Rosie probably wouldn’t make it long before she visited, but I certainly didn’t expect her and Daire to roll up the very next morning.

“You needed your car,” she says by way of excuse when I stare at her and her husband open-mouthed. “Plus, I thought you needed a shopping companion. Surely you want to get some things for your new place. Speaking of, show me around.”

Luke watches us, his eyes glimmering with amusement. When I asked him if he knew about this, after I got Rosie’s text that they were on their way, he insisted he didn’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t talk them into coming just so I wouldn’t have time to feel too alone in this new environment.