“Yes.”
“The one who let you leave with me?”
“Yes,” I grind out, knowing exactly where he’s going with this.
“Does he know you’re pregnant?”
“Yes.” I can’t bring myself to make eye contact. “He’s…supportive.”
“Supportive?” Josh barks, dipping his head to catch my lowered eyes. “What the fuck does that mean?”
I chew my lip nervously. “He said he’d help me until I figure out my life.”
Josh steps back and runs his hands through his hair. “And what about the baby’s biological father?”
“I’m trying not to assume anything. Look, I know how you feel about children. I remember everything you said to me in the Uber that night. That too is burned into my retinas…or ears…or whatever.”
The room goes silent as Josh’s face wars with something I can’t quiet discern.
He inhales sharply through his nose. “It doesn’t matter what I said. This is the situation we’re in now, and I’m a responsible adult who will take care of my obligations. And I’m a hell of a lot more qualified than Dean.”
I choke out a laugh. “So, I’m going to raise a baby with a man who is responsible but doesn’t like children? Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“Nothing about this is fun,” he spits.
“I know!” I cry back, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. “That’s why I’m telling you that you don’t have to be involved. I have family, I have my sister, I have friends.”
“You have Daddy Dean,” Josh mocks, the most expressive his tone has ever been.
“Would you get over your issue with Dean? You knew him for like two hours.”
The muscle in Josh’s jaw ticks with agitation. “I’m good at reading people.”
“So am I! And I think a friend who’s willing to let me live with him while I’m pregnant with another man’s baby is a pretty incredible person.”
“Jesus Christ,” Josh growls and begins pacing the room. “So that’s it then? You’re going to go play family with him and what? Tell this baby he’s the father? Pretend I never existed?”
I scrub my hands over my face. “God, this is complicated. And painful and awkward and so many things. The truth is, I haven’t thought all of this through, but I have about six months to figure it out, and I don’t need some dick barking orders at me as I do it.” Josh jerks at my scathing tone as I move toward him and square my shoulders. “Look, you don’t have to be a part of this, Josh. You’re a doctor with patients and an incredibly stressful job. Your entire life doesn’t need to be uprooted because of one stupid night.”
His brows furrow as he watches me speculatively, his mind clearly running a mile a minute.
“We barely know each other. And you made it clear you don’t want children, and you think I’m crazy, so there’s no way you’re going to want to be involved with me the rest of your life to co-parent this child.” I purse my lips, and add, “I can handle this on my own. I don’t even need money from you.”
He hits me with a disbelieving look.
“I know I don’t have a job, but I’m not an idiot, okay?” I state defensively. “I have my master’s, plus my financial and living situation is temporary.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I go to the closet where he stashed my coat and pull it off the hook. I slip it on and pause at the door to add, “Take some time and think this over. I’m giving you an out here, and I have a feeling you want to take it.”
He stares at me with a smoldering expression, and I’m annoyed that it gives me butterflies. Walking in here today, I thought I wanted nothing to do with him. I thought we’d say our goodbyes, and I’d never give him another thought.
But now, seeing him standing there barefoot, confused, and so utterly human, I can’t help but wonder what if? What if I said yes? What if I let him into my life? What if we could be a family?
However, the second he let me walk out his door, I realized without a doubt that Josh Richardson doesn’t want to be the father of this child.
Josh: Can I get the address to your current residence?
Lynsey: Um…sure? Are you sending me some legal documents for Valentine’s Day or something?
I pause.
Crap. It is fucking Valentine’s Day. I guess that explains the flowers in the nurses’ station.
Josh: Address please.
Lynsey sends me the address, and I confirm that she’ll be home later this afternoon before I head to the locker room to change out of my scrubs. It’s been three days since Lynsey left my house, and I’ve been on double rotations in the ER all week.
But even with the mania of everything going on at the hospital, there wasn’t an hour that passed when I didn’t think of Lynsey and this baby. Not being involved in this kid’s life isn’t an option. I may not have the best bedside manner, and I may never get a Father of the Year award, but I’m not a deadbeat.
I take care of my responsibilities. And right now, Lynsey is my responsibility. Which means I need to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s okay through all of this. That the baby is good. And she’s not a big fan of mine at this point, so I need to change that quickly if there’s any chance of talking her into moving in with me.
I hop into my SUV and use my GPS to route me to her location. Twenty minutes later, I pull up to a street of several matching townhouses. Something tells me this isn’t Lynsey’s parents’ neighborhood, which most likely means she’s moved in with Dean already. Grumbling under my breath, I locate the correct cookie-cutter home and pull into the driveway.
“Don’t you have a job?” I ask when Dean answers the door.
Dean smiles and straightens his glasses while looking me up and down.
“I can do my job from anywhere.” He props himself on the doorframe, crossing his arms. “Like a hospital cafeteria. Which means I’m readily available to be there for my friends when they need me to save them from assholes.”
How the fuck does Max work with this douchebag? “Is Lynsey here?”
“Is she expecting you?” Dean asks flippantly.
“I’m here,” Lynsey says. She appears from behind Dean, dressed in a pair of denim overalls with a blue turtleneck sweater underneath. She has two brown braids draped over her shoulders, and instantly, a flash of a little girl version of Lynsey pops into my mind.
My chest swells with an ache.
“Josh…what’s up?” Her voice tears me out of my thoughts.
I press my hand to my sternum and force the words out of my mouth. “I wanted to take you out.”
“Out where?” She hooks her thumbs into the open sides of the overalls, and I swear a small bump is forming on her stomach already. “I didn’t take you for the Valentine’s Day type.”
“I’m not.” I flinch as I refocus on Lynsey’s face. “I have something scheduled.”
“What kind of something?”
I exhale heavily and cut an annoyed look at Dean who still stands in the fucking doorway like he’s her watchdog or something. He gets the memo and steps back, finally giving Lynsey and me some privacy.