Page 107 of The Renter

I look into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and the fear of time slipping away. I understand where he’s coming from, but it’s a lot to process. A baby, a family with Adam—it’s not something I can rush into.

“Let’s enjoy where we are right now. We have time to figure this out.”

Adam nods, though I can tell he’s struggling with his own impatience. I take his hand, reassuring him. “We’ll get there, Adam. Give it some time.”

“Until I have kids, I don’t see the point of slowing down. But once I have them, I will make them my world.”

I cuddle into him, hoping this is his last comment on the subject. We sit silently for a minute until he says, “I don’t want to be like Kent. I don’t want to be grinding at his age. Look what it did to Brandon.”

Kent Dubois is an old man now, seventy. Brandon’s about my age. Understanding that Kent had Brandon when he was about Adam’s age, I reconsider his “old dad” statement.

“So, what you’re saying is, you want me to be pregnant within the next two years?” The sass is evident in my tone.

“Ideally, yes.”

My mind races through the implications. “And where does marriage fit into this time table? Are we talking about getting married before all this?”

“We don’t have to be married to have a child.” I shake my head, equal parts amused and frustrated. “It would be my preference though,” he says, holding my left hand and sweeping his thumb across the ring.

“This feels like a business negotiation.”

“Well, yeah,” Adam admits. “But it’s the most important partnership I can think of. If you decide to do this with me, know that I’ll take care of you, always. You’re an incredible person, Dani. The idea of having a child with you, seeing our qualities combined … It’s something I want.”

Stunned to hear him say it so bluntly that he wants my child is overwhelming. My mind races before I share, “I’ve always imagined being married before having kids.”

“Then, let’s get married.”

“Adam!” I scold, bumping my shoulder into him. “This conversation is too much.”

“These are things we will have to talk about at some point. Why not be on the same page now?”

I look away, taking a deep breath. “If we’re going down this path, I think we should be married before kids. But everything is moving too fast.”

“I understand.” Adam nods. “How elaborate do you want the wedding to be?”

I loudly sigh. He’s serious about hashing all of this out right now.

“Pour me a whiskey, and let’s get into the weeds.”

“Let me show you where I keep the good stuff.” He extends his hand, and we walk into the cigar lounge, a room we’ve never spent any time in. Adam gestures to a large chair and I sit while he takes a bottle out of a cabinet and pours us drinks.

“I love you, always,” he whispers, kissing me on the cheek as he sets down a glass in front of me.

“I don’t need anything big. A courthouse would be fine. It’s more about the commitment for me than the party.”

He takes a sip from his glass. “You don’t want something on the scale of Kent’s birthday party?”

“No. It’s just so … fake. It’s trying too hard.”

“What about a destination wedding?”

The question makes me wonder what his wedding was like. Since we’re talking about all this stuff … “Tell me about your wedding.”

He chuckles. “We did what her parents wanted. We got married in the church and had a reception on the rooftop of a hotel downtown.”

“What would you do differently the next time around?”

“Everything.” His eyes smolder, making my heart rate kick into high gear. He’s absolutely serious. This conversation is serious.