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Dean's eyebrows lift. "Because of Charlie?"

I shake my head. "No. Not just because of her. I mean, sure, I want Charlie to have two married parents, but it's not just that. I love your daughter."

"You don't know her," he points out.

"Not everything. But I'll get to know the stuff I don't over time."

"So you think rushing into marriage is a good idea?" he drills.

I chuckle.

He gives me a dirty look.

I stop laughing and shake my head. "No, sir. I'm smart enough to know your daughter will kick my ass if I start discussing marriage with her right now."

That twitch comes back. "That sounds like my daughter."

"Look, I know this whole situation happened backward as hell."

"That's one way of putting it."

"I didn't know Charlie existed."

"I know."

"If I had, I would've been there."

His jaw tightens.

I insist, "I would've been at every doctor's appointment. Nothing would have stopped me from being there when Charlie was born. I'd have been changing diapers and getting up at two in the morning and doing whatever else needed doing."

"You expect me to take your word for that?"

"No."

His eyes arch in surprise. "Then what do you expect?"

I lean forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. "I expect you to watch what I do from here."

Dean studies me.

My nerves rattle, but I keep going. "Anybody can sit in somebody's living room and make promises. Doesn't mean anything if they don't back them up."

He takes a deep breath, stroking Charlie's back. Then he says, "My daughter doesn't need somebody coming into her life, getting her hopes up, playing daddy for a few months, then deciding it's harder than he thought."

"That's not happening."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"You're twenty-nine."

"I'm aware."

He stays silent, which doesn't help my anxiety, but I push through.

"Mr. Cooper, I'm not here because I suddenly decided having a baby is fun."