In the meantime, Matt had hardly left my side. It was like he anticipated my every need before I even knew I needed it. The few times that he was gone, he was either working at the pub or being strangely secretive about some mysterious outings. I asked him about it, but he simply said it was a surprise.
I hated surprises.
So, I stood outside of my apartment waiting for him to pick me up. It was mid-August, and I was fourteen weeks pregnant and hot as the dickens. A heatwave was passing through Mayflower, and I was not a fan.
I glanced at my watch. It was still morning. I’d already had breakfast, but my stomach was rumbling again. These babies were always hungry, but what did I expect, given who their father was?
Matt pulled up next to the curb in a massive pickup truck. Before I could even touch the door handle, he hopped out and jogged around the hood to open the door.
“You’re late.” I leveled a stare at him.
It must be nature’s way to prepare a woman for motherhood by making her have to go to the bathroom all night long. Being sleep deprived, hungry, and hot all at the same time was making me cranky as a mama bear, and I didn’t even have any cubs yet.
“Aye, lass, but when ye see what’s inside, ye’ll forgive me.” He held out his hand and I slid mine into his as I stepped onto the foot running board. My sandal had barely touched the step when he gave my bottom a boost with his other hand.
I let out a little yelp, and he boomed a big hearty laugh of delight then closed the door with a resounding thud. The man was like a grizzly bear. He ran around the hood once more and slid into the driver’s side with ease then held up a bag for me.
“What’s that?” I eyed him curiously.
“A morning snack.” He winked, and just like that, I forgave him.
The aroma wafting out of the bag had me salivating. I snatched the bag from him and peeked inside. Warm bagels with cream cheese, a cup of fruit, and herbal tea. I looked up at him with misty eyes as I sighed the words, “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
He blinked, his lips parting slightly.
My heart skipped a beat and I quickly added, “The babes love you, I mean.” I laughed a little too hyena-ishly.
He chuckled. “Now that we’ve clarified that, are ye ready to find out what yer surprise is, lass?”
“At this point I would say yes to anything,” I answered, before biting into my heavenly delight and moaning my appreciation.
“Music to me ears.” He slid the gearshift into drive, and off we went.
Fifteen minutes later, on the outskirts of town, we pulled into the driveway of an adorable ranch. It was a dove gray with white trim and a lovely front porch. Matt cut the engine and hopped out of the truck, jogging around to open my door before I could even wipe my hands after my delicious snack. He placed his big hands on both sides of my waist and easily lifted me down, no running boards necessary.
“Thank you, but I’m not entirely helpless you know.” I sighed.
“Sorry,” he said with a grin. “Force of habit.”
I rolled my eyes. “So, whose house are we at anyway?” I fanned my cheeks from the early morning heat already. It was going to be a hot one.
“Ours.” Matt nodded once, looking very similar to when he’d proposed. No question, just stating a face as if it were set in stone.
My hand stopped moving, and my heart started to pound. “Excuse me?” Living with McShamrock was not an option.
“I have another proposition for ye.” His eyes sparkled.
I dropped my arm to my side, letting my walls slide back into place to guard my heart. “Matt…”
He held up his hands. “It’s not what ye think. Just hear me out, lass. Please? For the sake of the wee babes.”
“The babes card? Really?”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a desperate man.”
He was sure something. I blew out a breath and crossed my arms while I still could. “Like I have a choice to do anything else. It’s not like I’m going anywhere at the moment. No wonder you kept this a secret.”
He ignored my response and dove right into his explanation. “Yer apartment is going to get a lot more difficult to climb those stairs when ye are in yer last trimester. Not to mention carrying two infant carriers up and down stairs plus diaper bags and strollers is going to be exhausting.”
He had a point. I used to be able to jog up my stairs no problem, but lately, I was so winded by the time I reached the top. “I’m listening.”
“So, I found this house fer rent. It’s perfect. All on one floor, not too far from town, and it’s four bedrooms. Plenty of room fer us all.”
“Wait…there is no us all.” My tummy fluttered, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t the babies as I hadn’t felt them move yet. “Besides, I don’t take charity, and like I’ve said before, I am more than capable of providing for myself and the babies.”
“Aye, lass, I’m not saying ye are not. Ye promised to hear me out, remember?” He looked me in the eyes with sparkling blue orbs I found hard to resist.
“Fine, go on.”
He shrugged. “That’s where me proposition comes in. I say we both rent out our apartments to friends or family members, while we move in here together and share the expenses fer one year. Then we can reevaluate at that time.”
An entire year of living together?
I didn’t know if I could resist him, let alone worrying about him resisting me. I cleared my throat. “I told you no romance.” My words sounded weak to my own ears.
“And there won’t be any,” he said far too easily.
Why was I annoyed when this was my idea?
