I take a sip of my tea. “You’re unbelievable.”
“It’s not as if you don’t have the money.”
I snort, my tea almost making its way to my nose. “Says the woman who’s an heiress of both a multibillion-dollar cosmetics company and a successful hockey franchise.”
Her lips quirk into a smile and she leans back in her seat, crossing her arms. “Oh, so now we’re going to play thewho’s richergame?”
“Well, that game wouldn’t be fair because even if my latest contract is for millions a season, I don’t have the kind of wealth that comes with being a double heiress.”
“Did you look me up after the party?”
“Like you didn’t search my stats and contract details right after finding out who your baby daddy is.”
Haisley chuckles, shaking her head. “Okay, fair point. I didn’t stalk you, Rasmus. I was simply curious.”
“Curious?” I raise a brow. “About what exactly?”
“What kind of man you are.”
“And?” I prompt, intrigued to hear what she found out.
“It looks like you’re a former bruiser who knows the game better than I do, which says a lot because I grew up around hockey, too.”
Her short but accurate assessment of me makes me laugh. “Facts. So, what do you want, then? A diamond necklace? A trip to Paris? A puppy?”
Her eyes twinkle with amusement. “Paris would be nice, but I was thinking of something a little more practical.”
“How about you just give me a hint?”
“Well, you could always get me a massage chair. Or maybe a fridge or a vending machine stocked with all my favorite snacks for late-night cravings when I breastfeed the baby.”
Fuck if the image of her feeding our baby doesn’t make me feel hot. What the heck is wrong with my brain for lusting after the mother of my future kid in weird situations like this?
“I can get you both without it being a push present,” I suggest, nudging my thoughts aside.
“I was kidding.”
I study her. “Deep down, you want something special. So let me spoil you.”
“I guess I can live with that,” she relents with a satisfied smile.
16
BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, I’VE NEVER HELD A BABY IN MY LIFE
HAISLEY
Itug my bright blue jacket off as I step inside the busy restaurant to meet my former roommates for lunch. They’re seated in a cozy booth near one of the large windows facing the street. Seeing them together makes a familiar warmth settle in my chest. Halloween was the last time we were together, so it’s about time we met up again.
Marianne spots me first, shifting her one-year-old daughter Iris on her lap. When the little girl recognizes me, she starts babbling and waving her tiny little arms. That catches Timmy and Rose’s attention, and they both turn.
“There she is,” Rose says, scooting over to make room. “We were starting to think you forgot about us.”
“Never.”
“Good.” Marianne smiles, tucking a piece of Iris’ soft brown hair behind her ear. “Because it feels like we haven’t seen you in ages, and so much has happened.”
Swallowing, I nod in agreement. But the thing is that I’ve been holding onto my secret for nearly three weeks now, only letting Rasmus, Soph, and Hunter in on it. I decided to wait until being well into the second trimester before telling these three. But it’s time. They’re my closest friends. They deserve to know, no matter what happens with the pregnancy.
