by Kim Law
The expression on her brother’s face turned mutinous. “He doesn’t deserve to have the baby named after him.”
She’d called Mason Thursday after talking to Erica and Arsula, not wanting the news to make it to him before she saw him in person. Then she’d phoned her parents. Her mother had thought Cord being the father was nice. She remembered his family always being so put together. Maggie hadn’t filled her in otherwise.
Her father, however, had a different opinion. He remembered Cord, as well. And he also recalled the “ladies’ man” reputation that had always swirled anytime Cord had been home between college semesters. Her dad didn’t think Cord deserved her.
She hadn’t pointed out that Cord didn’t seem to want her. Nor had she let that bother her. The conversation they’d had after returning from the hospital had been strictly focused on the baby. As, she supposed, it should be. No matter that her ridiculous crush still liked to remind her on occasion that she found him oh-so-dreamy. She also found him rock solid once he set his mind to doing something. Like being there for her. She liked that.
“He didn’t do anything wrong, Mace.” She hadn’t told her brother that Cord had at first refused to have anything to do with their son. He definitely wouldn’t like that.
“What he did wrong was doing nothing to help you out for the last seven months.”
She sighed. “I told you. He didn’t know.”
“Yeah. You also told me the asshole wouldn’t call you back.” He cursed as he realized that one of the two pieces he’d just forced together had been put on backwards, then he tossed the screwdriver to the floor. “I swear, I’m going to buy you a new bed that’s already assembled.”
He left the room, grumbling about needing something to drink, and Maggie merely smiled. She refused to let a bad attitude bring her down. Being back home had lowered her stress level. As well as learning that Cord wanted to be in the baby’s life, of course. So instead of worrying about all the remaining unknowns—like what Cord being a dad was truly going to look like—she’d decided simply to enjoy the small victory. She’d return to stress later.
“I called Mom and Dad on my way down today.” Mason came back into the baby’s room and handed her a glass of water. He’d poured another for himself. “Dad wants to know what Cord’s intentions are.”
“His intentions?” Maggie snorted. “To give me all his money, I think.”
She’d gotten another text right before her brother had shown up, from the same banking app Cord had used that first night. He’d apparently tried transferring the five thousand dollars to her again. Was the man made of money?
“Then take it,” Mace suggested. “Whatever he’ll give you. Don’t let him off the hook.”
“No one is letting anyone off the hook.” She balanced her glass of water on her belly and smiled at her obvious skill. “But I also won’t take advantage of him.”
“Well, maybe you should. It seems he took advantage of you.”
“You think?” She peered up at him. “Maybe I took advantage of him?”
That didn’t make her brother happy.
“You want to hear how I took advantage, Mason?” she teased, waggling her eyebrows.
“Stop it. You know I don’t.”
She giggled. She and her brother had always been close, but since he’d moved out of town, she didn’t see him nearly enough. She was younger by two years, and as his baby sister, she loved taunting him when it came to his protective big brother streak.
“Maybe we took advantage of each other,” she goaded. “Possibly in this very room.”
His jawline went stiff. “If you were this big a pain in the ass with him, I’m surprised he ever touched you.”
He went back to working on the bed, and she returned to the glass she’d balanced on her belly. After taking a drink, she repositioned the water for a couple of minutes, grinning each time it stayed exactly where she’d put it, no matter which angle of her stomach she set it on. Soon, she gave up her game and let her head sink back into the headrest. She closed her eyes. It was nice to simply sit and let someone else take care of things.
Her phone dinged on the table at her side.
“Is that him?” Mason muttered.
“I don’t know. I’m too relaxed to open my eyes.”
The phone dinged a couple of minutes later, and she giggled when Mason grunted.
She still didn’t open her eyes, though. She didn’t want to see another dollar amount. When she and Cord had talked the other night, she’d agreed that since he was going to participate in their son’s life, then he could pay child support. She would still put most of it in a college fund, but if knowing he was contributing to daily care mattered, then she’d let him contribute. But she wouldn’t agree to an outlandish amount.
“How’s this long-distance dad thing going to work, anyway?”
She tried to make herself smile again, knowing that Mason was likely looking at her. But she couldn’t do it. She didn’t have any answers. “I don’t know, Mace. We haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Are you going to end up moving there?”
She lifted her head and looked at her brother. “No.” She had considered offering to go to Billings for her delivery, as she’d once discussed with her doctor. Additionally, she could rent a place and live there for the first couple of months. That would give her time to adjust to being a mother, but also give Cord the opportunity to be more a part of things. In the end, though, she’d decided against it. That would feel like she’d be the one doing all the giving, and that wasn’t the precedent she wanted to set. She’d be more comfortable with her own doctor here, and if Cord didn’t make it in time for the delivery, then she’d at least have Arsula with her. Her biggest fear had always been more about after the delivery anyway.
“Were you wishing for a relationship?” Mason tossed out, his question catching her off guard, and her good mood slid away. She had wished for one.
