I grunted as I scooped up Richard. I need to go to the gym more often. After placing him on the mattress and settling Sophia in her basket, I climbed in beside the man who was having my baby and pulled the covers over us. We’re going to be dads.
59
Richard
The sound of my phone—no, not my phone—a phone, pulled me from my sleep. I snapped up, disoriented by the sound until my eyes caught hold of Harry, fishing out his phone from a pile of clothes on the floor.
“Sorry. I thought I turned it off,” he apologized, not even looking at the screen, simply pressing the volume button until the room filled with silence.
“Don’t you want to see who it is?” I asked, unsure what to say after the night we just had.
I’d held it all together until I walked into my home and saw the floor lamp I’d accidentally knocked over more than once. It was such a stupid thing I never thought twice about it until then. All of a sudden the danger it could cause to my child flashed through my brain and started an avalanche of all the ways I wasn’t prepared, from babyproofing to childcare to knowing what kind of car seat was safe.
That was when my anxiety took over, leaving me exactly how Harry found me.
Much after that was a blur and now seeing him here...still here, I wasn’t even sure how to react, what to say, where we stood. Unlike last night, however, I felt safe and like things might just be okay.
That was something.
“They can wait. I have more important things on my mind.” He dropped the phone back on the pile and stood up, his t-shirt barely covering the waistband of his boxer briefs.
“I’m sorry.”
He came over and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. “For what?”
“For having you find me like that...for not being smart enough not to get pregnant when I of all people should understand how to prevent it, for ruining your future.” The tears were now flowing. “For everything.”
“Oh sweet omega, don’t you listen?” He took off his shirt and used the soft fabric to wipe the tears from my eyes, his scent a balm to my pain. I snatched the shirt.
“I try.” It came out with a squeak at the end.
“You were not the only one making this babe,” his hand settled on my belly. “We made his or her together, and I know about birth control too, you know. It isn’t secret doctor knowledge.” How was he so calm? “And the one thing you very much did not do was ruin my future. You gave me a future...a future with the family I have always longed for.”
“But you wanted it all, and I can’t be that. I can’t stay at home and cook and clean and be a dad. I’m a doctor. I can never be enough for you.” It all made sense in my head. Hearing my words as they spewed from my mouth? That was an entirely different story all together.
“I want you.” He slid over until his back was against the headboard and pulled me onto his lap. “I want you just the way you are. Period.”
“I’m not giving up my career,” I reiterated.
“And anyone who asks you to is not worthy of your time.” His arms tightened around me. “I’m a lawyer. I understand how hard you’ve worked better than most. Would you ever ask me to give up my career?”
“Never,” I insisted.
“Then we have an understanding.” He kissed the top of my head. “You and I will keep our careers.” How did he make it sound so simple?
“But how?” I looked up at him, needing to see that he was as calm on the inside as he seemed on the out.
“So many professionals have families. We can make it work. I don’t begin to understand the logistics. But between the two of us we can take leave and be with our babe during those important first months when their immunity systems are developing, and then we can decide if we want to use a daycare or a manny. We have time and resources. We will figure this out—figure out what is right for our family.”
“A manny? Like someone to live here?” I didn’t have the biggest place, but I could add on, the backyard had plenty of room for that.
“Or mine or we can buy one together. And manny doesn’t need to be our choice.” He brushed his lips gently against my cheek. “Breathe, omega mine. Breathe. We’ve got this. You and I—together—we’ve got this.”
I jumped off of him and out of the room, reaching the toilet just in time as the morning sickness nearly took me off guard. That would have been fabulous. Thank you for being great about the baby...how about I puke on you now.
A warm hand settled on my back as a cool washcloth was held out in front of me. I took it and wiped my face, enjoying the coolness.
“Sorry. It came out of nowhere.” I leaned back into him.
“Does that happen often?” He helped me up and over to the sink where I grabbed a cup to rinse out my mouth.
“Sometimes. It’s not too bad anymore,” I lied. It was just as bad. Except it wasn’t. For whatever reason, knowing it was my body inadvertently saying the baby was doing well made it far better than when I was accusing my lunches of nefarious intent.
“I want to be there for this...all of this.” He swirled his hand around. “The good, the bad, the miracle in your belly. All. Of. It.”
“Why are you—you’re so amazing about it—why?”
“Because I love you, omega. I’d thought you had figured that out by now. I. Love. You.” He punctuated each word with a kiss on my cheek.
He loved me.
Harry loved me.
60
Harry
“Is this place a rental?” Paint was peeling off the wall and there were scuff marks on the baseboard. A smudge of mold, from a leak in the roof, I assumed, curled around one corner of the ceiling.
“No.” Richard was rummaging in a drawer. He’d pick up a pair of pants, mumble that none would fit him soon and toss them over his shoulder. “It was a firesale. The owner died, and her family wanted to get rid of the place quickly.” He faced me, and my eyes raked over his chest, hips, and dick encased in a pair of red briefs. “Why?”
I scrambled to the end of the bed and got on my knees.
