Page 17 of The Unexpected Lineup (Lost in Translation #2)

BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, I’VE NEVER HELD A BABY IN MY LIFE

HAISLEY

I tug my bright blue jacket off as I step inside the busy restaurant to meet my former roommates for lunch.

They’re seated in a cozy booth near one of the large windows facing the street.

Seeing them together makes a familiar warmth settle in my chest. Halloween was the last time we were together, so it’s about time we met up again.

Marianne spots me first, shifting her one-year-old daughter Iris on her lap. When the little girl recognizes me, she starts babbling and waving her tiny little arms. That catches Timmy and Rose’s attention, and they both turn.

“There she is,” Rose says, scooting over to make room. “We were starting to think you forgot about us.”

“Never.”

“Good.” Marianne smiles, tucking a piece of Iris’ soft brown hair behind her ear. “Because it feels like we haven’t seen you in ages, and so much has happened. ”

Swallowing, I nod in agreement. But the thing is that I’ve been holding onto my secret for nearly three weeks now, only letting Rasmus, Soph, and Hunter in on it.

I decided to wait until being well into the second trimester before telling these three.

But it’s time. They’re my closest friends.

They deserve to know, no matter what happens with the pregnancy.

I’m about to speak when Rose says, “Okay, have you seen the spring trends yet? Because I have thoughts and want to hear your opinions, too.”

I blink, caught off guard. “Thoughts on the spring trends? Those in fashion?” I swear, pregnancy brain is real.

“Yes,” she confirms. “I saw peplum tops are back. Can you believe it? It’s as if the universe decided us curvier girls didn’t suffer enough in 2013.”

Timmy snorts, shaking his head. “I mean, I’ve never worn peplum and never will.”

Marianne laughs. “At least it’s not low-rise jeans again because Mama needs something to support her body.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” I groan. “But I’m pretty into statement accessories—big sunglasses, chunky jewelry, lots of gold and silver mixed together. It’s giving rich-widow-on-vacation vibes.”

“I can respect that energy,” Timmy comments, sipping his drink.

“I’ve been so out of the loop lately. And it’s my job to know these things,” I admit to my friends.

Rose looks concerned. “Are you still busy with the family business?”

“There have been some other, um, developments too. ”

“Please tell us there’s a new man in your life,” Timmy says with a dreamy sigh.

“Well, sort of. The thing is…I’m pregnant.”

Silence. For a beat, all I hear is the steady chatter of other restaurant visitors around us. Then?—

“Oh my God,” Marianne exclaims, her eyes going wide. Rose’s jaw drops, and Timmy? Well, he’s gaping as if I told him I’m moving to Mars.

“You’re serious?” he finally manages. “For real pregnant? Bun in the oven type of pregnant?”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Yes, Timmy. That’s usually what I’m pregnant means.”

“Holy shit, Haisley. I mean, wow.”

Marianne is the first to recover, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “Congratulations, mama,” she says, her voice warm. “I remember how much you’ve hoped for this, so I’m ecstatic for you. How are you feeling?”

“Overwhelmed,” I admit. “Excited. Terrified. Other adjectives I can’t think of right now.”

I glance at Rose, who still seems to be processing my news. “Rose, I really am okay. This baby was a very unexpected yet wanted surprise.”

She visibly relaxes. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I know, and I love you for that,” I say, hugging her.

Timmy breaks into a grin. “Well, damn. We have a baby on the way. ”

“Oh, Iris is going to have a little buddy!” Marianne beams. “Maybe they’ll be besties.”

Then Timmy wiggles his eyebrows. “You haven’t mentioned who the father is.”

“Tell us,” Rose nudges me.

I take another deep breath, my fingers tightening slightly around my water glass. I knew this was coming. The follow-up questions, the curiosity, the inevitable reactions after my news.

They’re watching me expectantly, their expressions ranging from excitement to concern to outright nosiness in Timmy’s case. He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Come on, H. Spill. Who’s the mystery man?”

