Page 20 of Reticent

“He?” His lips curve into a slow, blinding smile. It almost knocks the wind out of me. Why does he have to be so beautiful?

“Yes. It’s a boy.” I hesitantly reach for his hand and rest it on my stomach. “Do you feel that?” I put my hand over his, guiding it to the place where the movement is more pronounced.

What looks like pure joy and love crosses his features. “I do.” He raises his other hand to my stomach, then lifts his eyes to mine as if asking for permission to touch me with his other hand unsolicited.

I nod, tempering down my smile and moving my hand from his because it doesn’t need to be there anymore. I stand still, watching him stare down at my stomach as our little guy stretches for his daddy. It’s a tender moment that touches something deep inside of me and smooths away some of the sharp edges in my chest.

“Thank you,” Hunter says, dropping his hands from my stomach.

“I had some orange juice earlier. That’s probably why he’s so hyper.”

“I don’t mean that. Thank you for this—for him.”

I nod, swallowing the thickness in my throat before shifting my gaze to my neighbor’s yard. “How did you find me? I never gave you my address.”

“From your paternity application.”

I want to laugh, but I think he’s serious. “I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”

“Maybe a little. Pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”

I’m unable to smother my smile. “Do you want to come in?”

“I’d like that.”

I open the door and step aside to let him in. Jordyn is gone from her spot on the couch, but in case she’s nearby, I take him to my bedroom for privacy.

My room is probably a lot smaller than he’s used to, with my furniture taking up most of the space on the floor, but I refuse to be self-conscious about it.

“Would you like me to put this together for you?” he asks, looking at the crib parts on the floor.

“You don’t have to.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

I sit at the edge of my bed while Hunter lowers himself to the floor and grabs the instruction manual. “I’ve spoken with my lawyer about putting together a child support agreement. Regarding custody, I would like us to put a coparenting agreement in place.”

We’re getting right to it. I guess that’s to be expected. This is business. He’s not here to shoot the breeze. “It doesn’t have to be anything formal.”

“I prefer if we put everything in writing for both our benefit.”

“Do I need a lawyer?” I should have thought about this before now. I’m sure he has a boatload of lawyers on retainer to do his bidding. Should I be worried?

“If you prefer. You and I can come to a financial and custody agreement, with or without our lawyers present before we put everything in writing.”

“In terms of custody, what do you have in mind?”

“I’d like joint custody.”

Joint custody. As in 50/50? I don’t know what I expected. But not this. I guess it’s a good thing that he wants to be so involved. But I can’t help but feel a little apprehensive. He’s still a stranger to me. “Oh.”

“You sound surprised.”

“No ... Maybe a little. I can only assume how busy you are.”

“I’ll make the time. He’s my son.”