months with both boys nursing either in bed or on the couch.” Sexy share, Evie . Although maybe it would help convince Liam to stay hands-off.
From the look on his face, he was definitely concerned at the very least.
“What do you mean, bedrest?”
Oh. Again, with the nice and understanding. “ARGH!”
“Was it something I said?”
“It was everything you said, and everything you didn’t. Why aren’t you freaking out?”
“I’m sure I’m freaking out. On the inside. Deep down, buried under years of WASPy training by my mother. But my whiplash reaction to becoming a father is secondary to actually becoming a father, right? That’s going to happen. So I’d rather not get to that point and be unprepared. Or, god forbid, get to that point before that thing—” he pointed at her stomach “——is ready to come out. So…bedrest?”
“Uhm…I had high blood pressure with my first pregnancy. It’s part of what lead me to a healthier lifestyle, and I didn’t have any problems with my second pregnancy.”
He was nodding, but his attention had shifted to his iPhone. He was alternating between tapping and scrolling with his thumb, and after a minute he glanced up. “Pre-eclampsia?”
“Yes, in the end, but just a mild case.”
“Hmmmm.”
“What?”
“Are you going to have an OB consult?”
“If my midwife thinks it necessary, yes.”
He nodded. “Right.”
Right? “Since when do you know so much about…everything?”
“Since you told me you were pregnant.” He tucked his phone away. “Evie, I’m an information junkie. There’s nothing about your pregnancy that I’m not going to want to research.”
“Wait until I start bitching to you about being horny in a few months.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized who she was speaking to.
He tucked his thumbs into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, a grin dancing across his face. “The second trimester, right?”
“How do you know that?” She cringed as she heard her voice pitch up at the end. This conversation was not going at all how she’d expected. She was coming off like a nutbar and he was Mr. Know-it-all. She could not take another eight months of this. And then eighteen years after that… “Have you already researched daycare options as well?”
“No, of course not. I’ll do that closer to whenever we need daycare. Do you anticipate that’ll be soon after birth?”
She needed him to settle down. Like, completely. She held up one hand and bowed her head.
“Too much?”
“Way too much.”
He stepped back and angled his head toward the door. She nodded and followed him out of the kitchen.
At the front door, he started to speak, but cut himself off. She reached out and touched her hand lightly to his chest. Something flashed in his eyes, but she couldn’t figure it out before it disappeared again and Mr. Easy returned. She knew it was a mixed signal, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Thank you for being patient with me.”
He shook his head. “That’s not something to thank me for.”
“Yeah, well. I appreciate it nonetheless.”
Again, he shook his head, but cut himself off from responding further. Instead he reached out and squeezed her hip. The oddly intimate act made her chest squeeze tight, and she pressed her hand more firmly against him. Two points of contact. She’d set the rules, this was all they could have.
It wasn’t enough, and they both knew it.
CHAPTER SIX
“Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom.” Max took a deep breath. “Mom!”
“Mmmm?”
“She’s got stuff on her mind, buddy.”
That got her attention. “Connor, I don’t have anything on my mind.” Lying to her children. Great plan.
“Then are you just ignoring Max?” Ooooh, the cheek. He wasn’t wrong, but still. She gave Connor a hairy eyeball, and he turned his attention back to his dinner.
“I’m sorry, Maxster. What did you want to tell me?”
“Ask.”
“Ask?”
“I want to ask you something,
From the look on his face, he was definitely concerned at the very least.
“What do you mean, bedrest?”
Oh. Again, with the nice and understanding. “ARGH!”
“Was it something I said?”
“It was everything you said, and everything you didn’t. Why aren’t you freaking out?”
“I’m sure I’m freaking out. On the inside. Deep down, buried under years of WASPy training by my mother. But my whiplash reaction to becoming a father is secondary to actually becoming a father, right? That’s going to happen. So I’d rather not get to that point and be unprepared. Or, god forbid, get to that point before that thing—” he pointed at her stomach “——is ready to come out. So…bedrest?”
“Uhm…I had high blood pressure with my first pregnancy. It’s part of what lead me to a healthier lifestyle, and I didn’t have any problems with my second pregnancy.”
He was nodding, but his attention had shifted to his iPhone. He was alternating between tapping and scrolling with his thumb, and after a minute he glanced up. “Pre-eclampsia?”
“Yes, in the end, but just a mild case.”
“Hmmmm.”
“What?”
“Are you going to have an OB consult?”
“If my midwife thinks it necessary, yes.”
He nodded. “Right.”
Right? “Since when do you know so much about…everything?”
“Since you told me you were pregnant.” He tucked his phone away. “Evie, I’m an information junkie. There’s nothing about your pregnancy that I’m not going to want to research.”
“Wait until I start bitching to you about being horny in a few months.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized who she was speaking to.
He tucked his thumbs into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, a grin dancing across his face. “The second trimester, right?”
“How do you know that?” She cringed as she heard her voice pitch up at the end. This conversation was not going at all how she’d expected. She was coming off like a nutbar and he was Mr. Know-it-all. She could not take another eight months of this. And then eighteen years after that… “Have you already researched daycare options as well?”
“No, of course not. I’ll do that closer to whenever we need daycare. Do you anticipate that’ll be soon after birth?”
She needed him to settle down. Like, completely. She held up one hand and bowed her head.
“Too much?”
“Way too much.”
He stepped back and angled his head toward the door. She nodded and followed him out of the kitchen.
At the front door, he started to speak, but cut himself off. She reached out and touched her hand lightly to his chest. Something flashed in his eyes, but she couldn’t figure it out before it disappeared again and Mr. Easy returned. She knew it was a mixed signal, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Thank you for being patient with me.”
He shook his head. “That’s not something to thank me for.”
“Yeah, well. I appreciate it nonetheless.”
Again, he shook his head, but cut himself off from responding further. Instead he reached out and squeezed her hip. The oddly intimate act made her chest squeeze tight, and she pressed her hand more firmly against him. Two points of contact. She’d set the rules, this was all they could have.
It wasn’t enough, and they both knew it.
CHAPTER SIX
“Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom.” Max took a deep breath. “Mom!”
“Mmmm?”
“She’s got stuff on her mind, buddy.”
That got her attention. “Connor, I don’t have anything on my mind.” Lying to her children. Great plan.
“Then are you just ignoring Max?” Ooooh, the cheek. He wasn’t wrong, but still. She gave Connor a hairy eyeball, and he turned his attention back to his dinner.
“I’m sorry, Maxster. What did you want to tell me?”
“Ask.”
“Ask?”
“I want to ask you something,
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