Chapter 18
Dean
“Maybe we should do this next week. They don’t even know you’re coming, and I can tell them I got sucked into a project for work,” Ari says in a shaky voice as I turn onto her parents’ street.
Reaching across the center console, I grab her hand in mine and softly rub my thumb back and forth. “Sorry, babe, but you said you’d punch me if I turned this car around.”
Last week, the day after we had the thirteen-week appointment and another ultrasound, we didn’t even make it to her parents’ neighborhood when Ari realized she wasn’t ready to tell them.
Without question, I turned around and brought her to my place.
It wasn’t until we were snuggled up eating takeout that the real reason she panicked dawned on me.
She realized it too, the next morning, and made me swear not to let her back out again.
Hence the promises of bodily harm.
“Well, I wouldn’t actually hit you!” She rushes out, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes, just in case she’s watching me.
Only after I pull into the driveway and put the car in park do I finally respond.
“Okay, first of all, you one hundred percent would follow through on punching me if I were to take us back to your place right now. If I’ve learned anything about you, it’s that you are a woman of your word.
” I shift in my seat, bringing her hand to my lips to kiss before continuing.
“Secondly, you don’t actually want to put this off any longer.
We didn’t tell them last week because you said you weren’t ready, but we both know that was a lie. ”
She drops my gaze and scowls out the front windshield.
“No, it wasn’t,” she argues weakly. I squeeze her hand gently.
“It might not have been a complete lie.” I hesitate, recognizing that we probably should have had this conversation before we left her house instead of when we were sitting in her parents’ driveway. Too late to back out now. “You weren’t ready because you were nervous…”
Arianna sighs and drops my hand, immediately reaching to yank the hair tie holding her hair up and letting her curls fall wildly. She fidgets with the ends, flipping the visor down to give her a better view as she attempts to fix something that’s already effortlessly perfect.
“I’m just…” She pauses, and I don’t try to pipe in while she figures out how to put what she’s feeling into words. I might be able to guess it, and I might even be spot-on. However, hearing what you’re feeling from someone else before you’re ready to admit it never does much good to anyone.
So I simply sit beside her.
After a minute in silence, she closes her eyes and drops her head back against the headrest.
“What if they’re disappointed in me?”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline, but before I can tell her just how obscure the idea of that happening is, she continues.
“Or what if they’re not happy for us? What if Landon is mad at me?
Or you? I mean, come on, you guys work together and you’re his best friend.
Actually, you might be his only true friend.
What if he thinks I was trying to steal you from him?
This is the first time in my life I’ve ever kept anything from him and all I keep picturing is my brother—”
“Your brother,” I interrupt, sensing the spiral she’s about to fall into and knowing I need to stop her now.
“Is a grown-ass adult. We’re not in middle school.
I’m not some toy you took to play with behind his back.
” Unable to resist, I smirk and carefully nudge her.
“Although the way you play with me is definitely fun.”
She snorts, half-heartedly flinging her hand out to knock me on my shoulder. I take the opportunity to capture her hand in mine once more and this time, I tangle our fingers together.
“Your parents are going to be happy as long as you are. I can guarantee that your happiness is all they’ll care about.
Landon…might have some feelings. I’ve seen that guy in so many different situations, I probably should be able to predict how he’s going to react.
Yet even I don’t have a clue.” I sigh, lifting my free hand up to cup her cheek in my palm.
“He’s human. While I hope he’ll go straight to being excited to be an uncle, nothing ever works out the way we plan.
We can’t control what he does. The only thing I can control is making sure you know that I’ve got your back.
I love Landon. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for him.
But you and our baby are my family, and you will always be my priority. ”
The hitch in her breath is audible. When she faces me with glassy eyes, I panic that I accidentally said the wrong thing.
Until she practically launches herself awkwardly over the center console and pulls me in for a kiss. It’s a weird angle, but it doesn’t lessen the effect she has on me. I’m the one who has to break away first.
“All right, more of that later. Right now, the last thing I need to do is face your parents with a hard-on.”
Ari raises an eyebrow at me. “It’s just a kiss.”
