I narrow my eyes. “Except you still haven’t cashed any of the checks I keep giving you.”
“Can’t friends pay for shit for friends?” He turns to take a sip of his coffee giving me a nice view of his square jaw. “And besides that, you do a lot around here which certainly earns your keep.”
“Like what?”
“Um…like all the cooking.” He gestures to his belly. “I’ve gained five pounds since you moved in.”
“Maybe I’m just trying to help you work on your dad bod.” I bite my lip coyly, a warmth spreading inside me. His abs are still quite visible above his low-slung waistband.
He huffs at that, and then his face turns a bit more serious. “So, do you want me to make myself scarce Saturday? I’m off this weekend but if you want the place to yourself I can go hang with Max.”
I frown and shake my head. “No, you can be around. I might need your help and my sister kind of wants to meet you.”
His brows lift. “That sounds ominous.”
“She’s cool. Mostly.” I bite my lip, hoping he doesn’t see through my bluff.
He nods slowly. “Then sure, I’ll stick around.”
He leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead, wafting me with his delicious aftershave before taking his coffee to his bedroom where I’ve been sleeping every night.
As he walks away, I have no shadow of a doubt that Josh would still be sexy as hell even with a dad bod. I can’t wait to see him with my nieces.
Craft shit is scattered all over the dining room table, and Lynsey’s been running around for the past hour trying to make everything perfect for her two nieces. I knew she loved those little girls based on how much she’s spoken about them. But I had no idea she’d empty all of Hobby Lobby in preparation for their visit. This seems a bit extreme.
Lynsey’s in the bathroom when the doorbell rings so I head to the door to let them in. I’m greeted by a tall brunette who looks about my age. Standing on either side of her are two little blondes who are elementary school-aged.
“Holy shit,” Lynsey’s sister blurts, taking off her sunglasses to look me up and down. “Are you Dr. Dick?”
My body tenses and suddenly Lynsey’s voice peals from behind me. “Christine, this is Josh! Josh Richardson.” She clamors in front of me, shooting me an apologetic smile over her shoulder before bending to hug her nieces. “Josh this is my big-mouthed sister, Christine.”
“Very big,” Christine adds with a smile as she offers her hand. “And I’ve heard you’ve got a very big—”
“Television!” Lynsey finishes, squeezing her nieces’ shoulders to her sides, her face stricken with guilt. “We’ve got all sorts of movies and games and popcorn and we’re going to have a great slumber party, right girls?”
“Is that where the baby is?” the younger one asks, poking Lynsey in her stomach.
“Yes, Claire, this is where the baby is.” Lynsey pats her bump and glances nervously at me.
“That’s so weird,” the older one says and reaches out to pet Lynsey’s belly next.
The whole scene makes me uncomfortable. These kids just got here and they’re already rubbing Lynsey like a Buddha statue.
Lynsey clears her throat and gestures to the taller one. “Josh, this is Lennon. And the little one here is Claire.”
Claire holds Lynsey’s hand and tucks herself behind her aunt. “I’m not little.”
Lynsey purses her lips. “You’re right, Claire. You’re eight now. Nothing little about that! And Lennon, is eleven,” she offers to me. “God, where did the time go? Come on you guys, come inside.”
I step back so they can make their way in. Lynsey’s sister stares at me as she enters. Appearance-wise, she’s basically a taller version of Lynsey, but her brown hair is short and cut at an angular level around her face. The girls beeline for the craft table and drag Lynsey with them while Christine sidles up beside me.
She crosses her arms over her chest. “Are you ready for all this?”
I shrug. “I’m not much of a crafter I’m afraid.”
Christine narrows her eyes at me. “I mean are you ready to become a dad?”
“Is anyone ever ready?” I reply with another shrug. “We’ll figure it out.”
She tilts her head and glares. “How old are you, Josh?”
“Thirty-four.” I square my shoulders to not look weak in front of this oddly intimidating woman.
“Ever been married?”
“No.”
“Ever close?”
“No.” I turn to face her. “My job takes most of my focus.” My hand grips my neck as my muscles tighten under her rapid interrogation.
She nods, looking me up and down like a zoo animal. “And now my sister is taking some of your focus.”
My brow furrows at that remark.
She leans close. “And a baby will take even more focus.”
I nod as a prickle of anxiety skates over me. “Have any advice for me?”
“Yeah.” She pulls back and slaps my shoulder. “Don’t fuck it up.”
Children are exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, I always knew they were a lot of work, and back when they were my patients in Baltimore, I could tell parents were run ragged between chasing siblings and dealing with the one who was ill. But the fact that Lennon and Claire never stopped talking or moving or spilling or asking for something or feeling some emotion the entire time is a mentally exhausting reality.
And from everything I’ve been told, babies are even harder. How will Lynsey and I cope? Thank fuck she moved in here with me so we can help each other because to consider doing this all on our own seems completely unrealistic. And to imagine people actively choosing to have more than one seems like a confusing life choice.
It’s nearing ten o’clock by the time Lynsey’s nieces finally fall asleep on the couch during the movie. I’m on one end of the sofa, and Lynsey’s on the other. Both girls sprawl on top of us as their soft snores echo through the room.
It’s a strange sensation being so close to kids again.
If I’m being honest with myself, I don’t hate it.
Lennon rolls onto her back, her head sliding off my shoulder and onto my lap as she lets out a funny noise in her sleep. She looks so much like Lynsey. A small ache spreads in my chest as I wonder for the first time if our baby will look like her. Maybe we’ll have nights just like this where the three of us sit on the couch together.
How have I never thought anything like that before?
Lennon mumbles something in her sleep, and Lynsey giggles. I turn to see her brown eyes sparkling with mirth in the dark living room, illuminated only by the TV. “Did she just say something about the Jonas Brothers?”
Lynsey nods, covering her mouth as she tries to stop laughing. “When you were out picking up the pizza, the girls were arguing about which Jonas Brother you looked most like.”
“Why?”
Lynsey shrugs. “Probably because they like you.”
“Well, I like them too,” I reply and move a piece of blond hair off Lennon’s face. “I’ve been around some kids who suck, and these two definitely aren’t like them.”