Page 54 of The Complication with the Best Man

“That’s really nice of her. I’ll be sure to call him tomorrow.” I slide the paper into my back pocket.

“Okay, I just have to go to the lab on the main floor, then we can go home.”

I hold out my hand. “Lead the way.”

“I hope you’re better than me with needles because your first job is right now. You have to hold my hand,” she says as we make our way out of the waiting area. When I chuckle, she looks over her shoulder at me. “I’m not kidding.”

***

She wasn’t kidding about not liking needles. As soon as she sat down in the chair for the phlebotomist to draw blood, her head bobbed, and her eyes fixated on the tubes. Her breathing sped up, and she had tears in her eyes. When she reached for me to take her hand, a deep protective instinct in me took over. All I wanted to do was be there for her.

Then the nice lady smiled and revealed the needle she was about to poke into Harper’s arm, and she almost crushed the bones in my fingers, causing me to question my thinking.

But as soon as we walked out of the doors of the clinic, the Harper I know returned—bright, energetic, and funny.

Since we met at the clinic, we drive back to the house separately, and the entire drive, all I did was replay the sound of the baby’s heartbeat, the little flicker on the screen affirming life. It has become real. My baby. Not a baby, mine. Ours. Harper’s and mine.

If I think too long and hard about how much my life has changed in such a short time, I’d probably panic as much as Harper did while getting her blood drawn, but in some weird way, none of it feels wrong.

It will take time for me to get used to the size of Harper’s family, but if I’m honest, I like that she comes from a large family. I like knowing that our son or daughter will have so many people around, supporting him or her.

My family is small, just my parents and me. It sucks that they won’t be closer to me and their grandchild, but we’ll make the most of it when they come to visit. Maybe Harper will come with me to Vermont or allow me to take our child once they’re old enough.

I stop on the way back to the house to grab some dinner from Wok4U, and since it’s a small town, I’m able to ask the owner, Li—who already knew who I was—if he knows what Harper and Maven usually order. After the order is ready, I head back to the house and find Harper’s car already in the driveway. I texted her while I was waiting to let her know that I’d pick up dinner.

She’s coming down the stairs when I walk through the door. I almost drop the takeout bags. She’s changed into her pajamas—a short-sleeve button-up shirt with white and red stripes and matching shorts. But those shorts are short as hell and show off her shapely legs.

My dick twitches in my pants.

Harper seems oblivious to my reaction as she walks over, arms outstretched to help with the bags.

“I’ve got them,” I say and head toward the kitchen ahead of her, leaving her to follow me.

“Maven is out with Landry. She texted me back when I told her you were bringing home Chinese food.”

“That her boyfriend?” I set the bags on the counter, purposely not turning around to look at her. I’d only be tempting myself.

“No, just a friend. I feel bad. You bought all this food.”

I turn to take in her expression, and she’s frowning.

“Don’t worry about it. It just means more leftovers for tomorrow.” I lightly hip check her.

It’s an innocent enough action, but it sets off a series of chain reactions in my body. First my breath rushes out of my lungs, next my heart beats faster, then my dick perks up to pay attention. Our gazes lock and hold for a moment, and she licks her lips.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” Her voice is soft and a little breathier than normal.

“Oh?” I arch an eyebrow.

“When we were at the doctor’s office today, I realized that we don’t know each other that well. Here we are having a baby, yet we barely know anything about one another.”

I know how beautiful you look when you come,I want to tell her. I think about her flush a lot. “Okay…”

“I thought that maybe we could get to know each other. You know, so that when the baby is born, we’re not complete strangers.”

I nod. It’s a good idea. It would certainly make coparenting easier.

“What did you have in mind?” There’s clear insinuation in my voice even though it’s not something I did consciously. I turn to face her wholly.

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