Page 17 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Thirteen

Ivy

For the next few weeks, I worked harder and longer hours in anticipation of the baby coming. I wanted to have more money saved, knowing I'd need to take time off when the baby came.

At the next doctor's appointment, I'd be twelve weeks pregnant. Cooper was looking forward to sharing the news with his family and our friends. I knew they'd be supportive, but I wasn't so sure about how my mother would react.

It might not be the circumstances I'd anticipated, but I still wanted this baby.

We had an active sex life, but I kept boundaries in place.

I kept our physical interactions to houses we were inspecting or my couch.

I never invited him into my bedroom or asked him to stay. That was a line I didn't want to cross.

I was nervous about this next appointment. I had a feeling Cooper was going to insist that we tell everyone about the pregnancy, and I wasn’t prepared for everyone to know.

In the exam room, Dr. Edison asked, "Are you having any worrying symptoms?"

Ivy frowned. "I'm more tired. Peeing more often."

Dr. Edison chuckled. "That's normal. You're going into the second trimester, and your energy should return. It's a good time to get things ready for when the baby comes. Start working on your nursery and your registry."

I was itching to get started on my spreadsheet. I'd forwarded it to Cooper, and he hadn't mentioned anything about how long it was.

When the doctor left the room, Cooper asked, "Do you want to grab lunch and do some shopping? Get a head start on that list of yours?"

"That's a good idea because I'm not going to have a shower."

"Why not?" Cooper asked as he opened the exam room door for me to exit ahead of him.

I shrugged. "Who would throw me one? Mom doesn't have the money or desire to do anything."

His brow furrowed. "Did you tell her about the baby yet?"

I frowned. "We said we'd wait."

"Why don't you wait and see what she says about the pregnancy? She might want to do something for you."

I rolled my eyes. "I know what she's going to say. That I didn't learn anything from her. Why would I think the father would stick around?"

Cooper halted and looked at me. "Seriously?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. It's what I've been imagining in my head."

His jaw tightened. "I'll come with you."

I shook my head. "That's not necessary. I can handle it."

"I need you there when I tell my family, so it only makes sense that I'll be with you when you tell your mother. I want your brother and sister to know that I'm going to be part of your life. Even if we're not officially together.

I'd appreciated that Cooper respected my boundaries.

He was fine with a physical relationship while at the same time being present in my life for the doctor's appointments.

He'd impressed me so far, but this was the easy part.

There wasn't a screaming baby that needed to be taken care of twenty-four seven.

He was free to come and go as he pleased. I'd be the one who would be living with this change.

I was touched that he wanted my sister and brother to know that he was supporting me. It was a healthy thing for them to witness. But I didn't want to get their hopes up that he'd be in our lives going forward.

"Let's talk to my family first. We get together on Sunday afternoon for the pool and dinner."

I blew out a breath. "I'm scared. What if people think differently of me? What if I lose all my clients?"

He placed an arm around me and pulled me in close. "That's not going to happen because you're an amazing realtor. The best on the island."

"I don't know about that."

"You're good at your job."

I was successful at what I did. I tended to know what was happening on the island before other people because they felt comfortable confiding in me. "I hope you're right."

"I know I am."

Everything was so easy for Cooper. He had a huge supportive family, and he couldn't imagine mine being any different. Even when his family was faced with scrutiny and questions, they banded together against them and came out of any situation stronger.

I was by myself. I didn't have a family backing me or the clout of a respected family name. All I had was my own. It wouldn't be enough if island gossip trended against me.

"Let's grab lunch and then get started on your list. We can buy the nursery furniture. I don't think anyone will get that from your registry."

I paused as we approached his passenger-side door. "What registry?"

Cooper cleared his throat. "When you sent me the list, I created a registry for you."

"Why would you do that? I want to buy my own things for the baby."

"We'll take care of the nursery. But everyone will want to get you something. You might as well have them get you things you need."

His reasoning was sound. "I don't want people to think they need to get me anything."

"You have a lot of friends. They will be happy for you. Let them buy you gifts."

I chewed my lip as he helped me inside the truck's cab. I appreciated that he was a gentleman, but I didn't feel comfortable with him creating that registry, and I didn't want to be there when he told his parents. It made everything more real.

He drove to a restaurant, and we sat at a table on the deck overlooking the water. I couldn't believe that everything would be different in a few short months. I wouldn't be able to go to a restaurant without considering whether the baby needed to eat or nap or would cry and ruin everyone's lunch.

"What are you thinking about?" Cooper asked me once we'd placed our order.

"How everything is going to change. My world is going to be all about this baby soon." I touched my stomach, wondering when I'd feel the telltale bump. I wasn't prepared for this.

Cooper nodded. "I thought the same thing. It's hard to imagine. I just hope I'm ready when the time comes. I'm reading as many books as I can so I’m ready."

