I’d been talking extensively about my dilemma with Penny. She was a great listener, though her advice wasn’t as stellar. I knew I could go speak with any of my friends more about my misgivings, but I also knew what their reaction would be. What their advice would be. It was easy to tell someone to go for something when it wasn’t you risking anything. Then again, Ainsley had put everything on the line.
And it had worked out for her. There was a chance I could get that lucky too. Which was why Penny and I had decided I should do what I’d done with other men when I’d gone on dates and they’d basically run away from me all but screaming. I was going to lay it all on the line with Pyre. Complete and total honesty. If that didn’t send him running in the opposite direction, thenmaybe I could trust that he was interested in me for who I was. That he wasn’t going to change his mind about wanting someone different.
There wasn’t much else I could do. I couldn’t bring myself to just cut things off. I liked him too much. There was still a lot to find out about him, but so far he seemed like he was just my type. I wasn’t expecting any kind of commitment from him right away. And there was still the chance that we’d find out we weren’t as compatible as I thought.
But I was the kind of person who needed to examine all sides of a potential problem and go in with solutions before they even popped up. Some might say I was an over-analyzer. I didn’t understand how people weren’t. What did they do? Just take everything on as it came at them? Go with the flow? No thanks. That was just too free spirited for me. The very thought agitated me.
“Hey. Just wanted to let you know we’re going to dinner tonight,” he said. He was standing there loose and relaxed. I doubted he was wrestling with the potential of what we might become the same way I was.
“We are?” My eyebrows shot up at his statement. He just nodded. I wasn’t sure yet if I appreciated his approach or not. That would need to be examined before I knew for sure. “Tonight?” I asked, looking down at my watch.
It was only six in the evening, but I hadn’t been expecting a dinner invitation. If that was what you could call what he’d said. Though it seemed I couldn’t ever expect anything Pyre did, if the gifts he’d left for me were any indication. There’d been roses on my door step a couple days ago. A stuffed black cat and more flowers were left outside of my funeral home.
He’d even left a container of dead cockroaches as a present for Penny. Kaisa had told me that I was probably the only girlin the world who swooned at being given dead bugs. She likely wasn’t wrong.
And the level of care and effort he was putting in was exactly why Penny and I had decided on this approach. It didn’t seem like Pyre was planning to go away. So maybe my friends were right and he liked me. I was going to find out today. Then I could easily move forward with him.
I’d called him the other day to thank him for the presents, which had ended with us speaking on the phone for hours. It was almost like I was a teenager again. I’d given him my phone number and now I was getting good morning and good night texts. Pyre was doing everything to show me that he was interested. I appreciated his efforts. I was sure I hadn’t stopped smiling for days. But there was still that worry at the back of my mind.Am I what he wants? Or is he expecting someone far different?And it was building dailybecauseof all the sweet things he was doing.
“Yeah.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, his long hair blowing in the slight breeze. He was all confidence, maybe a bit of arrogance, as he stood there watching me with a patient stare.
Narrowing my eyes, I decided now was as good a time as any to test him. I was big on expectation management. He already knew what I did for a living. That usually scared a lot of guys off, but it wasn’t going to work on him. He also saw how I dressed and had an idea of my overall demeanor. Quiet morticians weren’t most men’s cup of tea, or so I’d found out. If my and Penny’s plan was going to work, this was as good a time as any to initiate it. “I have something I need to tell you first.”
His eyebrows shot up at that as he studied me. “What’s that?”
“I want babies.” I didn’t pull any punches or soften the news at all. It was imperative that I saw how he would react. Shock I’d understand. This was a big thing to spring on a man after all. But any kind of negative reaction? I’d have to end things here andnow. Before my heart was compromised and I was too involved to cut ties easily. If I was going to make room in my life for a man, he needed to be the right man.
He blinked at me slowly, like the words weren’t quite computing in his mind. “Babies…”
“A lot of them,” I replied with a nod. I’d always wanted to be a mother. Any man who wanted to get serious with me needed to know that. And I only dated men that I could potentially be serious with. Which was why I’d only had two serious boyfriends before. One had become a fiancé. I’d have married him. Had planned to. Life took a different turn for me, though. And he was the one who’d first instilled this distrust in me. He’d tried to change me. It’d started subtly at first and had taken a while before I caught on. The men who’d followed him hadn’t helped to ease it.
I searched Pyre’s beautiful blue eyes for any sign of panic. To his credit there wasn’t a shred of emotion to be found, though he did scratch the dark blonde beard on his chin and then run his hands through his shoulder length hair.
“What constitutes a lot?” he asked, his voice deep and rich.
“Ten…at least.” I stayed still, hand on the door knob as his brows shot up again.
“You wanttenkids?” he asked in disbelief.
I nodded, but didn’t explain further. He was either going to be able to handle this news, or run screaming. It had happened before when a couple other men had shown interest in me. Only, this time, I really hoped this one wouldn’t run.
A slow smile spread over his face. “Are you wanting to get started before or after dinner?”
A snort popped out of me before I could hold it back. He was funny. Though I didn’t get the feeling that he was making fun of me, or wasn’t taking me seriously. I met his crystal blue gaze for a moment before I took a step back and shut the door.
“Will that wear out your uterus? What’s the warranty on one of those? Eight babies or your money back?” he asked loudly enough to get through the closed door.
I slapped a hand over my mouth as another snort escaped, followed by laughter that I could barely contain.With the wood acting as a barrier between us, I let the smile I’d been biting back form. I wasn’t going to allow myself to check my porch to see how long he’d stand there, processing the news I’d just dumped on him. If he wanted to date me, I had expectations. Marriage and children were two of those expectations. If he wanted a quick fun night, he’d have to find that somewhere else.
If he thought he could give me pretty promises now and then dump me later after he’d had his fun, well, I’d sic my opossum on him. For anyone who didn’t understand the creatures, they could look scary with their sharp teeth and beady eyes. In all actuality Penny was a sweetheart who either loved people, or hid away from them. There was a reason opossums played dead. They were cowards at heart. But I wasn’t above using her as a threat.
“Are we going to dinner?” This time it was at least a question.
That deep voice once again drifting through the door made me shiver in anticipation. I was going to spend another night with one of the most eligible bachelors that Sentinel had to offer. Well, eligible as long as you didn’t mind a bit of a bad boy. Who knew that was the kind I liked? My mom was going to lose it when I told her we were dating.
“Come back at eight,” I told him, abandoning the facade that I was cool and had walked away, in favor of answering him and getting my date.
“See you then.”
