19. Casey
19
Casey
There were big changes on the horizon, and while I probably should’ve been terrified, I couldn’t help but feel anything but excited.
I finally sat down with Cliff and had a talk about the situation because hiding our relationship would soon be impossible. I walked into his office this morning, and before I could chicken out, I’d plowed forward, blurting it all out. How Peter and I had gotten closer as we worked together, that I hadn’t intended to fall in love with him, and while I was sorry for not telling him sooner, I refused to change a thing, because Peter was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I’d told my boss that I’d sign whatever paperwork was necessary and promised that we would keep things professional while at the clinic, but I’d practically begged him to let me stay on as Peter’s therapist. “Please, Cliff! We make a great team, and he needs me.”
He’d let me sweat it out for a minute, but in the end, he’d finally cracked and grinned, then said, “Glad you two finally figured things out. Talk about slow burn. I thought you were never going to commit.”
I was sure my jaw was gaping, but when I finally left the office, I was smiling. It was a huge load off my shoulders to have everything out in the open. Such a relief, in fact, that I may have let my buoyant mood carry me straight into making some hasty decisions…
Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission… right?
Fitting my key into Peter’s front door, I stuck my head inside. “Honey, I’m home,” I called. No, I wasn’t officially living here, but that didn’t mean the possibility hadn’t occurred to me. I spent more time here than I did at my own apartment.
“Wait there, I’ll come to you,” Peter said from the bedroom.
Using my body, I blocked the doorway so it wouldn’t spoil my surprise. A few moments later, Peter appeared from down the hallway. He was walking slowly and carefully, arms held out at his sides in case he fell. He’d been practicing without his cane more and more, and while I knew there was still pain in the movement, every day was a step in the right direction.
He smiled wide when he saw me. “Hey, baby. What do you think? Am I ready to run the hundred-meter dash?”
“Any day now,” I teased along with him, but there must’ve been something in my voice that gave me away, because his eyes narrowed on me.
“What did you do?” he asked suspiciously.
“What?” My voice squeaked. Clearing my throat, I said, “What makes you think I did anything?”
He wiggled his finger, pointing at me. “You’re making a face. Don’t even try to lie to me, I’ll know. It was literally my job to question suspects, and you, angel, are no criminal mastermind.”
I winced. “Yeah, so, remember how you said you loved me?”
“Mm-hm, and I meant it.” He stepped into me, his hands finding my waist. “Now, what are you hiding behind your back?”
“It’s a present.” My smile widened as he tried to see around me, but I kept moving to block his view. “An I-love-you present.”
His groan gave way to a resigned sigh, but I couldn’t miss the amused twinkle in his eye. “All right, let’s see what kind of trouble you’re in.” I hoped it was just enough for a light spanking.
Laughing, I stepped aside. “Ta-da!”
Peter blinked a few times, clearly stunned. “It’s a dog… I think, though it might be a small elephant,” he said at last, and the dog in question’s tail began to wag. He peeled his butt up off the porch and waddled gingerly into the house so he could plonk himself at Peter’s feet. It was hard to tell what breed he was, maybe golden retriever mixed with some kind of shepherd—though no elephant, as far as I knew.
“Hi, sweet baby,” Peter cooed, and I took Peter’s elbow to help him lower down onto his knees to meet his new best friend. It was love at first sight for the both of them, though I didn’t think this dog had ever met a face he didn’t want to lick.
“This is Hurley,” I said, scratching the pup behind the ear. “The shelter said he’s about five years old, but the person who surrendered him hadn’t taken good care of him, so he’s a little overweight—okay, a lot overweight,” I corrected when Peter raised a brow. “He’s leash trained, up to date on all his shots. I figured the two of you were a match made in heaven because he’ll need you to take him for walks so he can lose that weight, and there’s no chance he’ll go too fast for you. And as he gets healthier, so will you.” I smiled, proud of my problem-solving skills. “You need each other.”
I could already tell that Peter’s heart was melting as he dug his fingers into Hurley’s short bronze fur, drawn in by those expressive brown eyes, just like I was when I first laid eyes on him at the shelter. “Well, I wouldn’t want to let Hurley down,” he said, his voice taking on a tone he might use to talk to babies. Hurley, of course, was lapping up the attention, tipping his muzzle up to bestow kisses on Peter’s cheeks, chin, and nose.
