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The same question he’d been asked by his best friends, by his brother. He wished his answer had changed. “I wish she was, man. I really do. She’s smart, beautiful, and strong as hell. But no. She’s not for me. I’d know by now.I’d have to.”
“Okay. Well, raising this kid with her means you have to bring her into the fold, and soon.”
He knew Baze was right, butJasperwasn’t ready. It was a huge secret to reveal. Herlife had already changed so much in the last few weeks. Finding out shifters were real, that the guy she’d had sex with turned into an actual wolf? That was a lot. “I’ll tell her soon. Definitelybefore the baby is born.”
That gave him a nice seven-month win—
“Don’t you think that’s information she deservesnow? What if she can’t handle it and she changes her mind about you or about raising the baby herself?” Riley heldouthis hands palms up when a low growlerupted from Jasper’s throat.“I’m not trying to be a dick, man. I’m spouting facts, and you know it.”
“You said it yourself, she isn’t yours,” Jace said. “If she wasn’t made for this life, made to love a shifter, then she might react really fucking badly.” Jace got up from his space behind his desk, comingaroundto join Riley and Baze.
Now all three of them were standing in front ofJasper. He hated what they were saying,andhe hated that they were right.
He cracked his neck side to side, taking a few deep breaths while he waited for his wolf to settle and his thoughts to arrange themselves correctly. In the back of his mind, he’d known what they were saying was a possibility. It was hard to think about, to face, so he’d pushed it away. Ignored it.
“If she doesn’t want me or the pack in her life, then I’ll fight for joint custody.” Jasper stood, his body rigid, repelling the notion of battling Callahan in court. “I made my choice about the baby, and I have rights too.” His wolf would never let him back out of his decision about the baby, and neither would his human heart.
“Whoa.” Riley sat back, perching his ass on the edge of Jace’s desk. “You really do want this kid?”
“Of course I want my kid.” Jasper shook his head in disbelief. “I know I’m the fuck-up, the good time. But I’m not dicking around with this.” He put his hand to his chest. “Did you think I was lying? Did you think I told her I’d help raise the baby as some kind of game? To what end?”
“No, man. That’snot what I meant.” Riley reached out, putting his palm on Jasper’s shoulder. “I just, I guess hearing you be so protective, so willing to go to bat for your paternal rights. Damn. You’re really going to be a dad. Likeyou’re a dadalready.”
Jace moved back behind his desk, sitting down and clicking around the keyboard. “I’m sending you a file I compiled once you told me you wanted to keep the kid.” He hit one more button with flourish. “It’s a list of daycares he’s on the list for,aswell as profiles of some nannies in case you want to go that route. They’re old and married. I figured it would complicate things if you started fucking the chicks you pay to help with your son.”
“Uh, thanks, but you’ve gotta chill with that shit.Callie isn’t used to having you run her life.” His phone vibrated in his pocket, alerting him of the information his twin sent. “And why do you assume the baby is a boy? You guys know something I don’t?” He glanced from face to face, stopping on Riley. “Why are you smilinglikethat?”
“Congrats, bro, it’s a boy.” Riley held his hand out for a high five, then pulled Jasper in for a hug.
“Are you serious? How can you tell and I can’t? It’s my kid.I figured my supernatural shit would be in hyperdrive or something.” Jasper could hear the heartbeat and sense the baby growing. Out of everyone in the pack, Riley had always been the best at getting a feel for the details when it came to the early stages of pregnancy.
Riley let him go, a goofy grin on his face. “I don’t knowhow, butI can tell he’s a little shifter in the making. Can’t explain it, never can. It just is.”
Jasper had great examples of fathers around him all the time. He’d been lucky enough to spend his childhood with his mother and stepdad, Charlie.
When he got to St. Leasing, he’d had all his coaches as role models.
“Well, shit.I’m going to have a son.”
Chapter Thirty
Callahan
Their first doctor’s appointment went well. The baby was growing andwashealthy. They heard the heartbeat, neither one of them cried like those overjoyed couples in the movies. True to his word, though, Jasper had been next to her every step of the way. He even insisted on staying in the room for the pelvic exam. They compromised and he stood up by her head. Sure, he’d seen her naked, but spread out with her feet in stirrups wasn’t the same thing.
He dropped herback off atthe clinicafterward. Maddi held extended hours for working parents a few times a monthandCallahaneasily lost herself in theebband flow of their patient-filledevening. They were supposed to doonlyphysicals, to clear players as eligible to play sports. It never failed though, either the kids or their parents would askformedical advice,or for them to treat small scrapes and injuries. She loved that each appointment had the potential to bring something new.
Callahan hadn’t given much thought yet to what shewantedto major in,or which career path to take, but nursing or something in the medical field was looking like an exciting possibility.
“You’rehome. Didyou eat?” Blake and Axie were on the couch, a giant bowl of popcorn between them and an ominous-sounding movie on theTV. “The guys went out for a run.”
Callahan hung her bag on the hook in the hallway before joining them in the living room. “It’s not odd to you two that they always go out to run after the sun goes down?”
“It’s cooler outside that way.” Blake spoke around a mouthful of popcorn and butter.
“It’s Colorado.” Callahan glancedatthebackyard, the high that day hadn’t even reachedeightydegrees. “And they only run at night.” It was something she’d thought was strange at first, and now it was downright bothering her. Jasper always brushed off her concern and questions, and it seemed Axie and Blake were doing the same thing.
“Boys are weird.” Axie waved away her observations, shoving popcorn into her mouth as well. “We’re watching scary movies.” She patted the cushion next to her. “Does powdered cheese bother you, orjust melted? Blake dumped a whole bottleof the powered crapover the top of this popcorn like a savage.”
