Page 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Griffin’s Beach Kent

“ G racie?” Kent calls out and gives a light tap as he walks through the front door.

“Hey,” Gracie says, walking out of the hallway of her bedroom. “Did I know you were coming over?”

He shakes his head and smiles. “No, I wanted to bring you something.”

Taking the bag from his hands, she smiles. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know.”

She sets it on a side table in the living room, and she smiles when she pulls out a footprint and handprint clay kit. “This is so thoughtful.”

“I hear they grow quickly, and if he has your father’s genes, you might just forget he was ever this small.”

She laughs and nods. “That’s very true. I do hope he has my dad’s height, though. If he’s short like me, I feel bad for the kid.”

“Was his dad—”

“I’m not telling you anything about his father.”

Damn it. “Well, not all short guys have problems getting girls. The new prospect isn’t too tall, and he’s got a doting girlfriend, I hear. I haven’t officially met him yet. Just saw him.”

Gracie groans as she pulls out a biker baby onesie and shakes her head. “You won’t let this go, will you?”

“He’s a baby Drifter. Deal with it, Mom.”

Giggling, she holds up the pacifier with a mustache on it. “Okay, this one is cute.”

“I had to get it. I mean… look at it!” Kent says with a smile. “There’s one more thing in there.”

“This is to much as it is,” she says before pulling out a necklace box. Opening it, she gasps. “It’s beautiful.”

“Did you know there’s this thing called a birth flower? Because I sure as fuck did not until I saw the display. Since you and the little man share a birthday, I figured it would be a pretty good fit.”

She smiles and gingerly puts it on. “Thank you, Kent. Do you want to see him?”

“I didn’t come here to see you,” he jokes. Half-jokes.

Rolling her eyes, she leads him into her bedroom where the crib he put together sits. He’s had a longing to hold the baby since he left the hospital, and he finally feels at ease.

It’s only been a couple of weeks since he saw them, but the kid has grown so much already. Gracie puts him in Kent’s arms, and she smiles. “Meet Nolan.”

“Hey there, buddy. Nolan. Yeah, you look like you can make the name rock.”

“You got a problem with the name, Kent ?”

“It’s just not the coolest of names, but it works for him.”

She snorts. “Well, I guess I gave him two uncool names because he’s Nolan Kent Short.”

His eyes snap up to lock with hers. “Wait, seriously?”

“You were kind of instrumental in his delivery. Seemed fitting, but now I’m kind of second-guessing it.”

“Thank you, Gracie.”

And he means it. No one has ever done anything remotely this thoughtful for him. No wonder he feels a connection to Nolan.

“You look pretty good with a kid in your arms.”

“Um, it’s kind of hard not to when you’re holding a kid this fucking cute.”

“Yeah, I think I like him.”

Chuckling, he glances between mother and son. “I hope so, but if you ever change your mind, I can take him off your hands. I think we’ve bonded. Plus, I think he’d be a chick magnet.”

“You want to use my kid to attract women to sleep with?”

“Not just that. I honestly haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since he popped out of your coo-coo ca-choo.”

“My what?” she asks, snorting as she laughs. “You didn’t just name my vagina.”

He shrugs. “It’s not like I named it Betty.”

“You are lucky you’re holding my kid, otherwise I’d hit you for that.”

He opens his mouth to banter back when Gavin calls out his sister’s name.

“In here,” she calls, and Nolan barely stirs. “Yeah, he’s a sleeper. At least for now.”

Gavin steps into the room and looks frazzled. “Hey, Mom and Dad aren’t here, right?”

“Uh, no. Why?” Gracie asks.

Sighing, he begins to pace as he runs a hand over his face. “Dad’s going to kill me.”

“Hailey’s pregnant!” she gasps.

Kent’s eyes widen as he rocks slightly to keep the baby sleeping in his arms. There is no way Gavin’s making it out of a conversation with his pops if he’s knocked up Colt’s daughter.

“No, she’s not.”

“Thank God,” she says, her hand resting on her chest as she sits in the rocking chair next to the crib. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Emme is.”

Frowning, Kent looks between the siblings as Gracie’s jaw drops. “Who’s Emme?”

“The girl I was fucking while missing Hailey. I wrapped my shit every time, I swear, and she said she was on birth control. Who knows if that’s even true, but—”

“It might not be yours,” Gracie says. “You did say she was really into sex. You might not have been the only guy she was riding.”

He pales. “We had two paternity tests done. The kid’s mine.”

Jesus, this family is fertile as fuck.

“Mom’s going to stroke out,” she says. “She wasn’t ready to be a grandma with me, but she sure as hell won’t be ready to be one twice over.”

“At least he’s over eighteen,” Kent offers.

Glaring, her eye twitches. “Still not able to drink.”

“Legally.”

Holding her hand up, Gracie turns to look at her brother. “Oh, God, and you just got back with Hailey. Have you told her yet?”

“Yeah, she knows. I thought she’d leave my ass for sure, but she’s dealing with it. Or so she says. We’ve got plans to go and get things for the nursery, which seems like a good sign, right?”

“Woah, she’s staying with you even though you knocked up another chick?” Kent asks. “Nolan, when you get old enough, you have to make sure to learn your uncle’s skills. Because that, my dude, is smooth as fuck.”