“The poor boy had been at the shelter for ages, but he’s the goodest boy. He even knows some tricks. Wanna see them?” I asked.
Peter looked up at me with his drool-covered cheeks. “No need to sell me on him quite so hard. You had me from the get-go cause I’m a sucker for a pretty face,” he said with a gooey grin. I wasn’t sure if he meant me or the dog, but did it matter? Either way, he wasn’t mad I’d sprung a dog on him. I was calling that a win.
“I know it’s a big responsibility, but I’ll be here to help. I already stopped at the pet store on the way home and got everything he might need—a dog bed, toys, food.”
“You know,” Peter drawled, “it might be easier for you to help look after him if you lived here too. Although, maybe we should look for a new house instead, someplace with a big yard.” He looked thoughtful, his mind working.
I lowered myself to the floor beside them, and Hurley tried to alternate kisses between us. “I’m so glad you suggested it, because I was just thinking about how we might need a bigger place, with more bedrooms .” I held my breath, waiting for his reaction.
When Peter didn’t react from the small hint, distracted by the wiggly dog demanding his attention, I decided I’d better drop a bigger hint. I cleared my throat loudly. “You know, the woman I talked to at the shelter said Hurley is really great with kids. Babies , even.”
Peter’s hands stilled on Hurley’s scruff, and I watched as his brain stalled, thinking over what I’d just said. “Did you say… babies?”
I tried to act like it was no big deal, shrugging casually while I lavished some attention on Hurley, but meanwhile, my heart was pounding, my stomach doing backflips. “Well, one baby for sure, anyway. Unless twins run in your family?” I felt like that was something I should know, like now.
When he didn’t say anything, I chanced a peek up at him, and I took in how still he’d gone, the color draining from his face. “Are you okay?” I asked, reaching for him. Was it really that much of a shock? It wasn’t like we’d been careful. He had to know this was a possibility… maybe even a hope? I thought we’d been on the same page, but maybe I was wrong. Gods, I was going to be sick.
“A baby… my baby? You’re pregnant? Really?” Was that hope I heard in his voice or dread? It was hard to tell the way my brain was spinning. Maybe I was just hearing what I wanted to hear.
“According to the test I picked up at the pharmacy last night, but I haven’t officially confirmed it at the doctor yet. I kinda thought maybe you… might want to come with me. But if you don’t—I mean, I know it’s a surprise, and it’s a lot of big life changes, and if you don’t want—”
Peter cut me off with a hard kiss. “I want, I want, I want,” he said, before trying to drag me into his lap with an arm around my waist, exhibiting a surprising amount of strength. That weight training was really paying off.
As I fell onto him, though, he tipped back at a dangerous angle. We might’ve been able to save it from there, but that was before Hurley decided this looked like a great game of pile-on and climbed on top, front paws on my shoulders.
Peter’s eyes widened in alarm as we passed the point of no return, collapsing into a heap on the floor, arms and legs, fur and slobber. I immediately worried that Peter would be hurt, but he was laughing so hard there were tears streaming down his face. His arms tightened around me, stopping me from trying to climb off.
He brought his hand up and tangled his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck, dragging me down so he could kiss me again, his tongue sweeping through my mouth with enough force to dominate me, even though he was pinned beneath me and Hurley both. Hurley, meanwhile, was having the time of his life, oblivious to the momentous occasion beyond finding himself in this new home. He rolled over us, licking and barking in doggie delight.
When Peter finally loosened his hold enough that I could draw back and catch my breath, a serene expression of contentment had smoothed out the creases that had been etched into his face since the first time I’d met him. For the first time, I knew he wasn’t dwelling on the past, but instead, looking forward to a future much brighter than he could’ve hoped for.
“Thank you,” he whispered fiercely, holding my face between his palms. “You and this baby—and Hurley too—you have given me everything . You really are my angel. Without you, I would’ve been lost. I love you so much.”
I kissed him deeply, hoping to convey just how much I loved him and that I’d been lost without him too.
The three—four—of us lay there on the floor for a few minutes in a cuddle puddle, before I finally forced myself to stand up, groaning. Lying on the hard floor couldn’t possibly be good for Peter’s back. “Come on. Let’s get Hurley settled and then we’ll all go for a walk. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven,” Peter said, and tail wagging, Hurley seemed to agree.