“Yeah. No. Not happening.” He gritted his teeth. Leave it to Kiersten to come up with the most impersonal solution possible to their predicament. But he had a different plan. One that just might give him the chance to show her he could be trusted. And they could build a future as more than two friends with a baby. “I have a slightly unusual idea but I think it’s a good one.”
She blinked at him. “Do tell.”
“We move in together,” he said, holding his hand up when she opened her mouth to protest, “as friends and co-parents. I’m obviously not going anywhere, nor leaving your life, and we’re both single. So…we live together. I’ll be there to help with feedings and diapers and all that other parenting crap—but we keep our hands off of each other, like we should have done all along.”
She raised a brow and folded her arms across her chest. “Somehow, I don’t think we can do that. Not after what happened between us last time.”
His c**k twitched just thinking about that night but he stubbornly ignored it. He took a deep breath. If he played this wrong, she would refuse him. He had to make her think he didn’t want her anymore. “Sure we can,” he said.
“Oh? And what about Chris? Your job? The team?”
Garrett froze. Shit. He hadn’t thought about that. “Uh…”
“Yeah. Uh.” She let out a frustrated breath, her eyes shooting fire at him. “We can’t just swoop in and make all these decisions without thinking of other people. I have a kid to think about.”
“Yeah. And so do I.” He gave a pointed glance at her stomach. “The school doesn’t have any anti-dating policies between parents and teachers. Besides, the school year is almost over. I won’t be his teacher anymore after that.”
“But you’ll still be his coach again next year.”
He shrugged. “Once again, no rules against it. Parents coach their kids all the time. They’re usually the best kids on the team, so it’s fitting here.”
“But he’s not your kid,” she said, her hands tight on the table edge. “He’s mine.”
He stood, anger making him see red. “And you’re fine all by yourself? Don’t need me?”
“Yeah.” She lifted her chin. “I don’t need anyone.”
“Well guess what?” He pulled her to her feet and she wobbled for a bit. He didn’t drop her hands even once she steadied herself. “You didn’t make this baby by yourself. You needed my help that night. And you need it now, too. You can’t push me away this time.”
She tried to pull free of his hold but he didn’t let go. “I never said you should stay out of our life. But why should I let you move in with me? What good would that possibly do?”
“Wouldn’t that look better for Chris? To see a good father figure in his life?” He let go of her hand and tilted her face up to his. “One who won’t ever leave him? Or you? Don’t you want that for him?”
Her jaw softened, and she shifted on her feet. “Of course I do. But things like that never actually work out.”
He flexed his jaw. “I will not leave you, or him. Or our baby. I can be a father to them both, Kiersten. A man they can rely on to never abandon them.”
“But you said,” she said in a quiet voice, stealing a glance at him, “you thought you could love me. How could we possibly move in together, and not have something get in the way?”
He shrugged, and mentally prepared himself to tell the biggest lie he’d ever told. Funny how just months before, he’d been swearing to himself he wouldn’t lie to her. But drastic circumstances called for drastic measures. Or some bullshit like that. “I’m over it. I’m smart enough to see a lost cause when it’s staring me in the face. You don’t want me. That’s fine. But there’s no reason we can’t be roommates of sorts and raise this baby together.”
She studied him, her eyes intent on his face. He swore he saw something that looked like regret cross her features but he must have imagined it. What would she have to regret? He stared back at her with what he hoped was a calm, collected expression on his face. He could only pray his tension wasn’t showing.
“You make it sound so simple,” she mumbled. She turned away from him and traced an invisible pattern on the table. Probably 911 because she was panicking right now. He could see it in her eyes. “So you would be a father figure to Chris? Be there to help him with homework and play basketball—but not want anything else from me? No strings or feelings involved?”
He flinched, but quickly smoothed his features over. She didn’t need to know how hard it would be to follow through with that last part. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
She faced him again, nibbling on her lower lip. “What if you find some woman you want to sleep with? I don’t want whores hanging around the house with Chris or our baby, once it’s here.”
“Never. I won’t bring anyone home unless it’s serious,” he promised. “Like, marriage, serious. I care about that kid, Kiersten. I saw what Pete’s leaving did to him, too. I won’t do anything to hurt him.”
“Marriage,” she squeaked, turning an odd shade of green. “Are you planning to get married to someone sometime soon?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head. But the way she tightened her hands on the edge of the table and narrowed her eyes on him gave him pause. She looked ready to flip out. And she definitely looked jealous. “You know what I meant.”
“You swear you won’t ask me for more, or abandon us?”
He held his hand to his heart. “I do.”
“Fine. We’ll try it out,” she agreed hesitantly. She avoided his eyes. “But you need to be there for Chris, one hundred percent. He won’t be happy at first.” She pointed a finger at his chest. “And you better not break your promise. No one hurts my kid and gets away with it.”
“I won’t.”
“Yeah. That’s what they all say.” She cleared her throat and continued before he could reply. “When do you want to do this? The last month?”
Right now. “Is tomorrow good for you?” he asked.
“What? No way.” Her gaze swung back to him. “I think the last month would be best.”
“Nope.”
She wrung her hands in front of her. “The end of the school year?”