“Stop saying fuck around my kid.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, like I’m the only one in here who’s said it. What do you think’s gonna happen? He’ll repeat it? He’s not even a month old yet. Doubtful he’ll remember.”

“How’d you tell them?” Gavin asks. “I think I should break it to them the same way because you’re still alive.”

“Um, I had another human being growing inside of me, so that kind of afforded me the luxury of not dying. I don’t think we’re on the same level.”

Sighing, he paces. “I don’t know how I got here.”

“Honestly, I think you start with Dad. I started with Mom.”

“Yeah, your dad can’t be mad at you. He had you when he was, well, Gracie’s age. At least you held out a few more years,” Kent says.

Nolan stays fast asleep in his arms, and it’s an unreal feeling. He could hold this baby all day long and never get tired.

Lifting her hands in the air, Gracie growls at him. “So not helpful.”

“But amusing,” he says and smiles. “I’ll teach you that once you start talking, kid. Being funny, especially when you’re devastatingly handsome, goes a long way with the chicks.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and gives him an annoyed look. “Boy, who has ever told you that you’re handsome, let alone devastatingly so?”

His jaw drops. “Ouch!”

Waving at them, Gavin draws the attention back his way. “Hello! Can we get back to me, please? What am I going to do?”

Kent gives him a pitiful look as he bounces Nolan in his arms. Ky’s not known to be the most understanding guy in the world, even though he doesn’t exactly have a leg to stand on based on past secrets.

At least if Kent knocked up a woman, his father would be supportive. He raised Kent a certain way, and there’s no question he’d be there for his kid and the mother. Gavin would, too, but their fathers are a little different when it comes to their kids.

“Talk to Dad first,” Gracie says. “He’ll help ease things with Mom when she flips her lid. And I bet he’ll tell you to do it when you or she is holding Nolan.”

“Good idea,” Kent says. “She can’t beat you like she’ll want to with her grandbaby in the middle. You’re totally going to rock this mom thing. Already thinking ahead.”

She laughs and looks at the ground. He’s never paid too close of attention to her before, but she seems comfortable around him. Then again, he helped her push in the delivery room as a child was forced out of her vagina. There’s really no better way to be vulnerable in front of someone.

“How much trouble do you think I’m in?” Gavin asks. “On a scale of one to you?”

“Um, fuck off,” Gracie says.

Pointing at her, Kent lifts an eyebrow. “What happened to not saying fuck around your kid?”

She shoots him a glare before looking at Gavin. “And I wasn’t in that much trouble.”

“That’s only because you won’t tell anyone who helped you make the newest member of the family.”

“Second newest, now,” Kent offers.

Gavin moves to punch him, but he stops as he looks at Nolan in his arms. “You know, holding the kid is probably a good idea.”

“Dude, you’re over eighteen, and the chick’s legal… right?”

“Yeah, she’s fucking legal!”

“Then what are they really gonna do? You don’t live at home. Both of you are eighteen plus.”

Grabbing her son, Gracie moves away as Gavin slugs Kent. “I’m still a Prospect. Maybe Mom can’t make my life a living hell, but Dad sure as hell can.”

“Then remind him you’re older than he was when you popped out of your mom’s vagina. Pot meet kettle. Or is it kettle meet pot? I’ve never been good with metaphors.”

“Look at you correctly identifying a metaphor,” Gracie says and lays the baby in the crib. “I’m actually kind of impressed.”

“I’m not just good looks, Gracie.”

Crossing her arms again, she shakes her head. “I was thinking more along the lines of not being as dumb as you look, but you just keep thinking positively.”

“Ouch. And to say that to the man who carried your heavy ass to the pickup, then the emergency room, and then the delivery room.”

Jaw dropping, she gapes. “I so regret giving Nolan your name now.”

“No, you don’t,” he says with a smile and a wink.

“You’re not as smooth as you think you are, Kent Conway.”

“You two banter like you’re married or something,” Gavin says. “And you’re both completely unhelpful to me. Except for the holding the baby thing. That’s kind of genius. The rest of this conversation? Not helpful.”

He turns on his heel and storms out the front door, slamming it behind him. Both of them look in the crib to find Nolan still sleeping soundly.

“I think he could sleep through a tornado,” Gracie says with a shake of her head. “Which is probably not something I should complain about.”

“So… Tell me… Planning on taking a little vacation so your brother can’t use your kid for protection?”

“Kind of,” she says and giggles. “My family is rarely boring these days.”

“Well, not if you keep popping out kids. It’ll get redundant eventually.”

“Go. Away.”

Chuckling, Kent winks at her. “See you later. You made a cute kid, Gracie Short. But maybe wait a bit for the next one.”

“Trust me, sex isn’t happening anytime soon. The first and only time was enough to turn me off of it forever. Not to mention the humiliation after it being completely lackluster. But at least I got a cute baby out of it. And he looks like me.”

The way she describes conceiving Nolan doesn’t sit well with Kent, but he brushes it off. “See you around.”

“Thanks for the presents, Kent. Stop by anytime.”

Be careful what you wish for, Gracie Short.