“It’s Rasmus Westerholm.”

“Where have I heard that name?” Marianne wonders.

“Wait. Wait ,” Timmy interrupts before I have a chance to answer. “As in, the Rasmus Westerholm? The Swedish hunk of man meat who was traded here? The same Rasmus Westerholm that plays for your dad’s team?”

“Yeah, that Rasmus,” I hold in my chuckle.

Marianne’s lips part in shock, but Timmy howls with laughter. “Oh, you did not casually drop that bomb on us and act like it’s nothing. Haisley, babe, what the actual fuck?”

I groan, dropping my face into my hands. “I know, okay? It’s a lot to process.”

Marianne blinks a few times. “But how? Were you secretly dating him?”

“I wasn’t dating him,” I admit. “We met at the Halloween party. One thing led to another and…” I gesture vaguely to my stomach.

Timmy is still grinning, probably thinking he just won the gossip lottery.

“So let me get this straight. You had a one-night stand with a hockey player after you swore you would never do that ever again. A very well-known hockey player. Then that same player gets traded to the team your family owns, and you’re secretly having his baby?

Babe, this is literally the plot of a spicy romance novel taken straight out of Rose’s bookshelf. ”

Rose smacks his arm. “Timmy. Behave.”

“What? I’m saying what we’re all thinking.”

Marianne shakes herself out of her shock and focuses on me again. “How’s he handling it? Rasmus, I mean.”

My chest warms at the thought of him, the way he reacted when I first told him, the way he’s been there for me since.

“Honestly? He’s been great. I was scared to tell him at first, but he’s all in and wants to be involved.

We went to the ultrasound together a week ago…

” I stop, thinking back to his reaction.

“And it was everything I hoped for. You should’ve seen how excited Rasmus was. ”

Rose studies me closely. “And you? How do you feel about him?”

The question makes my stomach flip in a whole different way. Because I don’t know how to sum up my feelings. How do I explain the way Rasmus makes me feel? How do I explain the strange push-and-pull between us, the way we started as a one time only thing but now are connected for life by the baby?

“I like him,” I say. “He’s kind and thoughtful, and I think we’re figuring this out together. ”

Marianne smiles. “That’s all that matters.”

Timmy lets out a dramatic sigh, resting his chin on his hand. “And here I thought we were catching up over lunch. Turns out, we’re living in a full-on soap opera.”

I shake my head, laughing despite myself. “I told you it was a lot. And it doesn’t help I’m having a bad case of bangxiety.”

“Bang…what?” Rose asks.

“Sexual tension. I want to bang my baby daddy.”

All my friends laugh, and Timmy raises his glass. “To Haisley, her baby daddy, and their future little hockey baby.”

Marianne and Rose follow suit, clinking their glasses against his. I roll my eyes but can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face as I lift my glass.

“To the future little hockey baby.”

Marianne sets her glass down and leans in. “Are you and Rasmus together now? Or is this more of a future co-parenting thing?”

“That’s a good question,” I admit. “We haven’t really defined anything yet. Right now, we’re taking it one day at a time. He’s been amazing and supportive, and we’ve talked about co-parenting once the baby’s here. We want to do this right. Both for them, and for ourselves.”

Timmy raises an eyebrow. “But you want to bang him?”

“Desperately,” I groan, hiding my face while they all laugh again. “Look, it’s messy, okay? But maybe it doesn’t have to be. Maybe we’ll figure it out.”

Rose watches me closely. “Do you want more than co-parenting? ”

I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know yet.

I mean, sometimes it feels like we’re already something more.

He checks in multiple times every day. And when he looked at the ultrasound screen…

” I trail off, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat.

“It wasn’t just excitement. It was something deeper.

He loves our baby so much. It made me think how lucky I am to share this journey with him. ”

Marianne reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Sounds like he’s showing up in all the right ways.”

“Yeah.” I smile faintly. “He surely is.”

Timmy grins. “So, what you’re saying is, this might be a love story after all?”

