Page 65 of Surprise Baby for Daddy's Best Friend

"Who knows," I shrugged. "I've seen him tell me I couldn't have a boyfriend until I was out of his house, and he kept to his word. Anytime I showed interest in anyone he immediately shut it down. Whether it was scaring the guy away or finding something wrong with him, he was determined.

"Sounds harsh..."

Carl forced a laugh, "Yeah, dad was something else with both of us. I couldn't have a girlfriend until I got to college and met you. Even then, it was like pulling teeth to make him accept you at first."

Amanda raised a brow and turned to my brother, "When did this happen? I thought he liked me."

"Oh, he liked you, it didn't mean he wanted me to be with you. Trust me. He tried to make me switch colleges, and even offered to pay for my first semester if I switched. I stood my ground and eventually, he caved."

I remember those moments well with Carl. I wasn't nearly as determined as he was to stick with any of the guys I had met. They weren't worth it and for a long time, I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't until more recently that I learned that I much preferred older men to those my age. There was a sophistication about them, that most guys my age lacked.

"Either way," Carl waved a hand through the air. "I don't think dad will be that ridiculous about finding out. If anything, he'll probably be happy to know he knows Jared. At least he knows the guy is a good person."

Amanda leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands, "So, when's the baby shower? I'm going to need to spoil this kid with as many aunty gifts as I can get my hands on."

I shrugged and laughed at the sudden energy shift, "I mean... I just learned about everything a few days ago. I don't even remember what the due date is."

Amanda started mumble counting with her fingers and furrowed her brow, "Well, if it happened only a few weeks ago, I'd imagine you're probably due around late winter or early spring. Did your mom have you two late-term or early?"

"Why does that matter?" Carl asked.

"It matters," Amanda sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "You can guess if you'll have a baby late or early based on your mother. My mom had all of us early, so I'll probably be the same."

A red tint flashed across Carl's face, "You'd be early?"

I wanted to tease him but let the thought of him being a father be the worst he had to deal with. I wasn't going to annoy him, not when he was supposed to be here to support my anxiety.

"Fine, we don't have a planned baby shower, but I think it would be good for us to all sit down and chat. Maybe have a nice dinner at your place and get to know one another? I feel like I should have learned more about him during the wedding, but he was so distant."

A few days later, I was sitting next to Jared at the small table in my dining room. There was barely enough space for the four of us. The only sound came from the clinking of silverware on plates, and the occasional sound of the others eating. The only words any of them spoke to one another were basic greetings at the beginning, and awkward talk about how good the food was.

I couldn't deny the mealwasdelicious. Amanda brought in some chicken wings earlier that day in a crock pot to sit until dinner time. They were glazed with an Italian dressing and a few other seasonings I couldn't place. The mashed potatoes were my gift to the meal, but they were pretty basic. Just the usual potatoes with milk and butter. I wasn't ready to do anything fancy to show off and I couldn't exactly spend a lot of money on something either.

Jared, on the other hand, decided to go all out, and brought a charcuterie board for us to graze off of before dinner. Carl managed to joke about it being an adult Lunch able. Though that didn't go well for Jared. He didn’t like having his food equated to a cheap snack kids ate. It became obvious how different our generations were with that simple gesture. It hadn't bothered me before, but now everyone was uncomfortable.

I finished my meal and pushed the plate forward, away from me, "So..." I needed to break the silence. "Jared, this is my brother and his wife. You met them at the wedding a few weeks ago, obviously."

He cleared his throat and nodded at them, "Yeah, it was a nice wedding. Definitely not traditional."

"You like traditional I take it?" Carl asked. There was a hint of aggression in his voice. I hoped they still weren't upset with each other because of the comments earlier.

Jared shrugged and put his empty plate on top of mine, and moved it in front of him, "I've been through two marriages. At this point, I’m not overly concerned with how a wedding looks.”

Carl added his plate to the pile, a little harder than he needed to, "Are you saying you're not into marrying someone again?"

"No. Just that the woman should plan it. I don't have any big dreams about how I want it to look at this point. I'll go along with whatever they want, and make sure it's their dream, not mine."

"And if that means it's something nerdy like a wizard or fantasy theme?"

"Then so be it. Though I'll have no idea what's going on, I'd imagine the person I marry would still love it."

Amanda topped the pile of plates, and cleared her throat, "Well, I don't think Kim's the type to make everything about herself. She probably wants your input too."

I stiffened and stared at Amanda with wide eyes, "Me? Who said anything about me marrying him?"

Amanda sucked in her lips, and flashed me a half smile, "Sorry. I guess I read too much into their conversation." She grabbed the pile of plates and scurried into the kitchen, "Either way, I'm sure whoever you end up with, will want you involved in some way."

"If they do, then they do."

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