She did wish for one, if she were being honest. As silly as that may be.
She had no clue if things could ever work between them, but she’d love to give it a try. And not because of the baby, either. If her son’s parents were together, that would be great. But a relationship shouldn’t be based upon that. She just really liked Cord. He made her smile. He made her tingle. And they’d gotten along so well before.
Also, there was an intensity about him, something that seemed to reach out to her. It made her want to be there for him. She couldn’t explain it, but she’d felt it that first night. She’d felt like they’d connected.
So, yes. She would love to give it a try. She just didn’t know how to approach the subject. And, if they tried and it did work out . . . Well, then she wouldn’t have a problem moving to Billings to be with him. If she and Cord were to fall in love and wanted to be together, it wouldn’t matter where they were.
Her doorbell rang before she could form a reply to her brother, and Mason held up a hand as he rose. “Stay put if you want. I’ll get it. It’s probably the fully assembled bed I ordered earlier,” he teased.
As he left the room, she managed to push herself out of the chair, and as she did, she glanced down to see the message Cord had sent.
I’ll be at your place in five minutes. Are you home?
Her eyes rounded. That was Cord at her door?
Why?
Then she heard her brother say, “Wilde.”
Cord followed with, “Crowder.”
She stopped moving and listened. She knew the two of them had known each other in high school, and until she’d told her brother it was Cord who’d gotten her pregnant, she’d never heard a bad word said about the man.
“Can I help you with something?” Mason asked.
“Is Maggie here?”
“Maybe.”
She sighed. Her brother’s protective streak hadn’t come out quite like this since she’d gotten dumped by her first boyfriend because she wouldn’t kiss him at the junior high dance.
“Mason,” she said as she made her way to the front of the house. “Didn’t you have some friends you wanted to visit while in town?”
Her brother had his arms crossed over his chest, and he didn’t look away from Cord. “I can visit them later.”
She shoved him to the side. “Do it now,” she insisted. Then she looked up at Cord, who remained in the open doorway. He offered a smile, but it seemed as uncertain as she suddenly felt. The last time he’d been at her house they’d spent more time in it naked than not.
She gulped.
“Hi,” he murmured.
Mason cleared his throat.
“Mason,” she ground out, elbowing him as he tried to move back in. “Please.”
“Fine.” He grabbed his coat from the back of a nearby chair, then he came back and put his face in front of Cord’s. “Hurt her and you’ll answer to me.”
Maggie rolled her eyes as he shouldered his way past Cord, then she turned back to the man who stupidly still made her toes curl. Her baby kicked inside her as if he were glad to see his daddy, too. “Would you like to come in?”
“Actually”—his smile changed from uncertain to excited—“I’d like for you to come out. I got something for you.”
“You got something for me?” Surprise had her grinning. “What is it?” She leaned to the side, trying to peek around him, but he blocked her view.
“It’s a surprise. Two of them. Get your coat and boots on and I’ll show you.”
She hurried to do what he’d asked, allowing him to help tug her snow boots up after she stepped into them, and when she was ready, he took her hand.
“Come on. I’m excited to show it to you.”
She couldn’t imagine what it could be, but she hurried along after him. He’d parked in her driveway, and he took her around to the passenger side. When he reached for the door, she paused. “Are we going somewhere?” She motioned back toward the house. “I didn’t lock the door.”
“No need.” He squeezed her hand, and the smile on his face warmed her. “Just watch.”
He opened the door, and then a chrome step slid out and then down. It was just the right height so she could step up and climb into the truck. The thoughtfulness thrilled her.
“Cord,” she whispered. Her hand went to her heart.
“Now you don’t need to bring a step with you.” The childish glee on his face made her laugh.
“That is so sweet.” She tried it out. “Thank you.”
He nodded, watching her as she stepped up and down again. “That’s not the best surprise, though.”
“No?”
She glanced around the front seat, trying to figure out what other modifications he might have made. “What else?”
“Come on.” He took her hand again, and after she’d descended, he led her behind the truck. She still hadn’t spied what else this big surprise might be, but when they kept going beyond the truck, she quickly figured it out.
She stopped walking. “Cord. What did you do?”
A huge brand-new black SUV was parked on the street with temporary tags attached.
“I got you a new car,” he announced.
“I don’t ne—”
“It’s big enough to hold all the baby stuff you’ll need.”
She let him drag her to the road, and when they got there, she saw that he hadn’t just purchased the SUV, but it looked as if he’d bought every baby item he could find. There were two sizes of car seats in the back, a diaper bag, diapers, wipes, toys, clothes, blankets, bottles, burb cloths, baby monitors, and who knew what else crammed in between the car seats and stuffed in the front passenger seat. And then he lifted the rear door to show her what had been tucked away in the back. Two different models of strollers, a baby bath, more toys, a portable crib, and three mobiles.
“I didn’t even know they had baby baths.” He held the tub up for her to see, and she laid her hand over his arm.
