Finished here. You about done?
He tapped back that he’d leave in five and tucked his phone away again.
“I’m heading out,” he announced. “Call me if you have any issues.”
“Will do.” River gave him a curt nod.
With a slap on the other guy’s back, Seth left his office and headed to the hospital.
As soon as the doctor jumped into his SUV, Seth steered down the freeway toward his apartment.
“I’m damn glad we convinced Heavenly to come back with us,” Beck said.
“Yeah, temporarily,” Seth spat.
“Don’t go there. We’ll convince her to stay permanently because we can give her what she wants—belonging, love, and a sense of family.”
“I’m all for that.” Seth paused. “But we don’t need a bigger family right now, so we should get her on birth control ASAP. Besides, I fucking hate condoms.”
“I wouldn’t know what sex without one feels like.”
So Beck had never done the monogamy thing?
“It’s”—Seth’s lips quirked in a grin—“nice.”
“And pleasant?” Beck teased, tongue in cheek. “I wouldn’t mind doing without one either. But I’m not against expanding our family. I love the thought of Heavenly carrying our child.”
“Right now? Are you out of your mind?”
“You can’t picture her belly all round and ripe with—”
“No. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Beck cocked his head. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I won’t knock her up to trap her into staying with us.”
“Who said anything about trapping her? Christ, man. Don’t get your boxers in a twist. We wouldn’t get her pregnant without her consent.”
“Which isn’t coming. She just spent years caring for her dad. Now she wants to spread her wings so badly, she’s halfway out the door,” Seth bit out. “How would she feel if she got knocked up and took our kid with her?”
“Look, you and I already decided to do whatever it takes to make her happy. If we manage that, she won’t leave.”
Seth wasn’t convinced. “A baby won’t make her happy, man. She needs to finish school, not for us to tie her down.”
“I’m not saying we plant our seed tonight. But neither of us is getting any younger. I still want to be able to teach our kids how to surf, bungee jump, play baseball—that kind of shit—while I can.”
“You talk like you’ll be in a wheelchair next week,” Seth drawled. “We can still do those things ten years from now.”
“Ten years?” Beck barked, horror written all over his face. “Fuck that. I’ll be forty-six. I’m talking a year, two at the most. Is having kids a problem for you?”
This conversation was. “It’s not about me. After school, Heavenly wants to work. What about that?”
“We’ll hire a nanny. It’s not like we don’t have the money.”
Seth shook his head. “You’re pushing. She needs to settle in and find that sense of home you talked about. Then we need to make sure she knows she’s loved. After that, if she commits, maybe we talk about kids someday.”
Beck studied him with a piercing stare. “Why are you really against getting her pregnant?”