The Knocked Up Plan

I’m not convinced I went balls-to-the-wall for Nicole. I took what she offered, and only what she offered. I didn’t tell her I wanted her to sweeten the deal. To offer herself, too. I sure as hell didn’t let her know that she and Papaya are a package deal, and I want the whole package.

But I shelve the thought when Flynn, his identical twin brother, Dylan, and Flynn’s divorced friend, Aaron, return with drinks and join me. We’re here to celebrate with Aaron, a stocky guy with a baby face and a good heart. Flynn holds a beer to toast his buddy. When Aaron decided he was ready to try the dating scene again, he hired the Consummate Wingman to give him advice. Naturally, the Consummate Wingman’s unofficial sidekick, Flynn, has been observing the whole time.

I raise my glass and toast. “You ready?”

Aaron smiles. “Ready or not, here I go.”

He takes a drink, inhales deeply, and sets down the glass. He gives us a farewell salute and heads to the hostess stand, then to his table to wait for his date. He’s had a crush on a woman at work, and he finally had the guts to ask her out for dinner after a few coaching sessions.

Aaron moves the linen napkin a centimeter, fiddles with a fork, peers at his watch, and looks at the door. His eyes light up, and I follow his gaze.

A blond woman with her hair in a bun walks in, scans the eatery, and sees him. She waves. He waves back.

I look at Flynn. “He’s on his own now.”

“It’s like the first day at school,” Flynn says, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

Dylan mock sniffles, pushing his black glasses up the bridge of his nose. Thank fuck he wears different colored frames than Flynn—when they’re together it’s the easiest way I can tell them apart. “He’s on the bus. We’ll have to be strong and say good-bye.”

I toss a few bills on the table, and we leave.

“You’re awesome, man,” Flynn says, as the three of us amble down the street. “You gave him the confidence he needed to get back out there.”

“To just take a risk,” Dylan seconds.

Risks. Chances. Shots.

As I consider the men surrounding me, I have to ask myself if they’re taking bigger chances than I am.

Honestly, it’s not that hard to answer.

And later, it’s not that hard to figure out what I need to do to put myself on the line.





Thirty-Eight





Nicole

My phone rings late on a Tuesday evening.

Late for me, I should say.

It’s nearly nine, and I’m tired because, well, I’m baking another person in my oven. I turn down the volume on the basketball game and grab the phone from the table. “Let us in,” Penny demands when I answer.

“You’re here?”

“Yes, buzz us in now or we’ll throw garter belts and stockings at your window.”

“Such hooligans.” A minute later, I open the door, and Penny and Delaney march into my place. Ruby barks a happy hello.

“Well, hello there,” Delaney says to me and then my dog.

“Hello there to you, too. What brings you here at this hour?”

“It’s not that late, and we love you.” Penny shuts the door behind them and coos at Ruby, who then offers a full flank for proper petting. Naturally, Penny obliges for a minute.

My friends head to my couch and take their spots. I park myself between them as Ruby sprawls on the carpet, watching us with avid interest.

Penny reaches into a canvas bag she has with her. She takes out a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. “We’re getting you buzzed first.”

“On ice cream?”

“Of course,” Delaney says. “It’s like a pregnant woman’s vodka, right?”

“I’ve no idea where that logic comes from, but I’m not turning down chocolate therapy.” I pop open the pint then stretch my arm toward the kitchen and grunt. “Can’t. Reach. Spoons. From. Here.”

Delaney rolls her brown eyes. “You only have three and a half more months to use that excuse to get us to do things for you.”

“Four months,” I mutter, thinking that Ryder probably knows precisely how many days are left.

“Besides, I brought spoons.” Delaney grabs three metal spoons from the bag, along with a huge dog bone.

I give her a look. “I know I’ve been hungry, but I’m not that hungry.”

Ruby leaps from the floor, rearranges herself into a proper sit, and stares unabashedly at the bone.

“Can I give it to her?” Delaney asks.

“You better.”

“Good girl.” Delaney offers the treat to Ruby, who returns to her bed, the bone in her jaw, and proceeds to bestow all the love in the universe on it.

I dig into the ice cream. After three bites of chocolate, I arch a brow. “Why are you here, again? Besides your boundless love of me.”

“Funny you should ask,” Penny says as she dives in for a spoonful. “We decided there’s something you need to add to your agenda tomorrow.”

“At my doctor’s appointment?”

They nod in unison, and Delaney goes next. “While you’re there, you should tell Ryder you love him.”

I nearly spit out my ice cream. “You can’t be serious?”

“Honey, you’re miserable without him,” Penny says sweetly.

I balance the pint on top of my curved belly. “Hey, look at that. No hands.”

“Nicole.” The admonishment comes from Penny.

“No, seriously.” I point with both hands to this amazing feat I’ve pulled off. “Have you ever seen a pregnant woman balance ice cream on her belly?”

Penny rolls her eyes. “I bet there are tons of YouTube videos of women balancing ice cream on their big bellies.”

I harrumph.

Delaney stares at me pointedly. “You are absolutely miserable.”

“Define miserable.”

Delaney gestures to my belly. “Balancing ice cream pints for amusement because you miss the man you were too scared to say you loved is the definition of miserable.”

I scoff.

“You do love him,” Delaney adds.

“Duh.”

“How much do you love him?” Penny asks.

I glance at my dog, chowing down on her bone. “Like a dog loves a bone.”

She smiles and claps with glee. “I love dog analogies.”

“I do, too, especially because you can’t fast-talk your way out of this,” Delaney says with a smirk. She drops a hand to my knee. “And what does a dog do with a bone?”

My eyes stray to Ruby. Her paws grip the bone fiercely. Her jaw is wrapped tight around it. I glare at them and grumble. “You two set me up for that.”

They cackle evilly.

“A dog doesn’t let go,” I answer.

Delaney squeezes my knee. “Don’t you let go, either.”

Penny pats my shoulder. “Go get your bone. Or, in this case, your man.”

“But what if he doesn’t love me back? And what if telling him I love him scares him away from the baby?” A new worry takes root. “I never thought I needed a father for my baby, but now that he wants to be involved, I don’t want to freak him out.”

Delaney shoots me a gentle smile. “If this frightens him away from the baby, then he was never going to be a great dad in the first place. And I can’t imagine a man like him would be that kind of a pansy.”

I manage a small laugh. “Pansy he is not.” But my laughter fades quickly. Delaney didn’t answer my other question, and this one gnaws at me. “What if he doesn’t love me?” My voice is tiny, stretched with the threat of tears.