by Quinn, Taryn
I laughed and bent to pick up my briefcase. “To pay me back, tell me what you know about podcasts while you walk me out.”
“Sure. And uh, Boss, you left that behind.” He pointed at my chair.
“It’ll give the cleaning staff a thrill.” I rounded the desk. “They should especially enjoy the underlined parts.”
Vincent glanced back as I tried to nudge him out the door. “What’s underlined? Is that really a preggo handbook?”
“More of a primer, let’s say. And don’t even think about looking at it. You do realize where my new home is, don’t you? Apparently, the whole town is under a baby spell.” I shut my office door behind me.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Vincent’s reaction was similar to my own when I’d discovered Crescent Cove was well-known for something more than quaint lakeside views and charming shops. “If you’re curious, stop into Brewed Awakening in the Cove. Ask for Macy, the owner. She’ll give you an earful.”
She’d surely given me one when I stopped in for a cup of java the other morning. I’d mentioned that Hannah was Vee’s dog-walker for little Latte. Hannah had met Vee during her brief time working at the café—a job she’d quit shortly after she’d taken on the nanny job. Vee had a passel of children, thanks to an ad searching for a baby daddy in the Cove. And also, due to drinking too much of Crescent Cove’s water.
The last part was just speculation.
Vincent yanked on his tie. “I’m not sure I’m man enough to.”
“Me either, but I survived.” We crossed the newsroom and passed the fleet of offices that surrounded the main hive to emerge in the hallway that led to the exit. “I’m pretty sure Hannah and I got caught up in forces bigger than ourselves. Sage may be a baby pusher too, for all I know.”
“Who’s Hannah?” Vincent cocked his head. “Oh, your baby mama?”
I frowned. “Don’t call her that.”
“What should I call her then?”
I didn’t know. We didn’t have any labels for each other. We were just existing in this free space where we made the rules and figured out the path forward. “The answer,” I said softly before I caught Vincent’s strange look and realized what I’d said.
But it felt true, so I didn’t correct my statement. Just kind of...lived with it for a moment.
That she could be my answer when I hadn’t even realized I was still full of questions seemed like an unspeakable miracle.
The topic shifted to Vincent’s knowledge of podcasts, which I think he appreciated. I understood the desire to relegate the subject of settling down and babies to a box at the back of the closet. God knows I hadn’t been looking to expand my family on New Year’s Eve.
Luckily, some unseen hands had guided us together. Or…Sage.
I was still sure she had something to do with it. Or my grandmother. Maybe both of them. Every town had a matchmaker, didn’t they?
Perhaps Crescent Cove had two in the making.
Vincent and I parted with an agreement to discuss the transition on Friday, including the specifics of what exactly that would mean. But I made sure he understood that while my overall role would be smaller, I would still be keeping my hand in. I would also be working some longer hours in the weeks leading up to officially handing him the reins, just to ensure the change would be a success.
We ended the conversation with a handshake—and a hug, which I appreciated much more now that I was becoming the sort of man who sang Kenny Rogers’ songs in the men’s room at nine am.
The old austere Asher probably would’ve sprayed his hand with sanitizer and forgotten the whole thing had ever occurred. Good thing I’d sent him packing.
He was sort of an asshole.
I texted Hannah on the way to let her know I was running late.
Oh, don’t rush. I just went into labor.
Despite that impossibility, I nearly swerved off the road.
You nearly made me drive into a ditch.
You shouldn’t be texting and driving anyway. What kind of example are you setting for the children?
The word children sent a chill through me as it always did. At least it wasn’t nearly as paralyzing anymore.
The children can’t see what I’m doing right now and I’m using text-to-speech anyway. Did you miss me?
Who is this again?
Laughter rolled through me, filling the car. That was me laughing like that. Not just a polite chuckle at parties, but actually fucking laughing.
I swallowed hard. Billy would be proud of me. And he’d tell me it was about time.
He was right. It was past time.
When I pulled up at home, I made sure the radio was cranked up and that I was singing John Mayer’s “Your Body is a Wonderland” at top volume. Hannah came out laughing, carrying Lily in her little yellow rain slicker, and I forgot how to breathe.
“You didn’t finish,” Hannah said breathlessly as she bent down to lean in my window.
“Finish what?”
“The song?”
“What song?”
“Asher.” Hannah grinned as she pushed her finger into my forehead. “What’s your damage today?”
Lily babbled a word that sounded an awful lot like “Asher” and tilted precariously forward to grab for my face. Then she gave me a sloppy kiss that smelled of grape jelly.
“Daddy,” I corrected her without thinking, my gaze connecting with Hannah’s over Lily’s reddish-brown hair.
Hannah’s throat moved as we both waited for something that didn’t come. But I couldn’t claim to be disappointed, because I’d never come so close to wanting that before.
Had never figured it was in the cards for me.
Hannah came around the car and got Lily into her carseat before joining me in the front. I turned down the radio and backed out of the driveway, my thoughts so loud she probably was getting a headache.
“You can be her Daddy too, you know.” She touched my thigh. “It’s not an either/or situation. Her father will always be her father.”
