Page 19 of Hot Shot

Luna gives her a look. “Girl, how long did it take you and Dane?”

“Shut up. That’s not the point.”

“It kinda is the point. I don’t remember much about mom and dad, but I do know that they loved each other. And I do know their story because y’all told me repeatedly while I was growing up. They met and a week later they were engaged.

“Then you two found your guys and while I don’t think any man would be good enough for either of you, Mason and Dane love you right. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Our family falls fast and hard, but it’s real. So damn real.”

Now both of my sisters are crying, sniffling and wiping their eyes.

“You’re all grown up,” Luna says.

Shelby gives me a watery smile. “And you’ve grown into the very best man. We’re proud of you.”

“So proud,” Luna says.

“Anything we can do to help?” Shelby asks.

“Not yet. I think I’ve got this. Though convincing my girl we’re forever might be a challenge.” I smile. “I’m up for it though. She’s worth any fight I have to go through.”

“We’re happy for you,” Luna says.

“And about the baby,” Shelby agrees.

I can still see a measure of hesitancy in their eyes, but they’ve resigned themselves to supporting me now so it’s doubtful they’ll say anything else. I know I’m young. Most twenty-two-year-old men are still trolling bars looking for a hook-up. And yes, I know Charlotte and I met in a bar, but that was different.

I wasn’t actually looking for her. I just found her.

Now I’m going to keep her.

chapter

ten

Charlotte

By the time Wednesday morning rolls around and it’s time for my next ultrasound, I’ve made a firm decision. Max deserves to be as much a part of this pregnancy as I do. In just a few months hockey season will start, and he’ll be on the road a lot. So we have to make this time count.

I’m going to ask him to move in with me. But only as the baby’s father. I know that’s not what he said he wants, but he still needs time to absorb all of this. It’s going to be hugely life changing for both of us.

I’ve already got one failed marriage under my belt, I’m not ready to go down that road again. And then there’s the age difference. I know Max says he doesn’t care, but other people will notice. They’ll care. I’ll be called a cradle-robber and plenty of other things.

Normally I could give two shits about what people say about me. But there’s this feeling in the back of my mind that eventually Max will care about how much older I am than him. The more people around us point it out, the sooner he’ll realize it.

Having Evan walk away hurt. He gave up on us at the first sign of trouble. Trouble he blamed on me. But obviously I’m not as infertile as he thought. I blow out a breath and squeeze the steering wheel.

Watching Max walk away would break me. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about him. Yes, I could just grab onto him with both hands, and we could stroll into our future with our baby on the way.

But he will grow tired of me eventually.

At least this way, I have amazing memories of his touch and how we made our baby. For future reference though, I just need to think of him as my baby’s father. Nothing more.

I pull into the parking lot of my OB/GYN’s office and find Max already here. He’s leaning against his car, arms crossed over his chest. He smiles and stands all the way up when he sees me.

Good grief, could he not have come looking like the yummiest of snacks? He’s wearing blue jeans—despite the fact that it feels like we actually live on the sun outside—and a t-shirt. The white cotton stretches over his broad shoulders, then clings to his pectorals and biceps like an obsessed lover.

Okay, I might be projecting here a little. Whatever. He looks so damn hot. So hot, in fact, that a girl in scrubs literally walks into a car walking past him. Yeah, I get it, girl.

He walks over to my driver’s side and opens my door. “Hey, beautiful.” Then there’s that smile.