Page 145 of Daddy By Design

Archer stumbled back and fell on his ass in the sand.

I glanced over my shoulder. “What the hell, Archer?”

“And you’re fine with this?” He dug his heels into the sand and propped his forearms on his knees. “For real?”

“I mean, this isn’t the best timing, but this house damn well better be done before the kid comes. We have until February—I think. Something like that. The math is weird with babies.”

“The math...What. Is. Happening?”

I laughed. “I love her, man. At least I think this hole in my chest has to be love. Like someone blew a cannonball right into my chest and it didn’t exit the other side. It’s just sitting in there, and I have to make room for it, no matter what I want.”

“Well, shit.”

I lowered myself to the beach beside him. “Yeah. I am so fucking scared I’ll mess it up. She doesn’t deserve my bullshit, but I can’t let her down. And I can’t let down my kid.”

“You sure it isn’t just responsibility. Your dad was a piece of shit, so you might just be feeling like you can’t?—”

“No.” I linked my hands between my knees. “Some of it is that, I’m not going to lie. The kid just made me get my head out of my ass. And she still doesn’t believe me.”

“Approachable isn’t exactly your MO, Dev.” He nodded to my hair. “You growl and hide all the time.” He held up a hand. “I know you’ve got scars, man. Haven’t you ever heard that chicks dig scars?”

“They never bothered her. I can’t figure out why.”

“Because women are the superior race. They’re far better than we are, that’s for damn sure.” Archer reached for his sunglasses and put them back on. “A dad. Ain’t that a bitch.”

“How bad do you think I’ll fuck him or her up?” I hated that I needed to ask, but it weighed on me the most.

“The fact that you’re asking means you won’t. Or at least no more than any other parent out there in the world. You’re a good guy, Dev. You just refuse to believe it for some goddamn reason.”

“I gotta figure it out somehow because I’m not letting her go.”

Archer clamped a hand on my shoulder. “Shit just got exceptionally real.”

“That’s for sure.”

“Oh, one more thing.”

“My heart can’t take it, man.”

I laughed. “You gotta find a different place to sleep tonight.”

“Man.” He extended the word. “Well, I guess I could lay my head down at that swanky bed and breakfast tonight. Hummingbird, maybe? Is that the name? On your dime, of course.”

“Of course.”

Archer grinned. “I really do like this place. Sure you can’t build me a mini goth mansion on one of those acres you got there?”

“Not a chance.”

“Damn.”

We watched the lapping water for a few minutes in silence. One nice thing about Archer was as chatty as he was, he did know when to shut up.

“So, you really should build a studio.”

But he didn’t shut up for long. “For what?”

“You honestly think you’re never going to weld again?”

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