I chortle. “Great. So this feeling is never going to go away then?”
She shakes her head. “I’m afraid not. You can only hope you raise them well so they are a good person.”
I press a kiss to Caleb’s head. It smells like the baby shampoo I use. A smell that calms me. “I hope he’s a better person than I am.”
“From where I’m sitting, you’re a good person.”
“Thank you.”
Coming from an almost complete stranger, that means a lot. Because this woman does have a lot of say over what happens with Caleb. The fact that I’m his biological dad goes a long way. But if things weren’t going well, she could take him from me.
It instills a fierce protectiveness in me.
I will do whatever it takes to make sure my son has the best life possible.
With me as his father.
ChapterNine
BODE
Ithink he’s asleep. I start to move and he doesn’t stir.
Thank God.
Shifting Caleb in my arms, I walk as slowly and quietly as possible toward his crib and lay him on his back. He lets out a soft breath, his little face heavy with sleep.
I can’t help but stare down at him. It’s been a couple of months, but it feels like I’ve finally got a hold on these things.
Now, when he cries and I pick him up, he cuddles into me. Maybe it means he likes me? God, I hope it does because I’m realizing I’m starting to like this dad gig.
Fucking love.
Heading out of his room, I shut the door and jog down the stairs. The house is quiet. Looking out at the pool house, it’s dark. Knowing Gran and Deb, they’re out.
Who knew she would have more of a social life now than I do?
Grabbing a few beers from the fridge, I head out into the warm night. The heat of the day has finally loosened its stronghold and it feels comfortable.
Stretching out onto one of the pool chairs, I crack open a bottle and take a long pull.
Fuck. This feels good. My body is tired from practice. Getting back into workouts after the offseason is always hard. Especially now that I’m doing it on so little sleep.
The chirping of cicadas fills the air. Fireflies are lighting up the early night sky. Taking a deep breath, I revel in the peace. It feels good. No, great even.
This isn’t something I ever thought I’d want. Before Caleb, I never would have thought about spending a night at home by myself. If I was, it usually was because I couldn’t find anyone to hit up the bars with me. I always liked having someone with me. Made it easier to pick up women. Didn’t hurt that I was a hockey player.
It makes me sound like a dick, but they knew the stakes. They knew what they were getting with me—one night, no strings attached. That’s how I lived my life.
No emotions. No attachments.
I now have the biggest attachment of all.
Checking the baby monitor, I smile at the sleeping kid. He really is cute.
The back door opens and closes followed by the sound of flip-flops slapping on the flagstone. I turn to see Stevie illuminated by the lights spilling out of the living room, making her look like an angel.
“Hey.”
