Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Chris blinked, dragged back from thoughts of the previous weekend’s play with Yvonne and Kate, and almost missed James’s statement. “There’s a rumor going around that you’re going to be a father.”
His head flew back in a double-take as he checked to make sure no one else was in the construction trailer.
He recovered himself quickly. “Lots of rumors floating around. I overheard one of the new guys today say that we’re giving everyone a raise next month.
I asked how much. He said, ‘Don’t you know?
’” Even to Chris’s ears, his laughter was forced.
“You’re changing the subject.”
“No, I’m not. We were talking about rumors.” Chris maintained a big grin.
“Spill, Smith. Is it true?” James’s Dom-look could scorch the skin off someone’s flesh.
“Yeah, it’s true. Yvonne is pregnant. I’m the father.”
“What about Kate?”
“What do you mean?” Chris’s skin tingled. “Kate’s also the mother. This child will have three parents.”
“That’s pretty fast off the mark. You’ve only been together, what, three months?” James’s brows formed a deep V above his eyes, reminding Chris of James’s grandfather.
The older man had raised James after his parents died, and Chris had spent many hours with them in their youth. He inhaled deeply to shake off how the uncanny resemblance unsettled him. “Sometimes, you just know when something’s right.”
“So, you planned this baby?”
“Plan, shplan.” He lifted his shoulders.
“Planning is overrated sometimes. We’re in love.
Yvonne and I have an appointment with an immigration lawyer next week to find out what we have to do to get her a green card besides getting married.
We’re going to be moving into Kate’s upper unit sometime in the near future, and before I forget, will you be best man at the wedding? ”
James was rendered speechless, which thrilled Chris.
For as long as they’d known each other, James had always been the one who knew what to say in any circumstance.
To see him standing there with his mouth open as he struggled to process all the information Chris had thrown at him was an absolute joy.
“Cat got your tongue, bro?”
James spluttered. “Y-you, you. You did that deliberately. Of course, I’ll be your best man. When’s the wedding? Have you told your parents they’re finally going to get a grandchild?”
“We’re thinking Valentine’s Day for the wedding. I took Kate and Yvonne to Arizona for Thanksgiving, and my father threw us out, so no, I haven’t told them. What’s the point? They’re narrow-minded dinosaurs when it comes to non-traditional relationships.”
“How much did you tell them, and did you give them time to get used to the idea before you presented them with your future ‘wives?’” He used air quotes around the last word.
“I told them I was bringing friends for Thanksgiving, and my mother apparently missed the plural. They were pretty shocked, but my father was flat-out rude, and he disowned me. What was I supposed to do?”
“Have you talked to either of them since?”
Chris shook his head.
James crossed his arms. “Your parents are good people, Chris. Maybe they just need a little time to get used to the idea and a little finesse in how it’s presented.
News of a grandchild might go a long way toward making things right with them.
The wedding won’t hurt, either. Speaking of which, how does Kate feel about that? ”
“It was Kate’s idea. She knows the immigration lawyer as a client and got a lot of information from him about how these things work.
I don’t know what we’d do if Yvonne weren’t Dutch, but given the circumstances, we’re doing what we need to do to make things work.
Kate will be the maid of honor, of course.
She stays our Mistress, and it works all the way around. ”
“You might want to leave that part out when you talk to your parents.” James’s lips twitched, and the lines beside his eyes crinkled.
“No, I was going to lead with the BDSM,” Chris said sarcastically. “Give me a little credit, man. Seriously, James, do you have any ideas about how to get them to come around?”
“Would you like me to talk to them for you?”
Chris choked up a bit. How had he deserved this amazing friend? “I’ll have to think about that.” He blinked and cleared his throat. “Hey, who told you about the baby, anyway? We haven’t told anyone but Yvonne’s aunt and uncle.”
“Laura told me. Apparently, Suzie spotted it first. If you let your pregnant girlfriend parade around the club naked, you have to realize someone is going to catch on.”
“Great. So now, for all practical purposes, everyone knows.”
James lost control over his grin, and they both burst out laughing.