Leo laughed, and Aiden would have found it funny, too, if the joke wasn’t at Daisy’s expense.
“Don’t be crass, Dylan. The two of us had a client meeting in San Francisco a few months back,” he explained. “And one thing led to another and we slept together with the mutual understanding that it was a one-time thing.”
“Which turned into a lifetime thing,” Leo said, more solemnly now.
“Yes,” Aiden replied after swallowing another bite of his burger. “We were only together that one night, but yeah, be advised that condoms are not one hundred percent effective.”
Leo laughed. “Duly noted.”
They all went quiet again as they finished off their meals. Once they were done and their plates cleared, Leo spoke again.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, genuinely interested. “I mean, we all know you’re going to do the responsible thing and take care of the kid, but is this just a co-parenting situation or something more?”
“She’s in the mindset that we’re going into this as just co-parents, and she’s very guarded after a crappy childhood and understandably wary after falling for a guy who was married and cheating on his wife, but honestly, I’m all in,” he admitted, grateful that he could put everything out there with his brothers and have someone to talk to.
“Wow,” Dylan said, sounding a little amazed. “That’s a huge statement for someone who’s avoided committed relationships his entire adult life.”
“Things change,” Aiden said with a shrug, and he was referring to more than just a surprise pregnancy with Daisy. “I think I’ve changed. I’ve always liked Daisy, and that night in San Francisco made me see her in a whole new light. It was like a turning point in how I felt about her, from just friends and co-workers to something more. But out of respect for her, and because we both agreed that it was just that one night, I didn’t pursue her . . . even though I really wanted her. And then to find out she’s pregnant with our baby, it was like flipping a switch inside of me, from a guy who thought he was happy being a bachelor to a man who started seeing that his life and his future could be so much more.”
“Except Daisy doesn’t feel the same way,” Leo said, summing things up.
“Actually, I think she does feel something for me.” Aiden had seen enough evidence to know that their connection was more than just a physical attraction, had felt that emotional shift between them that had started in San Francisco and was heightened by the fact that they were now going to have a baby together. “Except Daisy is now gun-shy when it comes to men and afraid to trust that I’m in this for the long haul. And I’m worried that if I tell her how I feel, it’ll scare her and she’ll pull back even more. So, I’m just trying to bide my time and do my best to prove that I’m not going anywhere.”
Leo nodded in understanding. “When are you going to tell Mom?”
Their mother had just recently taken off for a three-week European cruise with a gentleman friend—who was more than a friend, in Aiden’s opinion—and he wasn’t about to break the news to her over the phone. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that his mother had always wanted to scratch off her bucket list, and he didn’t want anything to distract her from having the best time, worry free.
“I’ll tell mom when she gets back in a few weeks. It’s not like the baby is going anywhere anytime soon,” he said in a light, humorous tone. “Then maybe we can do dinner at Mom’s after that and I can introduce Daisy to the family.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Dylan said.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Leo added. “If both of you were fighting over her, then I’m sure she’s a great girl.”
“And just for the record, I won,” Aiden said, giving his computer nerd brother a smug grin. “I’ve impregnated her, so she’s definitely mine.”
“Asshole,” Dylan said, but this time he was laughing.
Chapter Eleven
Three days later, Aiden insisted on following Daisy to her apartment so she could leave her car there while he drove both of them to her first ob-gyn appointment. Both of them were equally excited at the chance to hear the heartbeat and get their first look at their baby in the ultrasound that was scheduled.
While at the office, she was all business, but now that it was just the two of them, she was much more relaxed,
and he took advantage of that fact to show her in a subtle way how he felt about her. That she meant more to him than just being his baby momma.
He slipped his hand into hers as they walked toward the building where her doctor was located, entwining their fingers casually, as if it was a natural thing for the two of them to do as a couple. The connection said that she was his to anyone who happened to glance their way, and he chalked it up to a small victory when she didn’t try and pull her hand out of his.
When they arrived at the office, Daisy filled out all the paperwork, then had to go pee in a cup so they could test her sugar and protein levels. When the nurse finally called her back for her appointment, Aiden followed without being asked, because he wasn’t going to miss out on a thing. She weighed in and groaned when the nurse informed her she’d gained another pound since they were able to compare with her regular doctor’s notes from the previous week, even though the other woman assured her that she was progressing normally.
In the exam room, Daisy sat on the table while her vitals and blood pressure were taken, and Aiden had to admit he was relieved to see that the reading was normal and that any stress she might be experiencing at work, due to either this situation or approaching deadlines, hadn’t elevated her numbers. A barrage of questions was asked, notes were typed into a computer on the counter, then the nurse told the two of them that the doctor would be in shortly.
A few minutes later, a woman who was probably in her late forties came into the room, a warm smile on her face. “Hello, I’m Dr. Lane,” she said as she did a quick look at the computer screen before glancing back at them. “It’s nice to meet you, Daisy, and I’m assuming you’re the baby’s father?” she asked, addressing Aiden.
“I’m am,” he replied with a smile, and felt ridiculously proud of that fact.
He stood next to the exam table as Dr. Lane talked to Daisy while referencing the notes in the laptop that the nurse had left for her, which included her health history. Then the other woman had Daisy lie back on the table and raise her top to just beneath her breasts and pull down her pants to right below her hips so she could measure her belly. Between those calculations and the date that Daisy gave the doctor as the day of conception, they were given a due date a little over six months from now. Dr. Lane expressed mild concern about the early bleeding that Daisy told her about, but assured them it was normal, but as a precaution the ultrasound would indicate if there were any issues.
The doctor wheeled a machine closer to the table, squirted some gel on Daisy’s stomach that she warned her would be cold—and it must have been, judging by Daisy’s gasp—then picked up the small handheld device and slid it across her stomach while looking at the screen.