Page 48 of Hitched

“Well, Caleb, marriage isn’t all I’m not afraid of anymore. The second I met Peg that whole mom aversion thing I had before, well, it evaporated.”

I smile. “Before I met her you couldn’t pay me to interact with a child. And now I’m adopting her. I can relate, baby.”

“But doesn’t the thought of being a da scare the hell out of you? I mean, most men would run for the hills.”

I frown. “No. Not with Peg. And not with you, Laney. Even if you aren’t with child, raising Peg with you, well, the thought couldn’t make me happier. That’s why I wanted Gretchen to bring Peg closer to me for so long. I wanted to be the da she never had, as sappy as that sounds. I’ve known her since she was a wee bairn, and I always tried to be that for her, as much as I could. That little angel deserves nothing less.”

“And if I am pregnant, Caleb? How is this all going to fit in?”

I pull her close to me again. “Laney, it fits in however you want it to. I love you and I want you to be happy, no matter what. We’ve established that raising Peg together will make us both happy, so we just need to figure out if having our own bairn will also make us happy.”

“Will it make you happy?” She asks, voice cracking with emotion.

“Laney, anything that makes me closer to you makes me happy, but only if it makes you happy, too.”

She takes some time to digest that, as I hold her to me. We stand there, just embracing one another, until Brandy returns with the test. She hands the paper bag to Laney. “Do you want me to stay or is it better if I leave while you two do this?”

Laney swallows. “If it’s okay with Caleb, I’d like you to stay. You’re my best friend.”

I look at Brandy and frown, nodding. “What Laney wants is what I want, Brandy. You’re more than welcome to stay.”

God love her. Brandy takes Laney’s hand and leads her into the downstairs bathroom. She closes the door while I offer a warm, but a thin-lipped smile. Laney is terrified. It tears my heart out. I hear them opening the box, and then it gets quiet, while she does her thing. A moment later, the door opens, and Laney seems to have gained some of her bearings back, as she lifts a hand and with soft eyes and a warm smile, she says. “Let’s give it a minute.”

“Okay, baby.” I smile. “You okay?”

She draws in a deep breath and lets it out. “I’m fine. It’s crazy, but as I was peeing on the stick, I was thinking to myself, you know, I’ve signed billion dollar deals with the hardest men on the planet, I’ve helped my da build up the family business to what it is, and I did it with integrity, I can certainly handle this.”

I grin at her. “There’s my girl.”

Brandy pats her on the back. “And let’s not forget the friggin army of help that you’ll have, too, Laney. Both of your families are going to be over the moon if this test is positive. God, that kid will need for nothing.” She scoffs.

Laney looks at me. “Caleb, your da is nothing like what I thought he would be, you know.”

I snort a laugh. “That’s all you, Laney. Trust me.”

Brandy interjects. “What, you mean he’s only all nice and sweet when Laney is around? I thought you said that he didn’t tear a strip out of you earlier?”

“He didn’t. I’m saying that since he met Laney earlier, it’s like he’s a changed man. I never known my da to be like this.”

“It’s not me, Caleb. It’s Peg. She’s had that effect on all of us.”

“Laney, if you recall, the moment you walked into his office, before he even knew about Peg, he was on his best behavior. It’s you, Bonnie. He adores you.”

“And you’re sure it’s not because he knows that I’m the CEO of his rival financial business?” She asks, but not with the cutting tone that I would expect. It’s more with a warm, yet speculative tone.

“I think it’s more because he senses that you’re carrying his first grandchild. And also because he sees how happy you make me, Laney.” I take her in my arms and hold her close. “Whatever happens, I’m so glad that we have each other, and that things seem to be falling into place.”

“Get back to me in nine months when her water breaks.” Brandy says with a playful scoff.

I figured Laney would freak out at the comment, but instead, she lifts her head from my shoulder, and slaps Brandy playfully. “Not helping. You wait until it’s your turn and see how it feels.”

“Alright, fine, fine.” Brandy tuts. “Shall we go see what the future holds?”

I pull Laney close. “I already know what the future holds.” I kiss her on the mouth. She kisses me back, smiling warmly.

“Yeah. The world’s most expensive fucking nanny.” Brandy says.

We both look at each other and laugh, as Brandy goes inside the bathroom and lifts the test stick. “Alright, will you have one baby to look after, or two?” She says teasingly, twiddling the stick between her thumb and index finger.

---