Page 50 of Pumpkin
“This afternoon?” he repeated, pulling on his shirt. “My PT has me on walker-only right now after I was a bad boy and ditched my cane.” He made a face. “So my activities are limited, but if you’re free, I’d love to meet JJ. Officially, I mean.”
Dosia shook her head, trying to clear it. It was easier to get her thoughts together now that his clothes were back on. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat and repeated more firmly, “Yes. That’ll be fine. How about you and SJ join us for dinner? I’ll clear the others out and it’ll just be the four of us.”
He gave her a half-smile. “Sounds like a plan. Want me to pick up a pizza or something on the way?”
Dosia nodded. “That’d be great. Neither of us are picky, so whatever toppings you get is fine with us.”
“Will do. I’ll text you when we’re on our way.” He grabbed for hiswalker, and she saw his shoulders slump in defeat. “Christ, I hate this fucking thing.”
“Use it,” she encouraged, gathering up her clothes. “If not for yourself, then for your kids. They need you whole and healthy, Pumpkin.”
He reached for her, placing two fingers under her chin. She nearly dropped her clothing in shock. He studied her for a long moment, his dark eyes intense like he was searching for something. She had no idea what he was looking for, but he must have found it, because he suddenly dropped his hand and gave her a single nod.
“Get dressed. I can’t unlock the door until you do.”
Dosia scooted out of the way so he could pass her with his walker. Her clothes clutched to her chest, she watched his back as he slowly made his way to the door. Utter disappointment hit her like a tidal wave. She’d gotten what she’d wanted, and yet, itwasn’twhat she wanted. Maybe. By the gods, she didn’t know. Which meant she made the right decision. She wasn’t in the correct mindset to commit to anything, and yet, fuck, it hurt that he hadn’t fought for her. Forthem.
And despite that he was coming over for dinner, when she was dressed and he finally was able to walk out of her bookstore, it felt like he was walking out of her life.
Her shoes still scattered around, Dosia collapsed back onto her couch and covered her face with her hands. She had no idea what to do. Her instinct was to call Calliope, but she refrained, not ready to talk to her aunt yet. So she ended up just sitting here, in her customer-less store, feeling like she’d just gained and lost a partner in one fell swoop.
CHAPTER 10
Pumpkin balanced the pizza boxes and SJ on his hip as he lifted his hand to the doorbell. It was a good thing he’d dropped Dosia off the other night—otherwise he would have had to have gotten Keys involved to avoid the awkwardum, where do you live?text after leaving the bookstore earlier.
Dosia was fooling herself if she thought removing sex from their relationship would make it any less intimate. He could understand, and sympathize, with her cold feet. Theyweremoving fast. He agreed to her stipulation for one reason, and one reason only: it didn’t change a damn thing.
She hadn’t said they would never see each other again. All she’d done was remove sex from the equation, and while that was a bit disappointing, it wasn’t end-of-world shattering. Couples went through dry spells all the time. Mind, he’d never planned on being one of them, nor were they going to be once she lifted the no-sex ban. On the other hand, he could admit that she had a point. Sex had a way of distracting them. They’d barely lasted ten minutes in their conversation before clothing started to fly.
So while his brain was trying to convince his cock that this could be a good thing and strengthen their relationship prior to him gettinga ring on her finger, his heart was planning for battle. Dosia had feelings for him. He knew it, even if she denied it. The plan was simple: over the next several weeks, he would be a good little boy and co-parent with her, use the time to get to know Dosia and their daughter, and cement himself so completely into their lives that Dosia couldn’t imagine life without him in it.
He could be romantic without sex. It would be a test of his patience, and likely his right hand would be raw by the time he had her back in his bed, but he could do it. Additionally, if he was beingtechnical, he also hadn’t been cleared for sex by his doctors. Despite the fact that he felt amazing after that afternoon, he currently had a slight twinge in his back and right leg that he recognized as not being normal. It grated against every nerve in his body to admit that, maybe, just maybe, the doctors knew what they were talking about.
Maybe.
It was nothing short of a miracle that he hadn’t broken his spine in the accident. The doctors attribute that saving grace to the heavy rain they’d been experiencing that time of year and how soft the ground was where he landed. His traumatic brain injury wasn’t something a doctor could slap a cast on and say “see you in four to six weeks”. The coma they’d put him in had given the swelling in his brain time to naturally decrease over having to endure yet another surgery. A good part of his current balance problems could be attributed to his TBI over his broken legs. So while he was cleared for ‘sharps and knives’, he hadn’t been cleared for sex yet.
There was a slight possibility he was good to go and the doctors just hadn’t mentioned it yet because he was single and hadn’t been sexually active prior to his accident. Either way, it would be something he would be discussing with his primary at his next appointment, to which he also planned on having Dosia go with him.
They could make a not-date out of it.
Pumpkin was planning on having a lot of not-dates in their future too, both with and without kids.
Dosia opened the front door—and gaped. “You do know that a dinner invitation isn’t an invitation to move in, right?”
Pumpkin chuckled and handed the pizza boxes over to her. “I’m sure you remember how much stuff babies require, and I figured JJ was too old for you to have some of the essentials.” Keeping one hand on his walker and the other still holding SJ, Pumpkin guided himself into her grandparents’ home. “This is Darrin. He’s a prospect for the club and my pack-mule.”
Darrin gave Dosia a single nod. “Ma’am.”
Dosia raised an eyebrow as she watched Darrin carry a pack-n-play, a high chair, a diaper bag, a bag of toys, and an ocean-themed bouncer seat up her front stoop. “Prospect?”
“He’s not an official club member yet,” Pumpkin explained as they watched Darrin try to squeeze through the doorframe. “We have other not-so-kid-friendly words for them too, but I’m keeping it Rated G tonight.”
Dosia chuckled, shaking her head. “Let me put these in the kitchen and then I’ll take SJ for you. Is Darrin staying for dinner too?”
“Of course not,” Pumpkin scoffed. “He’s going to help set things up and then he’ll leave until I call him back.”
Dosia paused for a second and then turned back around. “You can’t drive yet, can you?”
