Page 15 of Spring Break With a Baby Daddy
“Weird.” I grin at her.
“Oh, you have no idea how weird I can be.”
Her words have images flickering though my head. Images that are definitely not PG and things I’ve never thought about before.
What the hell is it about this woman? She provokes thoughts and feelings I’ve never had, has me thinking about a future that until now was a hazy vision.
“Where did your head just go?”
I refocus on Vivi. “Um… Not sure you want to know.”
To stop her from pushing for an answer, I tug on her hand and head for the pantry. Letting go of her, I pull out what we need for a quick meal and pass each item over.
“How old is this bread?” Vivi opens the bag and looks inside. “I’m not sure there are supposed to be green bits…”
“Fuck. Really?” I try to remember the last time I went food shopping. “Fucking hell. I think that’s two weeks old.”
“Wow. Cutting away the mold and toasting what’s left won’t help then.” She bundles up the loaf and tosses it in the trash. “Okay, what crackers do you have? Cheese?”
“To be honest, I haven’t a clue what’s in the cupboard or fridge right now. I’ve been eating out a lot lately, or I’ve been at Vail’s or Quade’s.”
I’m not usually this disorganized but flying back and forth to LA and New York for the last few months to help pick up the slack from my two business partners has left my cupboards bare.
Not that I minded all the travel. In the last year they’ve both changed their priorities, and our business has taken second place to their growing families. Which is how it should be.
How it will be for me too now that I find myself taking care of a baby.
My gaze moves to Vivi as she burrows deeper into the fridge muttering to herself. Having her here eases the tightness in mychest, makes me feel like I can handle what’s happening, and puts a smile on my face.
Being around her made me smile before, but now, with a baby sleeping down the hall and the two of us putting together a meal, it makes me content in a way I’ve never been.
I hadn’t thought about my future wife—or family—they were off in the distance somewhere, waiting for me to find them.
Or for them to find me.
Vivi found me when she followed Vail and Laney home from the west coast.
And…damn, Vivi’s right, the little guy really does need a name. Something to honor his mother, but I can’t think of anything that would. Especially when all I have is her first name.
“What are you thinking about over there?”
Snapping to attention, I focus on Vivi. “About names that would honor his mother.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he needs something of her to carry with him always. Whoever she is, she loves him. Loves him so deeply she knew the best thing for him wasn’t her.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“No?”
“No. Like she said in her note, she’s got no money, or not much, and no job, no family. But if she trusted you to take care of him, why didn’t she trust you to helphertake care of him?”
“You said it before. She’s young. Her whole life ahead of her, juggling a job and raising a child on her own…” a niggle of memory tugs at my mind. “Working, taking care of a baby…”
“What? What is it? Do you remember something?” Vivi rushes over, wraps both hands around my upper arm.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I scratch the back of my head. “I can’t quite…”