“What are you doing?” she asked. This was over the top. “I don’t need all of this, Cord.”
“Sure. I figured you might have some of it already, but I can return what we don’t need.”
“I don’t need the SUV.”
Her declaration finally slowed his momentum. He took his time putting the baby tub back into the cargo space before he turned to face her once again. She read the pleading on his face before he even spoke.
“I need to do this for you, Maggie. I need to make sure you’re okay.”
“Of course I’m okay. Without all of this.”
“I head back to Billings tomorrow.”
That was a bit of a gut punch, but also not unexpected. His vacation time couldn’t last forever. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “You don’t have to worry.”
“I will worry. And this will go better in the snow than your car. It’ll be safer. Plus, I’ve already bought it. I can’t take it back now.”
“Cord.” She peered into his eyes. She couldn’t read what was going on inside his head. “What’s this about? Why didn’t you talk to me first?”
He took her hand in his again, only this time, he held it between both of his, then he angled his head down and looked directly into her eyes. “I’ve done a lot of thinking over the last couple of days, Mags. And even though I have . . . I still don’t have all the answers. But I’m trying. I’ll come to Birch Bay every weekend to help you out. At least for the first few months, and as often as I can after that. I’ll also see if I can find a house to rent in this same neighborhood. If I can find a place that’s close enough, I can help you in the middle of the night if you’ll let me. I know I won’t need to take him overnight for a while—I can’t imagine you’d want me driving off with him anytime soon—so this is the best I’ve come up with. I also know it’s not nearly enough.”
She stared at him. That was a lot. “You really think you could get away every weekend?”
“I’ll do my best. Harper used to fly me home after Dad first had his accident.” His sister-in-law worked for search and rescue and had her own helicopter. “I’ll find a company that can do the same when the weather is clear. That way I’ll be here longer instead of being on the road, driving so much. And I’ll take a couple of weeks off after he’s born, too. I’ll also hire a nanny for when I go back to work if you want.”
“Stop. Cord. No.” She shook her head, her mind reeling. They remained standing at the side of the road, the back and rear doors of the SUV wide open. Cord had put a lot of thought into this. “Don’t rent a place. I have a third bedroom. Stay with me.” She’d had the idea earlier but hadn’t decided until now if she wanted to make the offer or not. “And maybe you could come back a time or two before he’s born.”
Her pulse fluttered when his brows shot up. She liked being around Cord. And she especially liked protective-dad Cord.
“We should probably get used to being around each other before he’s born, don’t you think?” she added. “I mean, more than just . . . you know . . .” Her cheeks heated. “That one weekend.”
Her voice dropped lower as the memories suddenly swamped her, and if the way his gaze dipped to her mouth was any indication, he was remembering a lot of the same things.
“You think that would work?” he asked. “Me staying here?”
He looked at her mouth again.
“I do. And I also think it’s the best solution. I can pump milk before bed, and you can get up in the middle of the night to feed him if you want to. Or bring him to me if I haven’t pumped.”
He nodded. “I’ll do that. I’d like to do that.”
She smiled. She couldn’t help it. For a man who’d recently declared he hadn’t wanted a thing to do with his son, he’d certainly come around. “Then I think it’s a great plan. It’s a good place to start.”
“Agreed.” He looked back at her, not saying anything else for a minute. “Thank you, Maggie. And I guess I’ll see you again on Friday.” He turned her hand over, palm up. “But you have to keep the car.” Without anothe
r word, he dropped the key into her hand, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and marched to his truck. She didn’t try to stop him. She didn’t know if she would really keep the car or not, but she loved that he’d had the idea. And she also loved that the feel of his lips now lingered on her forehead.
Chapter Fourteen
“Seriously, Jenna and Haley are going to think you hung the moon when they see these things.” Maggie’s voice was muffled due to leaning so close into one of his nieces’ dollhouses. She had a piece of pink-and-white-striped wallpaper, cut to size, and was carefully applying it to a bedroom wall.
“That’s the plan.” Cord sat at her kitchen table beside her, working on the furniture pieces he had yet to complete. The dollhouses were almost four feet tall, and he’d had them custom-made. He’d wanted to be hands-on with part of it, though, so he’d taken on the furniture. It had been Maggie’s idea to add the wallpaper. He’d sent her pictures of the dollhouses earlier in the week when they’d been texting back and forth.
They’d texted a lot that week. They’d also talked on video calls a couple of times.
And she’d sent him links to the two ultrasounds that had been done during the pregnancy. He was officially in love with his little boy.
He still had reservations, of course. He didn’t want to screw things up; he didn’t want to let his son down. And the distance between here and his job wasn’t small, so that would present a whole other set of challenges. But he wanted to try. His siblings had figured things out. Surely he could, too.
His siblings had also figured out relationships, the voice in his head said. But he wasn’t quite ready to go there. Best to keep a distance. Don’t hand over all the power.
“I would have killed to have something like this when I was a kid,” Maggie murmured.