Page 78 of One Moment Please
“Yes,” I reply briskly and scrub my hand through my hair. “And please don’t say anything about it, okay? Kate’s already trying to warp this situation into one of her romance novels, and I don’t want pressure from anyone. Just let this be what it’s going to be.”
“Fine with me. What do I know? I’m just your big sister with tons of life experience and could maybe be of some use to you on occasion.”
“Speaking of life experience,” I interject, trying my best to change subjects. “Was Lance ever…weird about your body when you were pregnant?”
“Weird how?”
“Like…not wanting to touch your belly and stuff?” I slip my hand under my shirt to rub the engorged bump I’m sporting. I love the feel of it. Movement or not, I can’t understand why Josh isn’t as amazed by all of this.
“Um…yes,” she barks out a laugh. “He used to stare at my stomach like an alien was going to pop out any second. He was a total freak. Not to mention he completely refused to have sex with me. He thought the baby would see his penis coming—so good for you for having a guy who’ll actually do you while you’re knocked up.”
I force out a laugh as I think about how Josh has been with me recently. We’re definitely having sex, so that’s clearly not the issue. But he doesn’t even look at my belly. In fact, he acts like it’s not even there. And after he refused to feel the baby kick in the tub a few weeks ago, I’d prefer him to be like Lance and gawk rather than nothing at all.
My voice is tight when I reply, “So, it’s normal for guys to be a bit…detached. They can still make great fathers in the end?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I mean…a lot of people say that women become mothers the instant they find out they’re pregnant but guys need to see and touch the actual baby before they can really accept what’s going on.”
I sigh. “That makes sense.”
A loud crash cuts through the line. “Oh shit, Claire just knocked over my entire Tupperware of craft buttons. Dammit. I gotta go.” The line ends before I even have a chance to say goodbye.
“Who was that?” Josh asks, stepping up behind me in the kitchen as I pour more creamer into my coffee.
“My sister,” I reply cheerily as I turn, mug in hand. My eyes drift down his body as he stands before me in nothing but a pair of gray joggers. I clear my throat and focus on my thoughts. “She wants me to babysit my nieces Saturday night. I was thinking I’d bring them over here. Do you mind?”
“Of course, I don’t mind,” Josh says as he moves to stand beside me and pours himself a cup of coffee. He pins me with a serious look as he adds, “This is your house as much as it is mine.”
I narrow my eyes. “Except you still haven’t cashed any of the checks I keep giving you.”
“Can’t friends pay for shit for friends?” He turns to take a sip of his coffee giving me a nice view of his square jaw. “And besides that, you do a lot around here which certainly earns your keep.”
“Like what?”
“Um…like all the cooking.” He gestures to his belly. “I’ve gained five pounds since you moved in.”
“Maybe I’m just trying to help you work on your dad bod.” I bite my lip coyly, a warmth spreading inside me. His abs are still quite visible above his low-slung waistband.
He huffs at that, and then his face turns a bit more serious. “So, do you want me to make myself scarce Saturday? I’m off this weekend but if you want the place to yourself I can go hang with Max.”
I frown and shake my head. “No, you can be around. I might need your help and my sister kind of wants to meet you.”
His brows lift. “That sounds ominous.”
“She’s cool. Mostly.” I bite my lip, hoping he doesn’t see through my bluff.
He nods slowly. “Then sure, I’ll stick around.”
He leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead, wafting me with his delicious aftershave before taking his coffee to his bedroom where I’ve been sleeping every night.
As he walks away, I have no shadow of a doubt that Josh would still be sexy as hell even with a dad bod. I can’t wait to see him with my nieces.
Craft shit is scattered all over the dining room table, and Lynsey’s been running around for the past hour trying to make everything perfect for her two nieces. I knew she loved those little girls based on how much she’s spoken about them. But I had no idea she’d empty all of Hobby Lobby in preparation for their visit. This seems a bit extreme.
Lynsey’s in the bathroom when the doorbell rings so I head to the door to let them in. I’m greeted by a tall brunette who looks about my age. Standing on either side of her are two little blondes who are elementary school-aged.
“Holy shit,” Lynsey’s sister blurts, taking off her sunglasses to look me up and down. “Are you Dr. Dick?”
My body tenses and suddenly Lynsey’s voice peals from behind me. “Christine, this is Josh! Josh Richardson.” She clamors in front of me, shooting me an apologetic smile over her shoulder before bending to hug her nieces. “Josh this is my big-mouthed sister, Christine.”
