Page 103 of Bar Down Baby!
It was a baseball hat that said “dad” in tiny lowercase and a sweater I thought might look nice on him. It was not a home renovation, a new bed, and whatever the third surprise was, not even a comparison of apples to oranges, it was like trying to compare apples to dusty peanuts.
“Last one,” he said. “Promise.”
He led me out of the basement, through the house to the back door, and outside. Heading straight for the garage is when I started getting really scared.
“Please say you didn’t.”
“Okay,” Barry agreed as put his hand on the garage’s side door. “I didn’t.”
When he swung the door open, though, he absolutely fucking had.
Sitting in the middle of the garage, fitting into the old space like a princess in a barn, was a brand-new car. Kate must’ve fed him information, the little traitor, because it was exactly the one I wanted—a dusty blue crossover that would make loading in a baby much easier than my old two-door Jeep. It was perfect. And way, way too expensive.
“Barry,” I started, not even sure where to begin with the cocktail of mixed emotions going on inside me.
“Please, please accept it,” he started before I could protest. “I’ve been working hard without someone to spend money on for years, and it’s not just for you, but for your baby who, if you’ll remember, is also my baby.”
“You are so difficult,” I murmured.
“Oh Harvey, you are much more stubborn than me.”
“It’s too much,” I said, without any real fight behind it. Barry pulled his lower lip between his teeth and shook his head.
“Nothing is too much for you.”
“But—”
“Sweetheart, when will you get that I would build you a whole house from nothing? Two—three of them, whatever you want. A fleet of cars. I’ve been trying to tell you that. I would happily spend every cent I have on you. I wouldn’t bat an eye, wouldn’t ask a question.”
He grabbed my hips and pulled me as close as my baby bump would allow. The tears that had been misting in my eyes spilled over, and I swiped at my cheeks.
“Why?”
Barry shook his head.
“You know why.”
My voice fell to a whisper. “You can’t mean that.”
“How could you think I don’t?” Barry pressed his forehead firmly against mine. He couldn’t mean it, though, right? That he loved me?
Reasonably, I knew—he was right, how could I not? When he showed me every day, in every look, every gesture, every time his eyes went soft when he saw me at one of his games? Of course I knew. Everyone witheyesknew.
I stepped away from him and looked back at the car instead of responding. Peering through the back window, I saw the car seat we picked out was already installed. The car, everything about it, was perfect.
“Thank you, Barry,” I said finally. “For everything.”
Barry took a long breath, relief evident on his face that I wasn’t going to fight him on his levels of generosity like I did the last time we were in this garage together.
He didn’t press the topic of love, or us, only kissed my head and rubbed soothing paths up and down my arms.
“Merry Christmas, Hannah.” Barry pulled a pair of car keys from his pocket and held them out toward me. “What do you think, should we take it around?”
I sighed and plucked them from his palm. “You know, I guess we should.”
CHAPTER 34
EXPERT TILERS
