“Okay, now I’m getting a chubby.”
She laughed, and then she groaned. “You’re impossible.”
“Sorry, not sorry. And really, what I want to do most right now is talk. It won’t take that long, I promise you.”
“You sure whatever you have on your mind can’t wait until tomorrow?”
“Oh, it can wait. I just don’t want to wait. We’re having a baby. That’s huge. I need to talk about it.”
“Josh, we have months yet before we have to—”
“Half an hour. I’ll be gone again before you know it.”
“Fine. But nothing too serious, not with Dillon asleep upstairs.”
“I get it. I just…want to hang out for a bit. No pressure, I promise.”
“All right.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
She put the phone on the bathroom counter and stared at herself in the mirror some more. She hadn’t lied about her appearance. This was not her most glamorous look by any means. But if Josh just had to show up at bedtime, he would be treated to her scrubbed-clean face and the hole in her sleep shirt.
“You look great,” he said in a whisper when she let him in.
“Liar. But keep it up—and come on in.”
He crossed the threshold, and she shut the door. “Drink?”
“Got a beer?”
“Sure. Have a seat.” She led him into the living room, gestured at the sofa and then went on through the dining room into the kitchen.
Instead of taking the hint and sitting where she’d triedto put him, he followed her and stood behind her when she opened the fridge. “Those snowman pants,” he said in an exaggerated growl. “Super-hot.”
She gave him a sideways look. “Behave.” Then she grabbed a can of Bud from the fridge and passed it to him. “Here you go.”
“I really did want to see you.” He caught her hand. His warm grip was so familiar. It eased the nervous tightness in her chest. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get comfortable.” He led her back to the living room and they settled on the sofa together.
“Okay,” she said. “What is it you need to say that can’t wait another minute?”
“Not a thing. Like I said, I just wanted to see you.”
“You did say you wanted to talk.”
“And what do you know? Here we are. Talking…”
“So you just couldn’t stay away, huh?”
“Guilty as charged,” he said with a big-ass grin.
She drew her knees up to the side and faced him. As it happened, there was something she’d been wanting to discuss with him. Might as well go ahead and get that out of the way tonight. “Josh, I was thinking…” That was as far as she got. No matter how she framed her next question, it was going to be awkward.
He took her hand again. “Hey. Whatever it is, just say it. I can take it.”
“Okay. Would you like a paternity test?”
His mouth fell open. “Riley. Is there something you need to tell me?”