“Yeah.” I tightened my hands around the wheel. “You’re right.”
“You’ve earned that name and then some, which is why she’ll be calling you that sooner than you think. Right now, she’s pretty obsessed with sounding out jelly, but I bet that will be the next word on her list.”
Smiling, I slid her a sidelong glance. “Or maybe Mommy.”
She held my gaze until I reached over to grip her hand. She tangled her fingers with mine and I pressed them to her belly, needing her to know I wasn’t only talking about Lily. Our family of four was new and special and scary as hell, but I was all in.
Now I just had to convince Hannah.
We arrived at her doctor’s office a short while later. I grabbed my glasses out of the visor on the way in, raising my eyebrows innocently as Hannah shot me a look.
“I’m sure we’ll be looking at paperwork.”
“Right. You’re sure you want to make me all hot and bothered.”
I tugged her against my side as we reached the door. “Side benefit. Right, Lily Patch?”
Lily screwed up her mouth. “Asher.”
I sighed. “I’m going to be the only one at parent-teacher nights whose kid calls them by their first name, aren’t I?”
Hannah’s lips twitched. “No. Because she’ll probably call me by mine too.”
The acknowledgement that Hannah intended to stick around for the long haul made my grip around her shoulders tighten. I brushed a kiss over her hair and Lily leaned between us from her perch in Hannah’s arms, offering her face up to me for a kiss.
Hannah chuckled. “See, she thinks you’re handsome in your glasses too.”
I kissed Lily’s forehead and steered them to the desk in the waiting room. We filled out some paperwork, then took our seats.
I was only hyperventilating a little about the purpose of this visit. Baby steps sometimes felt fucking huge.
We weren’t waiting long, shockin
gly enough, although it seemed as if half the people waiting were entranced by Lily. Lily, however, only cared about the big foam blocks on the floor.
When Dr. Ellis’s nurse ushered us into her office, Lily was still clutching a block with the letter F that she refused to release. I’d tried to pry it away twice, only for her to howl as if I was trying to murder her.
Kids were cute. And terrifying.
“Hi, Hannah. Good to see you. And Asher Wainwright, it’s a pleasure to finally formally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” Dr. Ellis smiled as she and Hannah exchanged a look that I didn’t understand.
“You have?” We shook hands and I glanced at Hannah. “What has she been saying about me?”
“Just that you double bagged the night you knocked me up.”
“What? I did not.” I frowned, thinking back. “No. I didn’t. But the condoms were probably pretty ancient. Sorry about that.”
“Now he tells me.” Hannah sighed and set down Lily on the children’s mat on the floor to play with her block.
Dr. Ellis laughed and leaned against her desk. “Happy accidents happen all the time in my line of work.” She cocked her head at Hannah. “Your mood has changed since our last appointment.”
Hannah rose from her crouch beside Lily. “I’ve had some time to sit with the idea.”
“Yes, you have. And you seem to have a supportive partner. Am I correct, Asher?”
I didn’t know if all doctors got this personal, but I had a feeling Hannah and Dr. Ellis had a different dynamic than the usual doctor/patient relationship.
“Yes. Since we’ve kicked things off with a bang already, I’ve brought some questions. I have a book, but I haven’t covered everything yet.” I pulled the folded piece of paper I’d ripped out of my Day-Timer from my jacket pocket. “How long can we safely have intercourse?”
“You did not just ask that,” Hannah muttered. “And I can answer that for her—that time has already passed. The door is locked on you now.”
“I didn’t mean how late, although that’s a good question too. I meant actual duration.”
Hannah shook her head and took the seat beside me. “If you weren’t wearing those glasses, there’s a good chance I might walk right out of this office.”
Dr. Ellis laughed. “It’s a good question to ask. As far as how late, some women find sexual intercourse to be helpful in stimulating a natural birth, especially if it ends in an orgasm. As long as the woman is comfortable and healthy in other ways, we don’t really put a date on when to stop. As for the other,” she winked and Hannah shut her eyes, “that’s entirely up to personal preference.”
Hannah didn’t say a lot through the whole visit, although she did ask a few pertinent questions about what she should be eating and not eating and different milestones. But I was far more vocal, especially when I learned she’d actually lost three pounds since her last visit instead of gaining.
“We’re getting a steak dinner after we leave here,” I informed her. “One you didn’t make, no matter how delicious your cooking is.”
Hannah sighed and slipped her shoes back on. “I think stress burns calories, because I’m definitely eating plenty.”
“Eating for two is a different animal, but some women don’t gain much at all. I wouldn’t worry. You’re doing everything right.” Dr. Ellis smiled at Hannah. “You’re in great health, Hannah, and once we do the sonogram in about five weeks or so, you’ll be able to see your baby.”
“Including the gender?”
Hannah immediately shook her head. “I want to wait. It should be a surprise.”
“For the whole nine months? That’s a long time.”
“You’ve already covered the first three,” Dr. Ellis reminded me.
I released a slow breath. “Good point. That’s still far too long.”
“We’ll discuss it.” But Hannah sounded about as flexible as she did when I gave her business ideas. Although she was getting a bit more open-minded there.
