Page 110 of Paths
We’re new. Not only are we new, but we’ve just moved in together, we have a non-date set in the very near future to get married, and as much as I know I love her and this is right, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re new.
Still.
I didn’t lie when I told her I was good if there was a baby. The last couple days when she told me she was late and wanted to give it a few more days before taking a test, I was becoming more and more good with the thought of becoming a father. A different kind of father.
A good father.
No—a fucking great father.
I try not to let my disappointment show, because I don’t know what she’s thinking. I bring my hand up to her chin and turn her face to mine. “What?”
It’s her turn to frown. “What?”
I raise my brows. “What are you thinking?”
She bites that damn lip, and just like every time it happens, my cock twitches.
But fuck, her eyes start to well. She’ll never know how deep that cuts me, and I’ll never tell her because I never want her to hide it.
She shrugs as her eyes fill and her voice cracks. “It’s silly—I know. Especially after I freaked about us being careless, but I was sort of getting used to the idea.”
I brush her jaw with my thumb and let out the breath I was holding. Leaning in to kiss her, I taste her tears as they fall to our mouths. When I let go, I put both hands to her face, wiping the wet from her cheeks with my thumbs. I’m serious as shit when I lower my voice. “We didn’t give it a full go. You teach me about your ovulation cycle and come January—it’s balls to the wall.”
Damn it, she smiles but her tears come stronger, and this time she nods her head in my hands.
I can’t take her crying, so I pull her into my arms and stuff my face in her hair where I mumble, “Like I need another reason to make love to you. January’s gonna be a fun month.”
She nods as her face is stuffed in my neck. “I’m sorry. You didn’t sign up for this, but I’m a little emotional while I’m on my period. I swear, I’ll get it under control. It’ll pass soon.”
This makes me laugh as I rub her back. “Then it’s a good thing I’m good with women.”
And fuck me, she starts laughing as she continues to cry into my neck.
I hold her while looking at the ugliest Christmas tree ever that sits in our new house and I see our future. A new path—our path. A path that can only be good.
Epilogue
Three Years Later
Grady –
“This must be take your kid to work day,” I say, and look over at Crew who’s holding a wiggling Vivi in his arms. She’s grabbing at his cheeks and lips as she arches her back to get down.
We’re in the middle of summer. The sun is out and it’s hot, but for some reason the one-year-old little girl is wearing rain boots with her sundress.
“She wants Cayden,” he says, flipping her around so her back is to his front where she has no leverage. Holding her easily with one arm wrapped around her middle, her dark hair falls around her little face as she continues to wiggle. “Addison doesn’t know we’re here, but she will if I let her climb all over the tires again. Last time I brought her home covered in dirt and grease, I got a lecture about making sure she’s dressed for boot camp. I have a feeling this isn’t what Addison had in mind when she dressed her this morning.”
I look back out to where Cayden is climbing over the old rubber creating black smudges all over his arms and legs. Now his face is covered and his clothes are filthy.
Nothing a dip in the pool won’t fix.
I smile when he pulls himself to his feet and looks at me waving. “Daddy, watch!”
He jumps off the side of the tire and lands in the center before starting the climb to do it all over again.
“Good job, bud,” I yell back. “Two more and we’ve gotta go.”
He starts to scramble faster.
