Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
GEORGIA
Joey
Are you going to tell us?
Rylee
We are DYING to know
Presley
Boy or girl?
Presley
I’m hoping for a boy
Presley
Poppy wants a girl
Georgia
Why does Poppy want a girl?
Presley
Because she wants a sister and isn’t getting one anytime soon from me
That’s a lot of pressure
Joey
Max wants a boy
Joey
He’s not getting a sibling, so he wants someone to play with
Hey, Rylee might have a baby
Rylee
I’m with Presley on this
Rylee
I’m having too much fun being married to worry about a kid right now
Joey
TMI, Rylee
Joey
That’s my brother
Rylee
Sorry
Rylee
But don’t count on me popping out any kids any time soon
Once Grant and I find out, I’ll tell you guys
Presley
Ugh, fine
Rylee
I guess the dad finding out before us is acceptable
Joey
We’ve known you longer
Joey
Doesn’t that count for anything?
Love you guys, but Grant and Luke first
Joey
It’s like we’re chopped liver >
Ilaugh, stuffing my phone into my purse and heading into Grant’s house. The envelope in my bag is burning a hole in my metaphorical pocket.
I hated that Grant had to scout a player today and couldn’t come with me, but I get it. His job is important and I don’t want to take him away from it.
“Hey, guys,” I call out, toeing off my shoes and dropping my purse onto the coat rack.
“Hey, Georgia,” Luke says, not looking up at me.
He’s lying on the couch, playing a video game on the TV, and Grant is in the kitchen. A smile brightens his face, causing butterflies to swarm in my belly.
“Hi.” I press up to give him a quick kiss. “Is dinner almost ready?”
“You had your appointment tonight and that’s the first thing you ask me?”
I grab a cucumber and pop it into my mouth. “I’m hungry, so yes.”
“Did you find out the sex yet?” Luke asks.
I hold up the envelope in my hand before dropping it on the counter. “Well, the doctor did. I didn’t want to find out without your dad there.”
Luke pauses his game and comes into the kitchen and grabs the salad bowl. “Can we look?”
I follow him to the table and take a seat. The smell of marinara and garlic over the gnocchi makes my stomach rumble with hunger. “This looks great, Grant.”
He grabs a beer from the fridge and takes the seat next to me.
“About that,” Grant says.
I pile my bowl up and pass it to Luke.
“What do you mean, about that? Do you not want to find out?” I ask. I stab my fork into my bowl and take a bite that is probably too big to be considered ladylike, but I don’t care.
I’m starving. It seems I’ve hit the point in my pregnancy where I’m ravenous all the time. Thank God Grant knows how to cook, because otherwise I probably just would have eaten an entire bowl of macaroni and cheese for dinner.
“Do I get an opinion on this?” Luke asks.
“I mean, we can take it into consideration,” Grant says. “But ultimately, if we don’t want to know, then we’re not gonna find out.”
“Why don’t you want to know?” I ask Grant, leaning back in my seat.
“I just think it would be nice to keep it a surprise. What’s one more mystery in life?”
I drop my fork and eye him, pointing to my belly. “Don’t you think this was enough of a surprise?”
“It’s one of the last few surprises we actually get in life these days,” he says.
“Of course you would think that.” I shake my head, shoveling another bite in my mouth. “Don’t you want to be able to plan for them?”
“If you don’t want to find out, buy green things,” Luke points out. “Aren’t babies cute no matter what they wear?”
“See?” Grant agrees like the point has been made.
“Yes, but don’t you want to be able to get matching big brother and little brother shirts?”
Luke drops his fork, a horrified look washing over his face. “There is no way I am wearing a big brother shirt. Seriously, don’t even think about it.”
I smile at him and pat his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on it. It’s about as cool as those ‘Will you marry me?’ T-shirts.”
“Don’t propose that way, Dad.” Luke laughs. “She might say no.”
“If anyone ever proposed to me that way, it would clearly show they didn’t know me very well,” I agree.
“You know, I’m sitting right here,” Grant says.
“Which means I need to convince you to find out what we’re having. You got to find out with Luke.”
“How about the next kid?” Grant says. A second later his eyes widen.
“The next kid?” I ask.
“Well, umm…I mean…fuck,” he stutters, shoving a hand through his hair.
“You’re going to have more than one kid?” Luke asks.
“Right now, I’m only focused on having one kid. Let’s just worry about getting this one here safely,” I say, not sure how to react to what Grant blurted out.
“All I’m saying is it’s not going to make a difference if it’s a boy or girl. Besides, what if they’re wrong?”
