Page 224 of The Baby Bargain

He motions to the backyard. "On the phone with her brother."

"Asking for pictures of the baby," Hunter says.

"Oh." My stomach flutters. That's all it takes. The word baby. God, I want to tell them. I want to tell everyone.

Wes nods. "Her brother and his husband are adopting a little girl."

"A little girl." My heart sings. My eyes go to Chase.

He smiles. "Her name is Ilsa."

"Like the Disney princess?" My nose scrunches. "That's cruel. Don't do that."

"Oh yeah? You looked like you were gonna cream your panties when Chase called you princess." Wes raises a browget real.

Hunter laughs. "You never change." He reaches out to muss Wes's hair.

Wes slaps his hand away. "Who the fuck started that?"

"It suits you." Chase takes his turn messing with Wes's hair.

Wes slaps Chase's hand, then combs his hair with his fingers. Not that it does much. He has these messy California boy waves. Like Chase's, but longer and lighter.

Maybe Charlotte will have those too. Maybe she'll have golden hair and blue eyes and look just like her daddy.

Ahem.

What is happening to me? I'm not myself when it comes to Chase, but I'm not all fluttery and lovesick either.

It's not just the life growing inside me.

It's being here. There are photos on the walls. I need a tour of those photos. I need to see a tiny Chase.

Maybe Charlotte will look exactly like him.

Oh God…

Must. Stop. Daydreaming.

"You all right, Ariel?" Wes asks. "You look like you're thinking about Chase naked."

"You flirt with every woman you meet?" Hunter asks. "Or just the cute ones?"

"And you don't?" he asks.

Hunter shakes his headhell no.

"Yeah, I guess you don't have any game." Wes laughs. "What do you think, Ariel? If you were gonna date one of us—me or Hunter?"

"Hunter," I say.

Hunter laughs.

Wes jumps to his feet. Mimes pulling a knife out of his back. "That's cold, Ariel. Cold as ice."

The sliding door opens. Quinn steps inside. "Hey, Ariel." She looks at her boyfriend and laughs. "Who betrayed him now?"

"Ariel would rather date me than Wes," Hunter says. "Not sure why he cares. What with you being the light of his life."