Page 16 of Somebody To Love

She laughed. Poor Steven. Kid got a butt full of thorns and Kismet’s meanest geriatric on his case. There was a reason the town had nicknamed the old woman Crab Apple. Thank goodness Sheriff Gray and Olive had talked her down. Steven simply had to replant a new bush and promise never to skate in front of Blithe Boutiques again.

“Still,” BJ continued, taking a sip of his beer. “You should be more careful. Especially if you’re going to have a little one in the house.”

Her heart leapt into her throat. “Does that mean you’re agreeing to donate?”

A firm hand reached out to cup her face. His thumb stroking her cheek. “Honestly, I’m leaning that way, but we need to discuss a few things first before I say yes.”

“Of course. Yes. Whatever you need to know, just ask.” Refusing to let any darkness impede on the hope fluttering inside her, she motioned to the table. “Sit, sit. I’ll get you some food.”

As BJ took a seat at the dining table, she cut a large square of the lasagna. Long strings of steamy, hot cheese lifted from the tin tray. They stretched until they broke, hanging in the air as she scooped the serving onto a plate. She added some pre-mixed salad and a slice of French bread to the plate. Then she did the same to her plate, but with smaller portions.

“Dig in,” she announced, placing the plate in front of him as she took her seat across from him at the table.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Minutes that stretched on into what felt like an eternity. Finally, once BJ had gotten halfway through his meal, he spoke.

“I know you aren’t looking for me to be a partner of any kind in raising this child, but what will my role be?”

She paused with a bite of salad halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“I’ll be around. We’re best friends. I’ll be in the kid’s life. Do we tell him or her I’m their sperm donor? Am I the fun uncle? Am I no one?”

“You’re not no one, BJ.” And she didn’t like the pain she heard in his voice when he said that.

“What about when you find a guy and get married? What do we do then?”

Laughter bubbled out of her at the very idea. “Come on. We both know I’m never going to find a guy to marry me. Uber nerds aren’t really wife material, or so says my ex.”

He’d also told her he was worried any children they had would be autistic like her. But she hadn’t told anyone that. It cut too deep. Lance saw her autism as a failing, a disease. Instead of what it was, a different type of processing. She was a Mac in a PC world. An iPhone among Androids. There were studies that said it was genetic, but why was that a bad thing? Life was only harder for her because of people like her ex, who thought she was less than them.

A dark cloud settled over BJ’s features. “I really wish you’d never dated Dickwad.”

“Lance, his name was Lance.” But he had been a dickwad. Of the highest degree.

“His name is ‘Lucky I didn’t beat his ass to the ground.’”

She knew he was serious, but she couldn’t hold back the smile that curled her lips at his over the top, but very sweet anger on her behalf. “I don’t think anyone would ever name their kid that. It’s quite a mouthful.”

The anger on his face eased, the tenseness of his mouth relaxing into his usual easy grin. “You know what I mean.”

She did, and that right there was the reason she wanted his DNA. She knew BJ was a good person. Down to the very essence of his being. He would never hurt anyone for malicious reasons, but he would defend the people he loved with his last breath.

“He treated you like crap and put stupid notions in your head. You’re an amazing woman, Penny. You’re smart, funny, beautiful. Any man would be damn lucky to call you his.”

Wow. BJ had complimented her before, but usually it was after she did something like fix his Wi-Fi or recover files he accidentally trashed on his laptop. And he’d never called her beautiful before.

Something warm fluttered low in her belly. An odd sensation she shoved away for the moment.

“Um, sure, okay.” What did someone say to that? “I don’t foresee any man in my future, but if I do…find one, they’d have to be okay with our friendship and…situation or they won’t be the right guy for me.”

“Fair enough.”

“And as to what we tell the baby about their conception.” She rose from the table to grab the three-ring-binder she’d been working on for over a year now. “Most donors who are friends or going to be in the baby’s life prefer to take on the role of a beloved uncle. I think that would work out perfectly if that’s what you want. When the time comes, we can explain things in deeper detail. I have numerous studies and research on how to explain unconventional conception to children. There're all kinds of books and some cartoons that help a parent explain things, at age-appropriate stages, of course.”

She glanced up from the binder she had opened to see BJ holding in laughter.

“What?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. It’s just so you.”

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