Page 107 of Sometimes You Fall

“Idiots. All of you.” Astrid takes the baby monitors from Dallas and Penn, and hands them over to the attendant. “I believe these belong to you.”

“It’s no trouble. Honestly, this happens more than you might think when men come into the store.”

Astrid flashes her a placating smile. “I’m sure.” Spinning to face us all again, she says, “Dallas and Penn, you two can leave. Yourhelpisn’t needed anymore.”

Penn smacks Dallas on the back of the head. “See? You got us in trouble.”

“It was your idea, dipshit.”

They continue to argue as they make their way out the front door of the store before my sister locks eyes with me again.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking, but shit, I’m out of my element here, Astrid.”

“Which is exactly why you should have called me.” She checks the time on her phone. “Now, I have fifteen minutes before I need to be back at the bakery. Tell me what’s going on.”

I blow out a breath as the attendant starts wrapping up a few of the items I purchased. “I want to surprise Scottie with something, but I need to know if I’m totally off base here.”

“Well, you know I have no problem giving it to you straight, big brother. Now ask away.”

“I told Scottie that we needed to start putting together a nursery, preferably at my house, but she freaked out.”

“Youtoldher this was happening?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I say sheepishly, “Kind of?”

She smacks the back of my head now. “I was wrong. You’re an idiot too.”

“Ow!”

“You should know better than to tell a woman she’s going to do anything, let alone insinuate that she’s going to live with you without first asking how she feels about it.”

“I know, but damn it, Astrid. I can’t live apart from them.”

“But you can’t force Scottie to make that decision in the blink of an eye.” She snaps her fingers in front of my face. “So what are you buying all of this stuff for, then? You know her shower is next month, right?”

“Well, I was thinking of setting up a nursery at my house so she could visualize a space for our daughter and maybe start to see herself there too.” I shrug.

The smile she gives me allows a wave of relief to wash through me. “That’s really sweet, Grady, but what if she still says no?

“Then at least I’ll have a room ready for my baby girl when she’s with me.” It’s not what I want, but at least the time, effort, and money won’t be for nothing.

She taps her finger to her chin. “Okay, then I support this. But, I have another idea that might win her over a bit too.”

I pull her into my chest. “What would I do without you?”

She holds up her thumb and index finger with an inch of space between them. “You wouldn’t be this close to getting your dream girl and dream life.”

Let’s just hope she’s right about that.

Chapter twenty

Scottie

“This is where you wanted to take me on our date?” I stare up at the house that I haven’t been to since the summer after high school, wondering what the hell is going through this man’s mind.

Grady took me to a steakhouse a few towns over for dinner, and then he drove us back to Carrington Cove, but wouldn’t tell me where he was taking me. And now that we’re sitting outside of Grady’s high school buddy Derek’s house, I’m beginning to question this man’s sanity.

Grady laughs as he gets out of the truck and rounds the front to my side to help me out. “Just trust me.”

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