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“Yeah, yeah, you mean playing with fire of the baby persuasion. Let’s be real. It can’t happen every time people have unprotected sex here, because the overcrowding situation isn’tthatbad.”
“You hadunprotectedsex with her? Where is your brain?” Before I could answer, he shook his head. “Never mind. I know exactly where it was.”
Since I’d asked myself that same question, I couldn’t begrudge him. But I also was not interested in discussing this with him right now—or ever. Hopefully, we’d all move through this blip unscathed, and we wouldn’t do something that risky again. “Go take care of your just-about wife. Or chill out while Van’s in with her. I’m going to go pick up the furry heathens so our sister doesn’t put a hex on us for ruining her Saturday.” I pulled out my keys. “I’ll be back.”
As much as I loved my soon-to-be sister-in-law, all this worry about babies—both in utero and hopefully fictitious—was making my soul itch. I needed some fresh air and sunshine and to hug some dogs who didn’t think I was a moron.
At least I was pretty sure they didn’t.
“Okay. Hey, while you’re out, I don’t suppose you’d mind picking us up a few things? We ordered a small grocery delivery this afternoon, but we forgot some stuff and with current events…”
“Whatever you need.”
“I’ll make a list.”
Barely, I resisted rolling my eyes, but then I remembered that my not reading the list Brady had left me for the dogs last night was how I’d made Daisy sick. So I supposed many, many lists was my penance, and I’d accept it stoically.
I was sure I’d get to make many with Pocket Plus later on as we planned the shower and the bachelor and bachelorette parties, and oh, yeah, whatever we had to do for the wedding.
Was it too early to go back to bed? I’d really enjoyed sleeping. Especially with that soft, curvy, warm body pressed into my back.
My front would be fine too.
I smiled weakly at my brother. “Lay it on me.”
Five minutes later, I had a list stuffed in my pocket that reminded me of Santa’s gift list—it just kept unfurling. But I headed out to the store with a promise I wouldn’t forget anything, already wondering how long I could stay gone without anyone thinking I’d run away.
Probably not as long as I wished.
“Call if you need me,” I added as I went out the door.
And I didn’t even turn off my phone as I said that, so I figured I was now maturing at an extremely rapid rate.
Or else all the responsibility around me was rubbing off. Now that I had a house, I’d probably open an IRA soon and start thinking about rate of return and potential investments. I’d stop thinking about the kind of vehicle I wanted to buy for horsepower and consider what was best for a family.
Somehow I didn’t shudder as I jogged down the stairs, but it was close. I was getting ahead of myself. Even if we were in Baby, USA, there were no guarantees.
I probably wouldn’t have to think about being a father to anything other than one tiny dog for years to come.
TWELVE
Somehow after a guyagreed to run away with you, it didn’t seem proper for said guy to disappear without so much as “see ya!”
True, we hadn’t been serious about running away together. I wasn’t that silly to believe that. But we’d slept together. Actual sleep had been involved.
We’d bought condoms. We’d flirted. We’d laughed. We’d made the town think we were horny for each other—and it hadn’t been a lie.
And in the grand tradition of young males everywhere, he hadn’t even stuck around long enough to tell me it had been fun.
Good thing I hadn’t been getting attached.
So I did what I did best. I pretended as if I didn’t care about him at all.
“C’mon, you’re supposed to be entertaining me, not stabbing your hook into that poor innocent yarn.” Tab nudged me with her knee.
We were both in Brady’s bed, her under the covers, and me on top of them since I was hotter than the sun.
I was furiously crocheting a crossbody bag that I’d left at Tab’s apartment. Since I’d just cleaned out my yarn over there last night, this had been the only work-in-progress I had left. I wasn’t even sure I wouldn’t have to take the whole thing apart later and start over.
