Page 76 of A Baby for the Firefighter
Silly question. “How could I forget?” Griff had blown my mind that night.
He gave me a shy smile. God, he was so adorable I wanted to wrap him in my arms. But I also wanted him to finish speaking before we did anything else.
“Do you also remember how we… kind of sort of didn’t use a condom?”
I blinked. We hadn’t, had we? In the heat of the moment I hadn’t really paid it any mind, but sitting here with Griff, a cool breeze caressing my skin, the full weight of our actions finally hit me.
Griff needed to tell me something. And it was related to the fact that we hadn’t bothered to use a condom.
I swallowed.
“What are you trying to say?”
I knew, of course, but I couldn’t believe it.
Griff licked his lips. “I’m pregnant,” he said, and then, in true Griff fashion, he rambled on. “Like I said, that’s good news to me, but I wasn’t sure how you were going to feel about it. We’re going to be parents! That’s big! But I know that we can do it! Probably. I think.”
“You’re pregnant?” That one sentence played in my mind on repeat. It was going to take me another minute or two to move on from it, even as Griff rambled. There were so many different emotions wrestling for attention inside of me. I wanted to hug Griff, and the whole world! But at the same time, I also wanted to throw up a little bit. I felt like the ground was slowly dissolving underneath my feet.
Something else that Griff had said stuck with me.
We were going to be parents, Griff and I. Together.Oh God.We were going to be parents.
“Dean?”
I snapped back to reality when Griff blew some bubbles into my face. That little…! I grabbed the bottle from him and tried to blow some bubbles athimtoo. But the wind worked against me and threw them back in my face.
Griff burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help myself either. We were going to have a baby! How could we, when we hardly qualified as grown-ups ourselves?
But somehow, I knew that we were going to be fine. I was going to do the best I could to protect Griff and the baby to the end of the world.
“How long have you known?” I asked. “Have you told anyone else?”
“I’ve known for a few days. Not long. I’ve only told Eli.”
A smile found its way onto my lips. Of course he’d told Eli. It was good that Griff could rely on his family, though. Even if it was only part of his family.
“This is so exciting.” I took a deep breath.
“It is, isn’t it?” Griff’s voice sounded hopeful.
“Yeah.” I drew him into my arms, where he fit like he was made for me, and kissed him. “I’ve always wanted to have a child someday, and I couldn’t imagine anyone better to have it with.” Besides, the thought that Griff was carrying my child appealed to my alpha instincts in a big way. I’d put my seed into him and he was mine now. Truly mine. What could be better? His belly was going to grow, and I couldn’t wait to see him heavy with child. That image excited me more than I wanted to admit.
“Good.” Griff laughed against my neck, blowing warm breath on my skin. “Now we only have to tell my parents.”
I kissed the top of his head. “Sure thing.”
I wasn’t scared of his parents. What could they do?
32
Dean
Iwas goingto be a dad. The news still made my head spin when I got home late the next day and Conner’s puppy greeted me at the door. A baby dog. I was going to have a baby human soon. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Griff was having my baby. I wish I could say that I’d gotten used to the idea at least a little, but it was still novel and exciting and a little bit overwhelming.
“You really milked every last minute you could stay in the woods, didn’t you?” My cousin turned to me when I picked the puppy up and walked into the living room.
“Gotta make use of the time we got,” I replied without shame. It had been good to be away from watchful eyes and out of earshot. Griff said his parents were probably going to move into an aunt’s summer cottage when his dad was released from the hospital, so we’d have Griff’s place to ourselves in a little while. Not soon enough, though. I didn’t mind Griff’s mother, but her son got very shy when she was around, and I’d waited long enough to be with him. Even my patience knew ends.