“What are you doing?” He arched a brow in an adorable Richard way. “I’m not dressed for anything formal.”
I glanced at his crotch. “I’d prefer you in a state of undress.”
He rolled his eyes. “Stop it. You’re making me blush.”
Changing the subject, I asked, “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“It’s too soon. Let’s get used to the idea of us being parents before we make any other huge changes.”
I placed a finger on his lips. “Shhh. If it’s okay with you, I’d like us to move in together.”
He held up his hand. “You don’t have to upend your life, Harry. We can muddle along as we are for a while.”
“Hey,” I took both his hands in mine. “I’m not suggesting this to make it easier or to save money—though it would solve both situations. I want us to be together as partners, lovers, significant others and fathers-to-be. I love you.”
“I don’t know.”
“I do.” I put a hand over my chest. I’ve been doing this a lot lately. “Cross my heart.”
“No, you idiot.” He removed one hand from my grip and ruffled my hair. “The moving-in part.”
“My place is closer to the clinic.”
“True.” He rolled his head from side to side as if he were considering my suggestion.
“And there’s a Thai restaurant nearby,” I added.
“Oh, you play dirty.”
“It’s close to a grocery store, park, and from what I hear, the neighborhood school is great. Parents rave about it.” I sat back on my heels.
“Since when are you up to date on what parents think? Did you have a client who was suing a school district or something?”
“Nope.” Taking the phone from the bedside table, I clicked on a link for a local parenting blog. “I’ve been researching. We have to be prepared.”
A faint smile crossed Richard’s face. “That’s the
lawyer in you.”
“Maybe. But honestly, I think it’s the dad part of me.” I puffed out my chest. The idea of becoming a father and us creating a family was growing on me.
“I’ll have to sell.” He shrugged and glanced around. “There’ll be so much paperwork, and I’ll have to show people around.”
“Nope. I’ll take care of it. I have a friend who’s a realtor, and as long as you aren’t attached to the place, I’ll have someone at the firm deal with the legal side of it. Make it as painless as possible.”
“It might not be an easy sell.”
I followed his eyes to the patch of mold and shivered recalling the dirty grout. “Judging by the state of those bathroom tiles, we’ll need to get it cleaned and repairs done beforehand. Leave it to me.” Matt would faint if he saw those tiles. “Oh shit. Matt!”
“Right. I forgot about your roommate. You can’t toss him out.”
“It is my house, but no, I won’t. I’ll give him plenty of notice.” I rubbed a hand over my face as my thoughts raced. “What I suggest is I live here with you and give Matt time to find somewhere new.” I paused. And hope Matt finds a place before we sell. “If that’s okay?”
“Of course it is.”
“But we have to clean those tiles. They’re kinda gross.”
Richard replied with a smirk, “Cleaning supplies are in the kitchen.”
“Clever man. Never do something yourself that you can’t delegate to others.”
He grinned. “My motto.” The dog bounded into the room, and Richard picked her up.
“You’re already a great dad. Sophia told me so.”
His mouth gaped. “Fifi.”
“What about her?”
“She and Sophia might not get along.”
“Fifi is either in her terrarium or her outdoor enclosure, which isn’t low enough for Sophia to jump over. It’s a perfect match. Never the twain shall meet.” Until we were both living in my place, I’d get Matt to feed my pet, and I’d check in on her. She didn’t like change and would be happier at home.
The doorbell rang. “More guests?” Richard asked as he lounged on the couch.
“Perhaps.” Matt had moved out and Richard, Sophia, and all their stuff were settled in my house. Or rather our home. Richard’s house was sold to a developer who was going to knock it down and build apartments.
The dog paraphernalia took up most of one bedroom in our place while we were turning the third one into a nursery.
Today was our housewarming, but most everyone had been and gone, apart from Uncle Enrique and Darren. Aunt Flora had brought rose bushes belonging to the group called floribunda. She’d giggled as she stood over me while I dug holes in the front garden and cursed. Puffing and panting, I’d told her, “Thanks, Auntie. Whenever I look at these roses, I’ll think of you.”
“That was the idea,” she’d replied.
Richard closed one eye as I headed for the door. “What are you up to, Harry?
“Something I had made,” I said over my shoulder.
“I’m intrigued.”
I signed for the parcel and walked inside. “For you.”
Richard weighed the package in both hands. “Let me guess. It’s something for the baby.”
“No. That would be too predictable.”
“For me?”
“Yes, but not in the way you think.”
He held it to his ear and shook it. “Doesn’t rattle.”
“Open it,” I insisted.
Richard stood up and tore off the wrapping paper, and his eyes scanned the words emblazoned in red letters. A sob escaped his lips that were pressed together. “I love you, Harry.”
Uncle and Darren peered at the present. “I don’t get it,” my cousin said.
“Best not to ask.” Uncle pushed Darren in front of him and headed for the door as he whispered, “Something sex-related is my guess.”
Richard held the gift in both hands, and his eyes welled with tears. “I love it.” I opened my arms and he walked into them. “You know me so well.”
