Page 21 of Zone Protection

“No, wait. This could get messy, Archie. If it goes wrong, we could really mess up our relationship.”

“It could. Or it could lead to something pretty special. Wehave to get to know each other, and I’m pretty sure it would be nice to tell our child that he or she was conceived while we were dating in college and not because Mom and Dad were horny at a college party and Mom snuck out in the middle of the night, wearing Dad’s T-shirt.”

“Yeah, that would make a better story. And I do want to get to know you. The real you and not just the stories that float around this campus.”

“I mean, the stories are pretty epic, I’m sure,” he drawls, completely unashamed of his life.

People would kill for his self-confidence. As for me, I’m drawn to it.

I bite my lower lip and contemplate what kind of mess this could be.

Archie Griffith, one of the biggest fuckboys of Walker, who only found out hours ago that he’s gonna be a father—and has yet to freak out, by the way—wants to show me what kind of man he is by dating me. A guy who could have questioned my motives, asked for a paternity test, and ignored me for eight months while we awaited results is being the most chivalrous man by not only supporting me, but doubling down on this notion that he wants to—and I quote—"date the shit” out of me. It’s crazy and absurd. And yet it’s so damn sweet that I’d be a fool to not give this man a try.

My stomach flutters, and yet I try to maintain an almost businesslike approach, keeping my emotions in check.

“All right, if we’re gonna try the dating thing, tell me more about your family. You have brothers? Five? You’re from Texas, right?” I ask, sitting back in my seat.

He nods. “I do. I have five brothers, and I am from Texas. My dad is a cattle rancher. We live on the same ranch where my dad was raised. He took over before I was born, but my grandparents still live on the land. They live in a smaller house about two miles from the main house. Gramps still tries to help out, but mydad won’t let him do too much. He has ranch hands to help him with most of it.”

“You and your brothers ever work the ranch too?” I take another drink of my club soda, then put it down. Crossing my arms, I rest on my forearms and lean in.

“Yeah, growing up, we all had chores. Four of my younger brothers still live at home, so they help out a lot when they aren’t playing sports. My brother Aiden is away, playing hockey right now. He lives up in New England and plays for a league there. But he’s entering the draft in the spring after he turns eighteen.” He mirrors me and also leans in.

“Oh, wow, that’s cool. He doesn’t want to play in college then?” I ask, not familiar with how the hockey draft process works.

Archie shakes his head. “No, he’s in the major junior league, so he does have the choice to play in college, but he’s good enough to get drafted and go straight to the pros. It’s a different process from football—that’s for sure.”

The waiter brings our food out, so we sit in silence for a few minutes and start eating. My stomach isn’t rolling right now, so I’m taking advantage of that and trying to get some of the soup in. I just hope I don’t throw it up later.

Thankfully, he chews with his mouth closed. I couldn’t deal with it otherwise. I think if I had to hear him chew, it might make me gag. Pregnant or not.

“Tell me about you, Emma. Are you from here?” he asks.

I grab a pack of crackers from the bowl they gave me with my soup, scrunch it up, then open it, and scatter it in the bowl.

“Well, let’s see. I’m from this area. I grew up in Midwest City. I started playing golf when I was twelve, and I really liked it. I was good enough to get a scholarship here. I’m close to my parents, and they come to my tournaments that they can drive to. My dad is in insurance, and my mom is a freelance writer. And that’s about it. Fairly normal.”

I am not ready to talk about my sister with him yet, so I leaveher out. Even all these years later, it still hurts to think about what happened, and I know it’s not particularly good that I don’t talk about her, but it’s my way of coping with it.

Well, and becoming a doctor. I hope I can someday help kids who have the same defect my sister did. Although technology has come a long way in the last thirteen years, there’s still a lot of research to be done.

My sister’s death rocked my family for a long time. I felt like I tried my hardest to fill that void. I’ve been a good student, and I’ve stayed focused, never getting in trouble for anything. Doesn’t mean we don’t talk about her at all, just not a lot. Which makes me sad. She was such a bright light in our family in the short time she was with us.

“How do you think your parents will feel about your pregnancy? Will they freak out?” he asks.

I nod. “Pretty much. I think they’ll be shocked. I’ve been on the doctor path for so long, and they know how important it is for me, so they’ll worry for sure.”

“What kind of doctor do you want to be?” He takes another bite of his burger, nearly done with his meal, while I’ve only taken a few of mine.

“I’ll get my degree in chemistry and biology, and then I’ll need to apply to med schools, where my specialty will be pediatric cardiology.” I take a sip of the broth in my soup, still testing my stomach strength.

“Wow, that’s amazing. You must be smart then, huh?” He smirks.

“I mean, yeah.” I laugh. “My grades are good, and my mock exam scores for the MCAT have been high, so I should be able to get into my pick of med schools.”

Archie wipes his hands on his napkin. “Well, I’m guessing the baby will change a lot of that, right?”

I look down and swallow. “For sure. I think we just need to see what the doctor says. I feel like there is a lot we still need toknow and talk about. I mean, you’re going into the draft this year, right?”

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