I set my fork down, nearly done with dinner, and clasp my hands under my chin. “How many times does that actually happen?”
“Enough for it to be a thought in my mind. What if it’s a girl and we buy all this girl stuff and they get here and it turns out that it’s a boy?”
“Okay, I think you’re thinking way too much into this,” I say. “I want to find out. Can’t you just give me this one?”
He leans over the table, eyeing me. “What do I get in return if I give you this?”
“Is this how you’re going to play it?” I quirk a brow at him, mirroring his position.
“Okay, you two are being weird,” Luke says. “I’m going to go look.”
“Wait, no!”
I try to grab his arm, but it’s too late. He’s in the kitchen opening the envelope and reading what’s written on it. “Huh, okay.”
“Huh, okay good or huh, okay bad?” I ask, spinning in my seat to look at him.
“I don’t know. You guys haven’t decided if you want to know yet.”
I look at Grant and he smiles at me. “Go ahead and tell her; it’s fine. I don’t want you holding it over our heads that you know what we’re having and we don’t.”
Luke goes to say, but I cut him off. “Wait. Do I really want to know? I mean, I’m convinced it’s a boy, but what if it’s not a boy and it’s a girl and I’m actually disappointed?”
Grant reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Trust me, you’ll be happy either way. Besides, if it’s a boy, we know what to do.”
“Good. Because it’s a boy,” Luke says.
“It’s a boy?” I squeal, covering my mouth because my voice is suddenly shrieky and high-pitched. “We’re really having a boy?”
Luke nods.
“I guess we’ll be getting Luke a big brother shirt then.” Grant laughs.
“Dad,” Luke groans. “I am never going to wear one. Don’t bother.”
“Fine. But I am definitely getting a little brother onesie and I want you to smile for a picture.”
He rolls his eyes, but in all actuality, he’s smiling.
“Oh my gosh. We’re having a boy.”
Grant smiles at me. Tears well in his eyes. “Luke, why don’t you finish your dinner downstairs? Give us a minute to digest this news.”
“Whatever. Can I go get ready for the movie?” Luke drops a kiss on my cheek before he goes. “I’m happy you’re having a boy. I want a baby brother.”
“Thanks, Luke.”
“Thanks, bud,” Grant calls after him.
Standing, I walk around the table. A stupid happy grin splits Grant’s face as he pulls me down onto his lap. His hand covers my belly.
“Are you happy it’s a boy?” I ask.
“Fuck, yes, I am,” he says, kissing me. “Honestly, I never thought I’d have another kid, and to be fair, I kind of know what I’m doing with a boy. It makes me less nervous.”
“Do you actually know what you’re doing?” I jest.
“Luke is having conversations with us now. And he ate dinner with us. I’d say I know a thing or two.”
“We’re having a boy,” I say again.
I sink my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. This isn’t what I thought would happen in my life. A kid? Me? I had no plans to ever become a mom. I didn’t have any role models growing up to show me what parental love looked like.
If it weren’t for Grant, I don’t know if I could do this whole parenting thing on my own. Being with him, I can’t imagine anything else.
“We’re having a boy,” Grant parrots.
“I can’t wait to tell the girls. They’re going to have a blast planning his baby shower.”
“I have no doubt this little boy is going to be so spoiled.” Grant pulls my mouth down to his, giving me the sweetest of kisses. “I’m glad we’re doing this together.”
I rest my forehead against his, wrapping my arm around his shoulders.
“I am too.”
“I’m glad I moved here. Otherwise, how would you have told me about the baby?”
The corner of my mouth quirks up. “I had my ways.”
“What were those?”
His strong hand is warm and soft on my belly. The touch does all sorts of funny things to my insides. It’s not just the baby hormones. Every day I spend with Grant, I fall a little harder for him. I only hope we’re both falling together.
“I mean, Joey could have gotten your number from the reservation system…” I trail off.
“Wow. Illegal much?” He laughs.
“I can blame you for sneaking off and not leaving your number.” I point a finger in his face.
“Pretty sure neither of us thought a one-night stand was going to turn into a baby.”
“You know me. I was fine on my own.”
Grant tucks a loose lock of hair behind my year. “I seem to remember thinking the same thing.”
“Guess you and I are doing okay depending on one another.”
“I told you. You and me. We’re in this together.”
“I like that word.”
Together.
I really am beginning to like that word. For someone that always said she was fine on her own, I like having someone.
No, not someone.
Grant.
Turns out, finding the right person makes things easy. Even if we got together under unconventional circumstances.
I’ll take it because for the first time in a long time, I’m happy.
And I’ll do whatever I can to keep this feeling.