Stifling the urge to reply, “Shouldn’t that be ‘Gnome me’?” I took the sign that read, ‘This is a gnome-free zone,’ and headed outside to hang it.
61
Richard
“If it’s a girl, I say we name her Henrietta,” I teased as I stared at the gigantic bottle of water I was to somehow put in my body in a short period of time and then keep in there until after the ultrasound. I was already running to the bathroom a bazillion times a day. I couldn’t imagine the result of drinking all of that.
“Works for me.” Harry pushed the bottle closer to me. “Now drink up so we don’t miss our appointment. I can’t wait to see our little one.”
“How can you even pretend to love the baby after agreeing to the name Henrietta?” I snatched the bottle and took as long of a drink as I could. The damn thing still looked full.
“It was your idea, and you’re right. It fits with tradition.” He opened the cabinet in front of him and reached inside, grabbing a box of lemon granules. “Maybe this would help it go down?”
“Don’t try to change the subject by being sweet.” I grabbed the packet and tore it open, dumping the little salt-looking bits of lemon goodness into the water. It might help. It would at least taste better.
“Drink.”
“Yes, sir,” I gave a salute and took another long swig only this time the water actually did look less full. “Better, sir?”
“Why are you being all sexy when we need to leave for the doctor’s?”
“If by sexy you mean bloated, wearing too-small sweatpants, and ankles the size of Nebraska—then I blame you and your own personal brand of sexy.” I took another drink of the water. Almost halfway down. I could do this. At least the drinking part. The not-peeing part...that was still to be determined.
“You’re growing a human which is by far the sexiest thing ever, or so I thought until you added all the Sirs to it and now I’m pretty sure growing a human while calling me sir is the sexiest thing ever.” I’d have thought him exaggerating if he hadn't been all about the naked time, if anything, increasing in frequency as my belly grew. I didn’t hate it.
“And for the record, I was teasing about Hernrietta. It is a shit name, tradition or not.” He tapped the top of the water again. “We can finish the last quarter in the car, but you know the drill, Doctor.”
I did which was why I seriously considered delaying my ultrasound a couple of weeks to avoid this torture. If only the ultrasound machine didn’t have the siren’s call. I wanted to see our baby, to see for myself everything was going well. It didn’t help that I took an entire semester’s course on all the things that could go wrong.
“Fine,” I conceded, setting the bottle down with a quarter of it to go, my bladder already protesting. This wasn’t going to be pretty. “Let’s go see our baby.”
There were benefits to working in the same clinic as my prenatal care. I could schedule visits during my break times, I knew the doctors, and I never had to wait long.
That was until I came in having drunk seventy-two years’ worth of water. Then they were so sorry but they were a little backed up. Twenty minutes later, I was still waiting only instead of sitting down and chatting with my alpha, I was pacing the waiting room and doing what I deemed the peepee dance when I saw toddlers in my office do it.
I will not pee my pants. I will not pee my pants. Because if you say it enough it will become true—right? Gods, I hoped so.
A not-so-helpful yet kind receptionist came out and told me I could pee a little to help reduce the bladder pressure. She looked at me like I had twelve heads when I asked, “Haven’t you ever been to a kegger? Once you tap the head, you are done for.”
Harry got it, chuckling behind me as the receptionist just shrugged and walked away.
“Sweetie, if we need to reschedule we can.” Harry stood close but not touching me. He’d learned his lesson when he attempted to hug me and I all but pushed him a
way for fear the hug would put too much pressure on my bladder and things would get ugly.
“Yeah.” There was no medical reason why the two-week wait until I didn’t need to drink insane amounts of water wasn’t a good idea. I walked to the receptionist desk as the door opened and my name was called. Thank fuck.
“Lenny,” I greeted the tech by his first name, having met him a few times during a consult for one of my urgent care patients. “Here’s the deal, I’m about to explode.”
“You’ll do great.” He started to walk away, and I followed, not thinking he fully had a grasp of how desperate I’d become.
“No, I won’t.” We reached the room, and he moseyed on in, tapping on the table. Was he not hearing me?
“I think my omega is saying he can’t wait anymore to deal with all the water he drank.”
“That!” I might’ve been just a touch too forceful. “Sorry. I want to see my baby more than anything, but I gotta go.”
“How about this. Get on the bed and I will do a quick Here’s you baby ain’t he an adorable blobish type being, and then you can go pee and we reschedule.
That was a plan I could get behind. I climbed up onto the bed and laid down, my shirt up, my pants below my belly as he squeezed on the warmed gel and swiped the wand across my belly slowly.
“Let me introduce you to your baby,” he moved a bit more. “Here is their head...their heart and…” I winced.
“CliffsNotes version, they have all their bits, and without measurements I can’t be sure of anything, but nothing looks at all troublesome. Want to know the sex?” He speed-talked and I officially loved him for it. I nodded, and he said, “Boy.” That was all I needed to hear. I was off that table in record time and reached the toilet in time to not make a disgusting fool of myself.
Harry was at the door when I walked out feeling ten pounds lighter.
Love at Blind Date Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 22
