I think I might lovehim.
I look over at Archer and, like he read my mind, he shoots me a smirk, making my heart flip-flop.
Oh yeah. I’m in deep.
Well, I suppose it could be worse. I could be falling in love with someone who wasn’t already the father of my child.
Or I could be falling in love with someone who was already involved with another woman.
Thank god that’s not the case.
Chapter 36
He’s Doing What?
Archer
“I’mnoexpert,butI’m not sure it’s safe to play basketball with a kid strapped to you.” Eric steps off the court first, followed by the rest of the guys, and gives Lincoln a little fist bump, eliciting a giggle from the bundle currently strapped to my chest.
It’s our usual weekend game, but I’ve sent Phoebe and Charlie out to the textile arts festival for the day while I spend some quality time with Lincoln. From the sounds of the squeals Phoebe made when I finally gave her the tickets late on Christmas day, this is earning me major bonus points. I’ll have to let MaeLynn know that my gift was a hit.
“No, it probably wouldn’t be very safe. That’s why we’ll be hanging on the sidelines today.”
“Skipping out on us? Why doesn’t the kid play too? We can take it easy on him.”
My eyebrows inch into my hairline. “He’s five months old, Lucas. He’s still working on sitting up unassisted. It’s going to be a while before he can play basketball with us.”
“No way. You’re serious? Well, what do I know? This is the closest I’ve ever been to a baby.” Lucas gives Lincoln an appraising look. “You’re lucky you’re cute, kid. Or else you’d be in trouble for disrupting our game.”
Lincoln giggles and kicks his legs, causing Lucas to break out into a grin. Lucas might not know much about babies, but they seem to like him fine. At least, Lincoln’s not holding his ignorance against him.
“We’ll sit over here and watch you guys play for a bit. We can’t stay too long, though. It’s almost his nap time.”
“Alright, Linky. Watch and learn, little man. Uncle Damien is going to show you how basketball is supposed to be done. You know, I’m basically the Michael Jordan of this little group.” Damien wiggles his eyebrows and makes a face at the baby attached to my front. “They don’t call me M.J. for nothing.”
Lincoln giggles, and I choke on a laugh. “We call you M.J. because you squeal like Michael Jackson when you get excited about something.Hee-hee.”I mimic the prince of Pop’s famous falsetto call. “You don’t even come close to Michael Jordan’s skill level with basketball. You might be comparable to his baseball career, though.”
“Fuck yeah. You hear that Link? I’m as good at basketball as Michael Jordan was at baseball. That’s pretty damn good.”
I cover Lincoln’s ears before Damien can finish his little speech. “Dude, don’t swear so much around my kid. Phoebe will kill me if his first word is”—I lower my voice to a whisper and cover Lincoln’s ears—“fuck.”
Eric laughs. “Come on, man. That would be hilarious. Imagine the look on your mother’s face when her grandson starts dropping F-bombs in front of all the stuck-up bitches she keeps trying to impress.”
“Don’t go there. I haven’t even told my parents about Lincoln yet. I’m not sure I want them being involved.” My parents aren’t exactly what one thinks of when the subject of loving grandparents comes to mind. I shudder as I imagine my mother trying to use him to impress her friends somehow. “And besides, one of those stuck-up bitches is your mom, remember? I doubt she’d appreciate it, either.”
Eric shrugs. “Meh. She knows she’s a bitch. She’s been trying to use it for good lately, though. It’s been a nice change of pace. Plus, her face would be just as hilarious as your mom’s. If I ever have a kid, I’m teaching it to swear right away so I can see it.”
“Hey guys, sorry I’m late.” Mark, my paternity testing fairy godfather, comes jogging into the gym. “The lab has been crazy today. I had to spend a couple of hours answering phones. It seems like many people were surprised with pregnancies and babies over the holiday.” He stops and drops his bag on the bench next to where I’m standing. “Hey man, good to see you. Thanks again for letting me join your game.”
Eric clears his throat. “It’s not Archer’s game. It’s all of ours. And we’re all happy to have you.”
Mark nods and turns back to me. “So, how’s fatherhood treating you? Looks like you’re a natural.” He gestures to Lincoln. “Baby-wearing is an excellent way to encourage a bond.”
“It’s also an excellent way to prevent him from attempting to jump out of my arms when he sees someone he wants to get to know. This kid has no fear of strangers yet.”
The guys laugh.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. That means he’s a happy baby with a secure attachment to his family. It’s nice that you get to be involved in that now, too.”
