The Merger

Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

G annon

I lay my notepad on my lap and sigh.

Rain pummels the house in a steady downpour. It’s the perfect white noise to think—much better than the classical shit that Gray always puts on in the car. I close my eyes and listen to the storm mingle with Carys’s soft snores.

After a day that should’ve left me reeling, I’m remarkably … not.

Not rushing to sleep to prepare for tomorrow.

Not bothered by next week’s schedule.

Not panicked that in nine months, I’ll be a father.

“I’m going to be a dad,” I whisper, brushing a lock of hair from Cary’s shoulder.

I watch her chest rise and fall as she slumbers peacefully. She’s young and beautiful. Her whole life is ahead of her, and instead of making any number of choices, she’s choosing me.

She’s willing to use her body to create a child for us.

Tears fill my eyes.

I don’t deserve her, nor do I deserve the gifts she’s giving me—the gift of her heart, and of family. Mom is going to be beside herself. I’m finally giving her a grandchild.

“I love you, Carys,” I whisper, wiping my face with the edge of the sheet.

She stirs, turning toward me, her eyes opening sleepily.

“Hey,” she says, struggling to waken. “Are you still up?”

“Yeah. Can’t sleep.”

“Is everything okay?”

“I’m almost afraid that if I go to sleep, I’ll wake up and this will all be a dream.”

She casts me a soft smile and snuggles up to me. “It’s not a dream. I promise. I still feel like I could puke.”

“Want a cracker?”

She laughs. “Do I want a cracker?”

“I’ve been reading tonight and learned that many women like to keep crackers by their beds. It’s helpful for nausea.”

“Good to know.” She slides a leg over mine. “What else did you learn?”

“All kinds of things. I made a list.”

“What’s on your list?”

“I have six doctors that we can look at tomorrow and you can see if you like any of them,” I say. “We’re going to need a crib. It’s important to keep blankets and stuffed animals out of there, and it can’t get set by a window blind with a pull cord.” I peer down at her. “Never look that up online. It’s terrifying and leads you down a rabbit hole that’s … Well, it’ll keep you up at night.”

“Okay.”

I pick up my legal pad. “Car seats face backward, which I didn’t know, and we need to check any chemicals you use for Plantcy to make sure they’re nontoxic.”

“Smart. I hadn’t thought of that.”

The next thing on the list is going to be a tough sell. I pause, contemplating a good angle of attack, but before I can come up with something, she points at my paper.

“Does that say Gremlin?” she asks.

Fuck . “Yes, it does.”

“Why?”

“I’ll buy you any car you want. Anything . But your Gremlin isn’t safe.”

“But I love my car.”

“There are no airbags, no antilock braking systems. I’m not saying we have to get rid of it.We can keep it. But I think for you and the baby, we need something more modern. Something safer. Like a tank.”

Her laugh sweeps through the room, making me smile.

“If you let me take your picture driving the Gremlin, I’ll consider getting a new car,” she says.

“You’re playing hardball.”

“I know it. You’re going to have to learn the art of compromise because I run a hard bargain.”

I roll my eyes and don’t respond, mostly because she knows I’ll do whatever she wants if that means she’ll agree to be safe. I’m turning into a sucker already. And I don’t give a flying fuck.

“We have one more little problem,” I say.

She hums against my side.

This is one I’ve thought about the most tonight.

“Who’s telling Tate?” I ask.

“He’s going to go nuts.” She giggles. “I haven’t even thought about telling him that we’re having a baby. Can you imagine his reaction?”

Yes, I can. And I’m excited for it because I know once he gets beyond his panic and drama, he’ll be excited, too. Tate is a pain in the ass, but he’s a good man. And, most importantly, he loves Carys—and he’ll love our baby. That means I have a whole new level of respect for the guy. Even if he’s annoying, if he’ll protect my girl and child, I’ll manage.

“I know it’s still very early and we might not want to tell people for a while,” I say. “But thinking about Tate’s reaction has been entertaining.”

“Yeah. Let’s see a doctor before we get too far out in the weeds, then we can make some decisions about how to tell people. I mean, who knows? The doctor could say the test was bad.”

The thought is a shot in the heart, but I know she’s right. There are many things that could go wrong, and there’s no need to get ahead of ourselves.

I lean back and smile at her. “Fair. But can I ask you one thing?”

“Sure.”

“Will you marry me anyway? Even if the test is wrong, I still want to be your husband.”

She plants a kiss to my sternum and gets comfortable. “You better marry me anyway. You’ve already asked.”

I scribble one more note on my notepad, and then toss it on the beside table. Then I turn off the lamp. Wrapping my arms around my fiancée, I sigh happily.

I finally feel like I can go to sleep.