Page 27 of Home for Nathan
Nathan rolled his eyes, but he had to laugh because it was true. He had been having new relationship energy all over the damn place.
“It probably seems a little weird, huh? You know, dating a guy after pregnancy as opposed to before.”
“Judging is not my jam,” Tim told him. “It’s not nice. Trust me, I explain that to my kids all the time.”
“But I have to admit, I feel a little weird.” Nathan put a hand on his belly.
Tim shook his head. “Saul used to say that. But nobody gets pregnant thinking that the person that they got pregnant with doesn’t want them, right?”
“I guess. I sure didn’t. I mean, I was on birth control. I wasn’t looking to?—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself. You’re having a baby, Nathan. It’s not as if you ever told Zion it was his.”
That cracked him up. “No, that would be awful.”
“I know! Especially given that you know who the sperm donor is, right?” Tim unlocked his SUV for them to climb into.
“Exactly. I would think Zion would totally know.”
“Anyway, my point is that no one’s here to rag you about this. We want to be your friends. But you already know that. You and Zion are a thing, though, yeah?”
Nathan nodded, because he really thought so. “I think so, yes. I feel like it. It’s a little strange because I’m due in just a couple of months. And I need to start getting things together, getting things ready. And I want Zion to be into all that. That said, I don’t want Zion to think that I’m like this pushy bastard who—I don’t know. It’s just so complicated, yeah?”
“Trust me, it’s not just you. It was complicated for me.”
“Really?”
“Well, I wasn’t married when I got pregnant with my first one. We all have our own stories. This one’s yours.” Tim gave him a gentle smile, the short drive to the hotel going by quickly.
“I suppose it’s mine and Zion’s now. I guess I should talk to him.”
They pulled into the hotel, Tim gliding to a stop right up front so it was easy for him to walk in. “You’re okay, Nathan. You’re allowed to be freaked. You’re also allowed to think warm, snuggly, friendly thoughts about your guy, I promise. No one’s going to come after you.”
They headed into the hotel, through the lobby, and toward the dining room and conference area with the little banquet room in the back.
Nathan gasped when they entered, stopping in his tracks. The whole place was decorated with rainbow streamers and signs that said, “Welcome, Baby Girl!”
A bunch of tables were set up, and one held an enormous cake shaped like a Noah’s Ark, a rainbow tissue paper arch looming over it. Tons of presents filled another table, and people packed the room.
Coworkers. Saul and his kids. Friends.
And in the middle of it all was Zion, beaming at him, looking like a little boy who had done something really cool.
Nathan just stood there, mouth dropping open, absolutely shocked. “What… What is all this?” he asked, tears filling his eyes.
“Happy baby shower!” everyone cheered, and he was just gobsmacked.
“Oh my God. You guys.” Everyone was there, his boss, his customers. There was food and… And he just burst into tears, absolutely overwhelmed. “Oh my God, guys, thank you. What is all this? I mean, thank you!”
“You need a baby shower,” Saul said with a grin. He was such an amazing friend. “You need all the things!”
Tim led him to a chair that was all decorated with balloons and glitter, and it was all so beautiful and so unexpected. His heart was just pounding from the shock.
“I can’t believe all of this.”
“We all wanted you to have this!” That was Hank, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“We did,” Zion said to him, helping him sit down.