As for the gender reveal timing, we’d just see about that. I had an ace up my sleeve.
On the way home, I made an unexpected detour. Lily was fussing in the back, so I decided to show my own flexibility by stopping at the McDonald’s drive thru and getting a soft serve vanilla cone for Lily and a Big Mac for Hannah. She rolled her eyes, but she ate it, licking the special sauce off her fingers in a way that was far hotter than it should have been.
“Is this your first time through a drive-thru?” she asked.
“Why, just because I asked where the silverware was?”
“You have a burger and fries. You don’t get silverware, Mr. Silver Spoon.” She reached over to wipe salt off my chin. “I like when you don’t shave,” she added, licking the salt off her fingertip.
“Like glasses, check. Like scruff, check. Like to make me uncomfortable when there’s a baby sitting nearby, check.” I glanced over my shoulder at Lily, whose face was covered with vanilla ice cream. I couldn’t keep from laughing. “You enjoying that cone, Lily Patch?”
Hannah looked back too and laughed with me. “Lily Patch is such a cute nickname for her.”
“It was Billy’s. He always joked he found her in the cabbage patch. She was the red-headed doll, although now she’s getting more brown. Aren’t you?”
Lily tossed the remnants of the cone on the floor.
Hannah sighed, unbuckling herself. “I’ll just—”
“No, I’ve got her. Eat your lunch. The baby is hungry even if you aren’t.” I unclicked my seat belt, stopping when I realized Hannah was staring. “What?”
“You really want this baby.” She cleared her throat. “Our baby.”
I didn’t have to think. “Yes, I do. And I really want you too.” I gripped her hand. “Not as an incubator. Because you’re Hannah Jacobs, and I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of you since I saw you scribbling secrets in a diary.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “It’s more of a business planner now.”
“Did you tell it about us having sex?”
“It? You realized it’s a bound book?
“Yes. Did you?”
She licked her lips, nice and slow. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
I shook my head. “You have an evil side, and I’m not sure what it says about me that I find it sexy.”
She gave me a rare full smile. “Me either.”
We finished our lunches and got back on the road. I had a surprise destination, one I didn’t clue Hannah in on.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I tossed her a grin.
“Are you kidnapping me?”
“Maybe. I wouldn’t mind tying you up and having my way with you. Probably not with the baby present though.”
“Asher Wainwright, you’re a kinky sort. I never would’ve guessed.”
My grin widened. “Imagine that.”
I pulled into the parking lot of Tattoo You and Hannah whipped her head toward me. “I’m not getting a tattoo. I don’t like needles. Especially big needles. No, I hate them all.”
“We aren’t here for you.”
“Then?” Her gaze dropped to my chest, although it obviously wasn’t visible through my shirt. “You don’t have that much real estate left to get inked, at least on your torso. Which still doesn’t fit with any of the rest of you.”
“See what happens when you have a crazy buddy who encourages you to do wild stuff?” I flicked my thumb along the corner of her mouth. “Or your crazy boyfriend?”
Saying it made my pulse pound in my ears so I quickly unbuckled and got out of the car. “You and Lily can stay here. I’m just going in for a quick consultation with my regular guy. He doesn’t know if he can get the outline started today or not.”
“Okay.”
“Or you can come in if you want—”
She’d already pulled out her phone. “I’ll be fine. I may come in if I need the ladies’ room. Joy of pregnancy, peeing every five minutes.”
On that n
ote, I headed in.
Lance, my longtime tattoo artist, came out to greet me with a grin and a clap on the back. “I thought you were done with tats for a while.” His expression clouded. “After Billy—”
“Yeah. This is for him though. And for my girl and my kids.” More things that sounded weird on my tongue, but I forced them out because I couldn’t wait around for the magical time when my life didn’t scare the holy shit out of me.
Maybe being scared meant I was finally living again.
“Oh, yeah? You told me a little on the phone, but lay it on me. I’ll do some sketches while we talk. If you like any of them, we can start laying down the outline today. Can do some more filling in in a couple weeks. We’re jammed in here nowadays, man.”
“That’s great.” I glanced out the big glass windows and noticed Hannah was now leaning into the backseat to fuss with Lily. “Let’s work on those sketches and by then, Hannah should need the bathroom. I’ll see if she can wait while we get it started.”
Lance laughed. “Is that how it is?” He turned and craned his neck. “She’s the pretty brunette in the front seat?”
“Yeah.”
“You did good. She’s gorgeous.”
“She is.”
“You said kids?” Lance waggled his brows as we moved toward his station in back. “It hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen you. You’ve been busy.”
“Well, Lily—”
“Yeah, Lily.” Lance scraped a hand over the top of his head, skimming down over his stubby ponytail. The back of his neck was tattooed with intricate Chinese characters. “How is she?”
“Good. Growing like a weed. She’s already at the top of her percentile.” The pride in my voice made my steps falter.
Was it odd that I was proud of something I’d had no hand in?
No. I didn’t have to take ownership in her accomplishments and milestones to appreciate them. And thank God for that.
“Not surprising. Billy was a damn string bean.” Lance pulled out a chair for me and grabbed his sketch pad. “Okay, let’s talk turkey.”