I laugh, but there’s a nervous edge to it. “Or maybe it’s two adults trying their best not to screw up something really important.”

“Either way, that baby’s lucky to have you both.”

As we’re heading out after lunch, Rose gently touches my arm to stop me. “I’m sorry if I wasn’t the most supportive when you told us your news. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy for you. You just surprised me.”

I squeeze her hand, offering a reassuring smile. “Oh, friend. You can always be honest with me.”

“Always,” she promises with a smile. “I was also thinking how if you want some experience with babies, I’m sure our friends would let you watch their kids for an evening.”

“I, for one, would,” Marianne chimes in. “But honestly, I think you should call Ollie or Peyton first. They could use a date night.”

Ollie is Rose’s fiancé’s best friend. Last year, his sister unexpectedly dropped off her baby on his doorstep and vanished.

He ended up hiring a temporary nanny to help, and the same thing happened to him that happened to my dad.

He fell for Peyton, aka the nanny. Now they’re raising little Tilly together.

“Oh, that’s such a great idea,” I say. “I bet they’d appreciate the offer, but only if I had Rose on speed dial in case of emergency.”

She laughs. “You’ll do fine. Even better, invite Rasmus to do it with you.”

“Us babysitting together?”

“Exactly,” she says, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. “Then you’ll get a preview of how he acts around babies, with your little one on the way.”

“I don’t know if Ollie and Peyton would be okay with that. They haven’t even met him.”

“Call them and ask. But I’m sure they’ll be okay with the suggestion. They trust you and your judgment. You wouldn’t bring a random guy around their kid, right?”

I nod in agreement and make a mental note to give them a call later.

After a round of goodbyes and hugs, I start my walk back to the brownstone. It’s getting colder each week, but the thought of babysitting with Rasmus is all I can think about right now.

Haisley

I told my closest friends about the bab y

It doesn’t take him long to reply, which means he’s probably at home after practice.

Rasmus

How do you feel?

I love that this is the first thing he asks—not how they reacted, not whether it was awkward, but how I feel.

Haisley

Relieved. It was a shock for them, but once they saw how happy I am, they got there too *smiley face emoji*

Rasmus

I’m glad to hear that. I plan to tell my cousin and tía soon. They’re the only family I have left.

Rasmus

And I want to share with some of the team after the bye weeks

I stare at the screen in shock, realizing this needs more than a text. I call him, and he picks up after the first ring.

“Hey mamacita,” His voice is low, sending a flicker of something I don’t want to name down my spine.

“Why would you tell the team?” I demand, ignoring his flirty greeting.

“They deserve to know before the public.”

“I just worry it somehow gets out that we’re having a baby.”

“We can trust them, don’t you think?”

“You aren’t wrong.” I bite my lower lip. Maybe being alone with him isn’t the smartest idea. But I can’t bring myself to care. “Anyway, my friends suggested that we could, um, do some babysitting together. ”

There’s a pause. Then, “why not,” he says easily. “But so you know, I’ve never held a baby in my life.”

“Seriously?”

“Haisley, I’m almost thirty, single, and without extended family or close friends with kids. Why the hell would I have any experience with babies?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I wonder if my brothers have ever held a baby, either.”

“My guess is no.”

“Probably,” I mutter, picturing them awkwardly holding our baby this summer.

“But I’ll still do it,” Rasmus says after a beat. “If babysitting together is something you think we should do.”

His willingness to do this with me makes me smile. “You sure?”

“Hundred percent. The first bye week starts tomorrow, so I’m pretty much free every evening if your friends want a night off.”

“I’ll text Ollie right after this call. He’s raising his almost-year-old niece, who’s one of the cutest and easiest babies ever. You’ll see.”

“I guess I better prepare myself for diaper duty,” he jokes. “But let me know what this Ollie guy says.”

“I will,” I say and hang up, a smile lingering on my face.

Babysitting with Rasmus. This could be interesting.