Page 50 of On Thin Ice

I nodded. “You have. But moving right now, away from my friends and family, to a city that I don’t know? It’s a lot.”

“I know. But it’s not like you won’t know anyone. Timmy and Harper finally got their shit figured out, and she’s in Denver now. You guys were friendly when she was in town.”

I let out a laugh. “Grasping much? Harper’s nice, and we hung out a handful of times, but we don’t know each other that well.”

“You know Flower and Brooke really well. Maybe Violet will give us tips on having a girl,” he said, referring to Flower and Brooke’s daughter.

“Listen. I get where you’re coming from, I do. And I love Brooke and Violet, but it’s not the same as having my family and Darcy close by to help. They’ve been my support system from day one, and I can rely on them.”

He sighed. “I know it’s not the same, but I want us to find a way to really do this together. It’s selfish of me, but I want to experience the end of your pregnancy and get you pickles and ice cream at midnight or whatever. I want to feel her moving in your belly, and I want to be there for both of you when she’s born. I get that it’s a big ask, Ally. I truly do.”

Dammit. Why did he have to say the right things? No, this was my hormones acting up. I had to be smart and logical.

“Maybe think about it, okay?” he asked, his puppy-dog eyes imploring me to do more than just think.

Did he really want us there? In Denver? Just over a month ago, it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with me or this baby. Yeah, I got that I’d shocked him with my news, but this was the last thing I expected from him, even after our month of texting and phone calls. I didn’t want to jump into anything that I would come to regret.

He linked his fingers with mine. “Just think about it, Ally. I feel like we’ve made progress, and I want to be there for whatever you need, okay? My parents were, and are, shitty parents. I don’t want to be like them. I want to be helpful and involved. I’m still freaked out of my mind about being a good dad, but I’m going to do everything I can not to disappoint you or her.”

“You never talk about your parents. Do they know?” I asked, gesturing to my stomach.

“No. They’re toxic, and you and our daughter don’t need that. My father is an asshole, and my mother is indifferent,” he said, almost nonchalantly.

“Okay.” I had no clue how to respond to that information, but my heart squeezed. His honesty and vulnerability did something to me that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“But they don’t matter because all that matters is the three of us, and we’re going to be awesome parents.” His smile was back in place, and my heart kicked up a notch.

Then he put his other hand on my belly, and Baby Girl kicked like she was agreeing with him.

He chuckled softly. “See? She thinks it’s a great idea.”

I rolled my eyes and shoved another scoop of ice cream into my mouth as I forced down the emotions that threatened to takeover my body. This time, I couldn’t blame it on my pregnancy hormones. When had he gotten so sweet? How was I going to resist that?

I took another bite of ice cream and winced.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Brain freeze.” I set the ice cream pint on the table and rubbed my head with the hand that he wasn’t holding. I wasn’t lying, but I also didn’t know what to say to him, so it was a nice distraction.

“Can I get you anything?” he asked.

“No. I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’m kind of tired.”

He set down his spoon and turned to face me. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to get lost in those deep brown eyes. Maybe I wasn’t so tired after all.

Nope.No. Adding sex would just make this more awkward.

“I know tonight was a lot, but I didn’t just suggest you moving in with me on a whim or to piss off your brother. This is uncharted territory for me too, Ally. I just think that we might be able to navigate it together, but I don’t want to make your life harder.”

I couldn’t help but give him a soft smile. Witnessing this vulnerable side of him was so unexpected, and part of me wanted to agree to move right now, but it was not a decision to make quickly, and my brain was all over the place. I needed to really think.

He squeezed my hand again and then stood up. “I’m going to go. Just think about everything. I’m on the road for the rest of the week, but text or call. It’s something I look forward to.”

Was he blushing? My heart raced, and my body lit up. Dammit. He shouldn’t have been this charming.

Then he tugged me up from the couch and placed his hand on my bump.

“Bye, little one,” he said, rubbing his thumb over my shirt before he lifted his head to meet my gaze. “Just think about it, Ally.”

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