Page 42 of The Handy Men
"Wow," Dean said.
"No one saw. The place was empty."
"You're lucky Paige didn't walk in on that little scene."
Jack sobered. "Shit, yeah. You're right. I didn't think of it like that."
"Did she say when she'd have the results of the paternity test?"
"By tomorrow at the latest."
Dean blew out a breath. "You ready to be a dad?"
"Hell yeah. I think. How about you?"
"We'll do all right. Do you think Brendon will grow to love us?"
"Sure," Jack said. "We're likable guys. And if that doesn't work, we can get him a shitload of toys and buy his love."
"You're impossible."
A few seagulls swirled around and dove for some popcorn that had spilled on the deck.
"I'm so mad at Stephanie. All I want to do is shout at her."
Jack fidgeted uncomfortably. "She knows. I can see why she did what she did. Let's face it. Back then none of us were ready to be a threesome with a baby. Now we are."
"I heard you tell Paige you love her," Dean said, staring out at the water. “I’m glad that you’re finally over Stephanie.”
“I was over her the moment she walked out the door. I just didn’t realize it until I had lunch with her yesterday. What about you?”
"I would have been happy never seeing her again," Dean said. "I never liked how she treated you. But if one of us is Brendon's father, she's going to be in our lives. I love Paige too. It's her I want as our wife."
Jack snorted. "That will never be legal. We're lucky our union is still legal."
Dean shrugged. "I don't need a piece of paper or a ceremony. I never did." He held Jack's hand.
Jack squeezed it back. "Stephanie never touched my heart. Paige had it the moment she fought for me, fought for us. If Brendon is ours, we'll make sure Paige knows that while Stephanie is the mother of our child, she'll never be our wife. Paige is the only wife for us."
Dean hugged him. "I basically said that to her. Now she needs to hear it from you. As soon as her parents go back to New York."
The ferry blew its horn and the dock crew scrambled to prepare for its arrival.
"What do you have to pick up at home aside from a few board games?" Dean asked.
Jack flashed him a wicked grin. "I’ve got a present for Paige I've been meaning to give her."
13
Jack walked back on the ferry, he and Dean each lugging a large rolling suitcase. Dean had wanted to bring all the comforts of home, so he had their pillows and comforter in his suitcase, while Jack had the other essentials in his: their vintage Mrs. Tea, Dean's manual coffee grinder, the instant pot, massage oil, vibrators, handcuffs, and other toys.
They sat up on deck to enjoy the sunset and the Starbucks iced coffees they’d bought onboard. Jack couldn't help noticing a stacked blonde and a fussy-looking older man sitting near them. She was tapping a stylus on her tablet and he was flipping through a newspaper.
"What was she thinking?" the man said.
"I'm sure I don't know, darling," she replied, not looking up from her game.
"She's going to be homeless, and then she's going to come begging at our door."
