Page 28 of Waiting for Friday Night

The slight wistfulness in his voice told more than his stoic expression had. He hadn’t donated and walked away. He had wondered what happened with his kid. “You want to be a father?”

He glanced away quickly and shrugged before meeting her gaze again. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t want to have kids with just anyone. I want to be in a relationship. I want to give my kid stability. Something I didn’t have a lot of growing up.”

“Weren’t you dating someone when you first moved to town?”

His face shuttered before he spoke. “I was.”

“No kids?”

He shook his head. “Not with her or anyone else.”

“Well, if the results are right, you’ve got one with me.”

The idea shook the foundation of everything in her life. Shania had a father. A father who might want to be a part of their life. Not some mystery person behind a profile she’d chosen, but this man in front of her. A man who was more interesting with each conversation they had.

“I don’t have any kids through the traditional sense with anyone else,” he said with a half smile.

Halle’s lips quirked at the nice way he’d cleaned that up. Then she thought about him creating a child in a traditional way. Thought about him creating a child with her in the traditional sense. Then she wasn’t thinking about kids at all as her curiosity did what it always did: took an idea and clung to it. What kind of lover would Quinton be? Would he listen or was he like a bull in a china shop, just going for his own pleasure?

She blinked and took a sip of her coffee. She was not going to think about Quinton that way. If she was going to think about sex, then she was going to think about sex with Gregory. Quinton may be Shania’s biological father, but he was not about to be the father of any new brothers or sisters she may have.

“I just wanted to talk with you about what we do next. Now that we’ve gotten that straightened out, I guess I should go.”

“Are you going by the middle school today?” he asked. His dark eyes traveled down her body and back up. Not long enough to be considered a leer, but still intense enough to make heat flash in her chest. “Or do you have other plans?”

“I am going to the school. I’ve got a lot to do to get ready for the upcoming year. Other than practice, are you getting ready for the year?”

“I do manage to drag myself away from the football field and get caught up on the lesson plan before the year starts.” The light in his eye told her he was teasing even though his face was serious. He would be cute if he smiled. It was time for her to go.

She pushed away her barely touched coffee. “Good to know. I’ll call you when I set up the time for the test.”

“We can purchase a DNA kit.”

“I’d rather go to a professional and be sure.”

Quinton held up a hand. “Whatever you want.”

Why did he have to say it like that? In a deep, rumbling voice that sent little earthquakes off in her body. He was not agreeing to whatever she wanted. Just agreeing to her wishes related to Shania, who was the most important person in her life and the reason why Halle was here in the first place.

She straightened her shoulders. “Good. I’ll give you a call when I have the appointment scheduled.”

He nodded. “Just say when.” He led her back through his home to the front door.

“Halle,” Quinton said just as they reached the front door.

She turned to face him. He stood close enough for her to smell the fresh scent of his body wash but not close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. Yet, in the small area of his entryway, he sucked up the space. All she saw was broad shoulders and a wide, muscled chest. His dark eyes met and clung to hers.

“Yes?” she asked, her response coming out breathier than she intended.

“I don’t want to make this difficult for you or Shania. Despite my reason for donating, I’m willing to be as involved as you want me to be. I may not have created her in the traditional sense, but she’s still mine. I take care of my responsibilities.”

His eyes and voice were steady and strong. The tremors from her earlier emotional earthquake started again. If she wasn’t careful, she’d begin to fall for him. Quinton was handsome, and, she had to admit, nice. He hadn’t been someone she’d considered dating before. She didn’t want to fall for him just because he was a decent guy offering to be responsible. Then there was Gregory, the man she’d considered perfect for her, the man she’d already fantasized about building a life with. Was she really going to throw that away because Quinton happened to be the guy who donated sperm fourteen years ago? This coincidence didn’t mean they belonged together.

“Thank you for that, but if the results turn out to be true, I don’t mind you becoming a part of Shania’s life, but there will be clear boundaries. We won’t be a family or anything like that. Just co-parents.”

He raised a brow. “Co-parents?”

She nodded. “Exactly.”

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