Who's the Daddy (Crescent Cove 3)

“What is he doing here, Kel?”

I swallowed. “I texted him.”

“Why?” Dare shook his head. “Today of all days? Are you kidding me right now?”

I stepped toward him, but again, he sidestepped my touch, folding his arms. “I had to. Seeing all this happen today with the baby and then with us and our conversation in the car. I had to. It wasn’t fair that I hadn’t told him yet.”

I glanced at Tommy.

Tommy’s gaze pingponged between me and Dare. “I’m not sure what I’m walking into here. All you said was we had to talk and then you said you were at the hospital. Are you okay?” He looked me up and down. “Are you wearing a…” Tommy tipped his head. “Is that a wedding dress?”

“Yes, it’s a fucking wedding dress. She’s my goddamn wife.”

“Wife?” Tommy’s shocked eyes were almost comical.

Almost.

Because my husband was about to rip someone’s head off and I was pretty sure it might be mine. Okay, no, he wouldn’t. I didn’t know Dare as well as I wanted to, but there was one thing I knew. He’d never hurt me, no matter how mad he was.

And holy crap, was he mad. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him so angry. Even the day at Macy’s, he’d been annoyed and possibly ready to throw a punch, but not like this.

Not pop-a-blood-vessel angry.

I straightened my shoulders and stalked up to my husband, ignoring Tommy’s wide open mouth. “Yes, I texted him. But I didn’t think he was coming here.” I lifted my hands to cup Dare’s face and he flinched.

Part of me wanted to back up and flee. God, I hated any sort of conflict. Things between us were still so tenuous. So very unsure. But he deserved more. And knowing a little about his past, I knew I owed it to him to never ever lie. And for him to know he was the one who mattered most.

Even if I was spilling the beans about my—no, our—baby. I’d been saying our baby for days now because it was true. It was ours regardless of the actual DNA strands doing their thing inside my body.

“Dare, I had to tell him about the baby.”

“Baby?” Tommy took two giant steps back.

Dare frowned at me, his beautiful blue eyes hard and flat. I smoothed my fingers through his beard. “It was right to tell him. But it doesn’t matter. You said that to me. It doesn’t matter because it’s our baby. We’re going to raise it and make a family. And maybe even have more babies.”

Just a few minutes ago, I was so scared to have this child. Truly and utterly terrified to endure that kind of pain, but I was positive I’d do it again for him. It didn’t matter to me if this was Dare’s baby by blood, it was his in love. But if he wanted another one, I’d certainly give it to him.

The knowledge of it should have put me on my knees.

It was too fast.

Everything about me and Dare was too fast, but God, I loved him. And even now I knew it was only going to get stronger.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I didn’t think he’d show up here. I just thought we’d go and talk about it. That we could go together even.”

Maybe I hadn’t really thought that far, but saying it didn’t make it any less true. I’d impulsively texted Tommy that I had to talk to him about something, but I hadn’t done it maliciously. “I’d never go behind your back.” I touched my forehead to Dare’s chin. I didn’t quite reach him in the flats I’d changed into.

The anger seemed to drain out of him slowly. His arms came around me until he was crushing me against his chest.

“Dammit, Kel.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I swear it. I was just overwhelmed with the baby stuff in there and then us getting married.”

“I thought you wanted to marry me.”

“I do, but not like this. Not like it was a checklist. And I know I should have said something, but you’re being so supportive and wonderful. I don’t want you to feel like you’re trapped—”

“I’m not feeling trapped. I just don’t want you to leave.”