Page 68 of Bad Boy for Hire
But this time he could see what was coming. He had a chance to plan ahead and prove his worthiness. Prove that he could make a life not only for himself but for his child and for May. This time around, he could get out ahead of it. Create structure, even if they were doing everything out of order.
Point was, he had a plan. And with him overseeing the details, there was zero chance of things going sideways.
“We’re good.” Xavier cleared his throat. “I’ve got everything under control.”
Ant gave him a side-eye. “Uh-huh. Just don’t forget to loop her in.” A beat later, he asked, “Did you tell your parents yet?”
“Hell no, that can wait.” The last thing Xavier needed was unsolicited advice from Fred and Patricia.
“I said it before, I will say it again. I am happy for you, man. I know this wasn’t planned, but some of the most beautiful things in life are unplanned. Look at me and Lou.”
He wasn’t wrong. Ant had loved Lou a long time before he was able to win her heart.
“You have family man written all over you. You’ll be fine.”
“I appreciate that.”
Sure, the pregnancy had come as a shock, but this was May. A whip-smart, beautiful, slightly challenging, completely erotic experience. There was no one he’d rather end up in this situation with than her.
That being said…
“Not sure I’ll be marching down the aisle anytime soon.”
Ant let that comment float around for a beat. “You don’t have to do that either,” he finally said. “Lots of people have babies and don’t get married.”
Xavier wasn’t a commitment-phobe, but marriage was heavy. Thorny. More so than fatherhood.
“Giving her a key to the house makes sense,” Xavier reassured himself. “It’s a good step forward.”
“Very logical.”
Xavier couldn’t tell if Ant was being sarcastic or not, but he didn’t have a chance to ask. May and Lou were coming over to meet them.
“Hey,” he said when she stood next to him.
“Hello.”
That was formal. He lifted his arm, relieved when she allowed him to wrap it around her waist. Next to them, Ant and Lou embraced, talking low to each other. Maybe Xavier had misread May’s tone.
But before he could relax into that notion, she dropped a nuclear bomb of a question. “Are you…happy?”
“Am I…happy? Like with our primo spot for the concert? Or in general?”
Stoic, she blinked at him.
“I know what you meant.” He took a drink of beer to give him a moment to collect himself. He hadn’t seen that question coming. “Yeah.”
“Yeah?” She raised her eyebrows.
“I mean…yeah. I know we didn’t plan this, but I’m cool with it.”
“You’re cool with it,” she repeated. “Hmm.”
Well, that wasn’t good.
“What about you?” Asking was abandoning his own sense of self-preservation, but he doubted she’d let him change the subject. “Are you? Happy? With everything?”
She kept her eyes on the stage and let him wriggle like a fish for a solid minute. “I’m good. Mostly.”
