Page 170 of Preacher Man

“The difference a few life changing hours can make.” - Preacher.

The call lasted no more than three minutes and consisted of a lot of yeses and sure’s on Preacher’s end. Jaw tight listening to the adenoidal voice down the line.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" He asked when the call dropped. Preacher placed Ruby’s phone on the table, ran a hand around the back of his neck and faced his nervous wife.

The whole time he talked with the social worker he felt Ruby's skinny fingers clinging to his shirt, the shake of her body practically vibrating him. In his mind if it all went tits up he was already packing and riding over to the foster home to snatch the kid, he didn't give a fuck, he wouldn't see that sadness etched on her face a second longer.

"Oh, god. Did they say no? Can we appeal? we should call Archie. Give me the bad news first." Hands clutched under her chin, big round eyes imploring with his wordlessly. Preparing herself for the worst possible news.

"The front of your shorts are soaked, baby."

She blinked having not expecting that. He cracked a half grin and nodded.

"Huh. W-what?"

A chin jut down to her little pair of shorts, he smirked. "You came so hard you soaked your shorts, sexy girl."

"PREACHER. Oh, my god, how can you joke right now?" Flames danced in her eyes. Preacher bit back his smile. She was a second away from punching him right in the face.

"Not a joke, look. Drenched through. Shit. Now I wanna fuck you."

"Preacher! What did they fucking say, what's the good news?"

"Sebastian is ours."

“No! You mean it? They said he can come home?” Her voice rose higher and higher after each word until tears rushed to pool her beautiful eyes, her lower lip trembled.

“They did, beautiful. We can go and collect him on Friday, we need home visits for the first year, and they need to come and check the place out again, but the kid is coming home. Are you happy?”

“I can’t believe it.” Voice cracking, those tears that had been balancing on her lashes began to track down her face and when Ruby smiled she really fucking smiled, Preacher felt it in his chest right before she launched herself at him, laughing and crying at the same time. “Happy? He’s really coming home. You did it, Asher. You said you’d get him for me and you did.”

“We did it, Ruby.”

They were about to become parents to a ready-made kid.

It was either going to be monumentally easy, he contemplated, digging the affection she pressed easily over his cheeks, or it would be monumentally difficult.

Either way, his heart sped up.

They celebrated in the time-honored tradition of getting very naked on the living room floor and fucking like animals for a very long time.

******

Ruby was in a state of elated cloud nine for the rest of the night and all the next day. They'd spent hours at the mall, picking up last minute things for Seb's room and grocery shopping food a four-year-old would eat. The consensus from Preacher was cereal and candy, though she insisted on a few vegetables. She'd laughed at that amazing man when they'd stopped for lunch.

"Do we need like five thousand diapers?” He'd asked seriously. “We could hit up Sam's Club, get a good deal."

Ruby chuckled into her Sprite and shook her head. "He's four, he uses the potty. Might have to help wipe his butt though…"

Preacher turned green and she swallowed her immediate amusement for his discomfort. "Wipe his---"

"Relax, tough man. I can see to his toilet habits."

"Thank fuck. When he needs to learn to piss standing up, you can tag me in."

She had smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. He was talking about the future and they wouldn't have that, would they? Wouldn't he want out of their temporary marriage once Sebastian's' future with her was secure? As soon as she was officially Seb's guardian, legal and signed for without the CPS looking over her shoulder, no one taking him back from her, then their pretend marriage could be dissolved. Wasn't that the plan? God gave with one hand and took with the other.Shut up, it wasn't like that,she chastised. This was his proposal, the offer was never meant to be long term, he hadn't shown any signs of wanting that from her.

Preacher had dropped her off at home and gone to take care of some work at the club compound, with an agreement to meet him at the bar later that night when her shift started.