“I just want to make sure everything is perfect,” I reply, adding another chair on the end of the table. “Felicity is important to me, and I want to make sure everything goes smooth.”
My mother smiles at me with soft eyes. “Shep, everything will be fine. Now go mingle with your brothers.”
“Fine,” I walk out of the dining room, and into the living room where Callum and my father watch the baseball game on TV. “Who’s winning?” I ask, but don’t really care about the answer.
When I invited Felicity to Sunday dinner, I didn’t really think it all the way through. I need to tell my parents that they’re going to be grandparents, but I don’t know how to act around Felicity. She’s made it abundantly clear that we’re not a couple. No matter how badly I want us to be.
I barely hear Callum tell me the Beavers are winning as I make my way out back where Paxton and Brock are hanging around.
“What happened to you?” Brock asks me as I join them around the outdoor patio table.
I shrug. “Things with Felicity are fucked up.”
“Why?” Paxton asks me.
“Well, we’re having sex, but she’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to be with me. That we’ll co-parent and nothing will ever happen between us.” Saying it out loud I can see how miserable the situation really is.
“What do you want?” Brock asks me.
“I want her. I want the relationship. I want it all.”
“So, what are you going to do?” Paxton asks me, leaning back in his chair.
“I honestly don’t know. Help me. What should I do?”
“Well, keep having sex with her,” Brock says with a smile.
I nod. “I plan on it.”
“Dude,” Paxton says, excitement racing through him as he shifts closer in his chair. “Set her house on fire.”
“What?” Both Brock and I say simultaneously.
Paxton holds out his hand to explain. “When I was trying to get with Hartford, her house caught on fire, remember?”
Brock and I both nod.
“And she had to move in with me. I mean, that kind of helped speed things along.” Paxton smiles a victorious smile, and leans back. “Easy.”
I shake my head. “I’m not setting her house on fire. My luck, somebody would get hurt. That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.”
“Yeah, it’s not very smart,” Brock agrees.
“But having her stay with you might work,” Paxton says.
I run a hand over my chin. “I mean, maybe? I’m not really sure. She’s coming today. We’re going to tell Mom and Dad about the baby.”
“They’re going to freak out,” Paxton says with a smile. “In a good way. She keeps telling Hartford that we need to hurry up and get married so we can give her grandbabies.”
“When is the big day?”
Paxton blows out a breath. “Not for a while. Hartford wants to have a destination wedding in Vegas. She wants Elvis to marry us.”
Brock and I laugh.
“Really?” Brock asks. “I love that idea. I’m in.”
“I guess I’m in. I’ll have a baby to think about. I don’t even know if I can make it.” I shake my head, realizing my whole life is about to change.