I make a show of adjusting my already half hard cock while leveling her with an unamused stare.
“Freckles, I don’t think you fully grasp the effect you have on me. I’m so attracted to you, that simply kissing you gets me hard.”
Her eyes widen, briefly dropping to my crotch before darting away as a beautiful blush spreads across her cheeks. Luckily, it’s the exact distraction she needed.
“Let’s go before I chicken out again.”
The second she said “let’s go” I was reaching for my door handle and getting out of the car. Rounding the hood, I step up to her car door and open it before she has the chance. Offering her a hand, I help her out before bending back down to grab her purse and water.
Shutting the door, I ignore her outstretched hand trying to take her things and instead slip my palm into hers.
As we head up the walkway hand in hand, my heart feels like it might pound its way up through my throat.
I’ve never been nervous when entering the Sinclair house. Never once had any doubt that I wouldn’t be met with welcome arms and hugs. For as much confidence as I had only moments ago in the car, doubt begins to creep up.
Would this be what it felt like to tell my mom if she was actually a good parent? Would Tristan be excited to be an uncle?
The thoughts hit me out of left field, almost knocking the air from my lungs. Growing up, I was never one to play the game of “what if” with my life. I’ve always taken the cards that were dealt and made my move with what I had.
Now, as we get closer to telling Arianna’s family, I realize just how badly I crave their approval.
Over the past seven years that I’ve been on the Bobcats, the Sinclairs have welcomed me into their home as if I were one of them.
Landon was the one who brought me home with him, knowing what I needed was to not be alone.
Katherine has treated me as if I truly were her own, cheering me on and looking out for me just as much as she does with her own kids.
Theodore has filled a father figure gap that I never knew I wanted, showing up at games and congratulating me just as he does his own son.
And Arianna feels like coming home.
While Ari pushes right through the house, I linger in the entryway and take my time removing my shoes. The sounds of laughter as Ari greets her family reach me and when I try to swallow, it feels as if someone dumped a bucket of sand straight down my throat.
Can’t back out now, buddy.
“Dean! This is a wonderful surprise. I’m so glad you could make it tonight.” Katherine rounds the corner from the kitchen, pulling me into one of her warm embraces before glancing around. “Where’s Cora?”
I scratch the back of my head and shrug. “She had a busy morning at the vet getting some shots and her nails clipped. Figured she could use a couple hours of peace and quiet to decompress.”
“Oh, that poor girl! I have a toy that I picked up from the grocery store for you to bring home with you. Hopefully, that will turn her day right around.” Katherine loops her arm through mine, dragging me farther into the living room where the others had moved to as well.
My gaze lands on Ari instantly as she crosses the room and claims the love seat, and I don’t miss the pointed look she sends my way as she signals for me to take the seat beside her.
Guiding Katherine toward the other couch to sit beside her husband, I catch Landon’s eye, both of us nodding in acknowledgment before turning to join Ari. Before I sit, I pass her purse and set the water on the coffee table. Once I’m sitting beside her, we both suck in a deep breath.
Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my knees and let Arianna start.
“So, before we have dinner…I have, well, actually…” She pauses and glances at me.
The fear shining in her eyes mixed with the way her voice shakes and cracks as she talks snaps me out of any unease I was feeling moments before.
Throwing caution to the wind, I keep my focus on her as I slip my hand in hers, hoping to lend her some comfort as she continues.
Her grip tightens almost painfully, but when she speaks again, her voice has lost some of the nervousness.
“We have something to tell you all. Dean and I—”
“I knew it!” Katherine shoots to her feet, clapping her hands as she basically bounces up and down.
“Um, you knew?” Ari questions, shooting me a curious look before turning back to her mom.
“Yes! I’ve been wondering when you kids were gonna get around to start dating.
I even invited Liz’s annoying kid over, hoping that having a little healthy competition around would help spark things.
” She squeals again, twisting quickly to bend down and pat Theodore’s arm. “I told you it would work.”
All I can do is stare at the woman in shock. On one hand, she’s clearly more than okay with me dating her daughter, but on the other…I didn’t know she was a meddler.