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Mae bit her lip as the conversation from last weekend flooded back. She didn’t interrupt though. She wanted to see how this went.
“What’s the difference?” Merit asked as he sat back on his heels.
“Doggie daddies aren’t always around, but penguin daddies help take care of their babies.”
“Well, then, count me in as a penguin daddy.”
Ian smiled before yawning and snuggling deeper into his pillow. “Good. I like penguin daddies.”
“Me, too,” Mae murmured.
Merit rose to his feet. “Sweet dreams, kiddo. I’ll see you soon.”
“Night, Merit. Night, Mom. Love you.”
“Night, Scoob. Love you, too.”
Mae followed Merit out of the room and pulled the bedroom door closed behind her. It was nearly ten o’clock, and she was tired and wired at the same time. It had been a long day, but a good one, and her body was humming with anticipation.
“Penguin daddy,” Merit said with a soft chuckle as he reached up to rub the back of his neck. “I was not expecting that. He’s something else.”
“That’s my boy.”
“He’s a great kid, Mae.”
When he lowered his arm and moved a little closer, her breath hitched. You’d think after last weekend, she’d be more comfortable letting him know what she was thinking, that it was later and there was no maybe about it, she was more than ready to feel his stubble against her skin. But with her heart threatening to pound right through her ribs, she couldn’t quite find the words.
Chapter 25
Unaccountably nervous, Merit drew in an unsteady breath as he stood with Mae in the small hallway. How the fuck had he gotten so lucky?
Wedding champagne and a faulty condom.
Well, who the hell cared how? What mattered was him stepping up and earning the gift in front of him.
“The guy that walked away from the two of you has gotta be the stupidest man alive.”
Surprise widened her blue eyes before she dropped her gaze to his chest. “Thanks.”
Was it wrong he was glad the bastard had walked away? Probably. He should feel guilty they had been abandoned, and he did feel bad for them, but he was also so very thankful he was the one standing in front of her right now with the chance to be the man who made a difference for them. A chance he intended not to squander.
“You hadn’t told him I’m the father yet.” Him meaning Ian.
“No,” she confirmed. “Not until just now.”
Because she wouldn’t tell her son something so important until she believed she could trust him to keep his word and stick around for the long haul. He’d asked her to trust him, and she’d just let him know she did.
Closing the last of the distance between them, he reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear before resting his hand on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
She grasped his forearm, her smile telling him she understood exactly what he was thanking her for.
“I’m not the same guy I was back then, Mae. Everything changed the day I met you.” He gave a self-deprecating snort. “I always used to think people who said stuff like that were idiots, but here I am, saying it and meaning it.”
“And here I would’ve thought it was the day I told you I was pregnant.”
“You’d think, but no. Things really changed the day of the bakery opening when I met Ian.”
Her teasing smile turned sheepish. “That was kind of a mean trick we played on you election night.”
