Page 47 of The Rebound
“Run, Saint,” they call out, prompting Saint to follow after them in a slow-motion sprint.
The kids lovethis and dissolve into giggles, wrapping themselves around Saint’s legs and sitting on his shoes so that he can “dinosaur walk” them around the condo.Holy cuteness, Batman.
My chest feels tight as I watch them.Stupid pregnancy hormones.
Martha shoots me an impressed smile as she helps me carry the refreshments. “He seems like a catch. Anything happening between you two?”
I shake my head with a sigh. “Unfortunately not.”
Wait,what did I just say?I’m so thrown by my own subconscious making herself known that I nearly spill the tray of chips and dip I’m carrying.
Saint would be a great dad, obviously. But a dad tomychild? I didn’t let myself entertain that thought until right now.
Is that what I want?
No, that’s crazy. I have a bad case of pregnancy brain. My hormones are in full swing right now. That’s all. Just because I have a bun in the oven doesn’t mean every male I encounter is hungry for fatherhood.
Gross. Do better, Kinley. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s not gonna be a father-figure to my kid. Period.
While I silently scold myself, Martha tells a story about her pregnancy with the twins.
I should really listen since I’m due within the month, but I can’t help but be distracted by the beautiful, burly man in the room. I watch Saint take long gulps of lemonade, his Adam’s apple bobbing enticingly in his throat.
I don’t see any hickeys ... maybe he and Lydia aren’t actually hooking up. Maybe that was just my imagination.
God, I hope so, but I don’t know for sure. I guess I’ll keep living with these little heart pangs and try to ignore how much they feel like regret.
14
SAINT
My head has been spinning constantly with thoughts of Kinley.
She’s a great girl and I like her, more than I probably should, but there’s a lot of complications that have been nagging at me. First, she’s Reeves’s sister, whichisa problem. The guy hates me, and this would only make our team dynamic worse. And considering I’m already on thin ice, I need to tread carefully.
Second, there’s no denying the fact that she’s pregnant. It hasn’t bothered me at all, which is maybe strange in and of itself. And as naive as I’ve been about the whole pregnancy thing, I know Kinley becoming a mom will change our relationship. Her focus will be on her child, and rightly so.
And do I even know how to take on a fatherly role? Highly doubtful. I haven’t ever been around a baby. Never even had a younger sibling. I wouldn’t know the first thing to do, or how to support Kinley through all that, even if we were dating.
Which we’re not.
These are the thoughts that replay on a constant loop. All day, I’ve tried to distract myself by doing different things to try to clear my head that usually work—like hitting the gym hard for some extra reps. I’ve also done my laundry and watched a UFC fight that I’ve been excited about, but I still can’t get out of my own damn head.
Which is why when my buddy Alex texts me, I talk him into meeting me for a beer. Alex is in a serious relationship. Maybe he’ll have some good advice for me.
• • •
“No way,” Alex says, shaking his head when we sit down at the bar thirty minutes later.
“Just hear me out,” I say, sliding the pint glass the bartender sets down in front of me toward Alex. I can tell based on the dark color that this is his oatmeal stout. This brewery opened last year, and it’s quickly become a favorite of ours. Not that I’ve been out much lately.
Alex is still scowling at me as I wait for the bartender to pour my ale. I take a fortifying sip before continuing.
“I click with her better than any other girl. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?”
He considers this and takes a drink of his beer. “Maybe.” Then he scowls at me again. “But not necessarily. You also once tried to tell me that you felt something special with those redheaded twins.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me.
I blush a little. Okay, the old Saint was a bit of a jackass. I’m not necessarily proud of how I acted in the past. Gotta love it when your buddy points out to you what an idiot you’ve been.