"You are?" I asked him.

"Once I saw your spreadsheets, I realized how little I know about all of this.”

I could understand that. But I was surprised he wanted to be that involved.

Showing up for a monthly doctor's appointment wasn't that time-consuming.

But researching took time and effort. I'd spent many evenings deep in online searches about childbirth and what to expect when the baby was born. "Me too."

When we'd finished our food and were waiting for the check, Cooper said, "You want to drive off the island and to a department store to get the items on your list?"

I shrugged, touched that he wanted to go through that much trouble. "We could just order online."

"Don't you want to see it in person? You can even check out a few of the strollers you listed. Find out which one is easier to use."

"That would be a good idea and save me the trouble of returns."

He grinned, pulling out his credit card to pay the bill. "Let's do it."

I wondered if he always paid the bill with the women he dated. Then I had to remind myself that we weren't dating. I was merely his baby's momma. I didn't like that characterization, but it was my new reality.

On the drive, he turned toward me and asked, "What kind of mom do you think you'll be?"

"I hadn't thought much about it, other than being present, both financially and emotionally. I'll always be there for my child. I don't want to be working all the time."

"That's commendable."

"What about you? Have you thought about what kind of dad you want to be?"

"I want this child to know that I love them so whatever I need to do to make that clear."

That was an answer I hadn't been expecting. Not having a present father, I'd lowered my expectations for Cooper. I was surprised by everything he did, any interest he showed me. I wasn’t sure I'd ever get over that feeling.

He grinned. "This baby will have me and my large extended family."

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It was nice but a little foreign to me. I only had my mother and then my brother and sister. Mom was an only child, and when she graduated from high school, her parents moved away. They didn't visit often. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen them.

Cooper parked at a department store, and we went inside, checking out the various cribs and changing tables. I was impressed that Cooper seemed to know the safety standards. He'd done his research.

I was partial to a white crib. "I'll order this when I get home."

Cooper looked around for a sales associate. "Let's order it now and be done with it. We need a set for both houses."

It seemed wasteful for us to buy two of everything. But how else did co-parents manage this situation? There was no way I could deal with Cooper moving in with me or me with him, even though his house was my dream home.

We found a sales associate and placed an order for the large furniture to be delivered to our respective houses. I was pleased when he didn't offer to pay for my set. We each paid for our own. That was practical. It was important to me that I provide for my child.

We wandered around the rest of the store, debating what kind of bottles we'd need and a breast pump. It was overwhelming. "I think I need to talk to someone who's been through this and can give me practical advice. It's not always about safety. It comes down to convenience."

Cooper nodded.

"I'll look for a social media group for new moms and see what they say."

"I think I read somewhere that the baby decides which bottle they like."

I blew out a breath. "No matter how carefully we plan this out, the baby's going to make his own decisions."

"I think so," Cooper said, and warmth spread through my body.

It felt like we were closer in that moment. That we'd connected somehow.

"I still can't quite believe I'm pregnant. Maybe when my belly starts popping out."

Cooper maneuvered us to the front of the store. "I think it will be real for me when we tell my family. They're going to be so excited for us."

"Will they?" I asked, not quite believing that an unplanned pregnancy would make any parents happy.

"Absolutely. They'll especially love that you live close, and they'll get to see the baby all the time. I'm sure they'll want to help out and babysit."

We walked outside into the sunshine. The heat radiated off the pavement. "I still can't believe that they're going to be happy about this."

He paused at the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for me. "If you want to go, just give me a sign, and I'll get you out of there."

I shook my head. "I shouldn't want to run from a nice family."

He gave me a hand up to the seat. "My family is different from yours. It's understandable that you have mixed feelings about it."

Once I was situated with my legs inside the cab, I said, "I'm sure it will be fine."

"I'll be with you the entire time," Cooper said with a wink before he shut the door.

That was the problem. Cooper was around more often, bringing me dinner or dessert several times a week.

He'd said that he'd ordered too much food or wanted to share his favorite food with me.

He made it seem like an afterthought and not his plan.

But I was starting to wonder if he had some kind of endgame.

Was it to make me rely on him and then pull the rug out from under me and disappear?

I couldn't let go of the image of him walking away from me and the baby.

Maybe it was because I'd thought of that exact scenario so many times over the years.

How did my dad walk out? Did he tell Mom he was going?

Or did he just disappear without saying anything?

Mom never talked about the specifics. She'd said you can't trust a man to be there for you.

But she continually chased that very ideal, and she'd been hurt time and time again.

I wouldn't make the same mistake, no matter how attractive Cooper was. I saw glimpses of him being an amazing father. But I couldn't trust my judgment.

My heart ached as I looked at the strong line of his jaw. He was so good looking, so determined to be a good dad. How could I trust that this would last?