Page 110 of Protector Daddy

Besides, I didn’t know how much longer I’d have my apartment. It wasn’t as if I spent any time there anymore.

For dinner, I made us big bowls of chicken pineapple stir-fry served in my funky orange Fiestaware found at the local secondhand store. I gave Boomer a giant rawhide bone and shut him in the bedroom with Puppy TV so we could eat without hot breath on our legs or pleading looks.

We were eating companionable silence when I opened my big mouth.

“I’m going to miss this place.”

“Why?”

I blinked. “We spend every night together at your house. I don’t really need to keep this apartment. I sublet it from my sister-in-law, but Mickey is getting forced out of her apartment so she will probably just take it over.”

Christian forked up rice, chewing thoughtfully. “What does this place have that mine doesn’t?”

“Nothing.” I jerked a shoulder. “Your house is gorgeous and perfect. Huge. Plenty of room to grow.”

“Yet you still like this one better?”

“Not better. Of course not. Just this was my first place of my own. I moved right from my mom’s house to here and then I’d barely finished unpacking before I hooked up with you. Of course, we’d spend more time over there than here. Your house is a dream.”

Christian pushed the chopped carrots around in his bowl. “Do you think you missed out on stuff? Didn’t get to experience enough of your youth?” He speared a carrot, took a bite, then dumped it back in his bowl and went for more rice and chicken. “I’m sure Mickey is always telling you that.”

“Actually, she’s not. She knows I’m happy and settled.”

“Just as long as you didn’t settle.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant settled in the good way, Christian. Remember all I told you about wanting a family?”

“I do. Just the timetable has been faster than you expected.”

“Or you expected. Or that a lot of people in the Cove expected yet the couples I know make it work because they love each other.”

“Yeah.” Except he was back to pushing around the food he’d been scarfing down until we landed on this stupid topic.

Sometimes being in love was a thorny field to navigate.

“When I moved in here, I was so excited to be on my own finally. Felt as if I’d waited forever and now I could live however I want. Have wild parties. Move the furniture any crazy way I wanted.”

“How many parties did you have?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “None.”

“See, don’t you regret it?”

“That I didn’t have parties? No. I’m not a partier at heart. I just wanted to have the option.” I reached across the counter to lace my fingers with his. “We could have parties sometime, right?”

Not that my Christian was exactly known for being the partying sort of guy. But I appreciated him just as he was.

He was opening up more lately too. My brothers were actually hanging out with him now. Voluntarily and not requiring bribes.

“Sure. Don’t know how wild though with the baby. If we have the baby.”

His pensive expression was killing me. Waiting to find out if I was really pregnant was beginning to wear on both of us, but I didn’t want to test again too early. Even expecting that negative result, seeing that word had been a blow. I really didn’t want to see it again if I didn’t have to.

Unless I actually wasn’t pregnant, and then we’d just go from there.

I swallowed hard. “I’d rather have a baby than the wild party, truth be told. Though Van and Mav went to a club the other night in Syracuse, and Van danced until at least ten.”

Christian snorted. “Party animals.”

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