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the tiny life growing inside of Kiersten shook him, and he buried his face in his hands. A smile tugged at his lips.
    Kiersten must have mistaken his wonder for dismay, because she sat next to him and said, “If you don’t want anything to do with us, it’s fine. I’m not new to being a single mom.”
    “Are you kidding me?” His head whipped up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash, fixing a glower on her. He couldn’t believe she’d actually said that to him. Him . “How long have you known me? Do you really think I’d turn my back on you and our child? Hell, I’d ask you to marry me if I thought you would say yes without vomiting on my shoes.”
    She flushed and avoided his eyes. “Oh, please. It’s not the nineteenth century anymore. Marriage isn’t necessary. I just thought I’d let you know that I don’t expect you to dance attendance on me just because you are the father. We can work this out in a mature fashion, I’m sure. Or, you can do nothing. That’s fine, too.”
    “Do I look like a deadbeat dad to you?” He clenched his fists, unable to believe she would even insinuate such a horrible thing about him. Twice. “I will be there for every single step of the pregnancy and every second of that child’s life, no matter what you want from me. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, of course.” She nodded and stood. “Well, then, I’ll be going.”
    He grabbed her hand, taking a deep breath to calm the queasy feeling in his gut. She wanted to drop this bomb on him and then skip out? Not happening. “Eat the dinner you started—if it’s not ruined by now. We have a lot to talk about.”
    They went into the kitchen and the whole time that Garrett helped serve their burned garlic bread and overcooked, soggy ravioli, he kept stealing glances at Kiersten. He couldn’t believe that she carried his baby inside of her, a small piece of him.
    By God, he would love that baby to pieces.
    He carried out their plates and, after setting the dishes on the table, helped her sit before taking his own seat. Though she pushed her food around on her plate, he didn’t see much actually go in her mouth. Morning sickness, perhaps? But it wasn’t morning. He made a mental note to go to the bookstore and buy a few pregnancy books. Something along the lines of What to Expect When Your Not Girlfriend Is Pregnant and Wants Nothing To Do With You or something like that.
    Pushing his empty plate away, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his neck. “So, what are we going to do about this? How do you want this to work out?” he asked.
    She set her fork down and wiped her mouth—despite the fact he doubted she actually ate anything. “We’ll go on as we were before but we’ll have a kid together. Simple.”
    “Yeah. No. Not happening.” He gritted his teeth. Leave it to Kiersten to come up with the most impersonal solution possible to their predicament. But he had a different plan. One that just might give him the chance to show her he could be trusted. And they could build a future as more than two friends with a baby. “I have a slightly unusual idea but I think it’s a good one.”
    She blinked at him. “Do tell.”
    “We move in together,” he said, holding his hand up when she opened her mouth to protest, “as friends and co-parents. I’m obviously not going anywhere, nor leaving your life, and we’re both single. So…we live together. I’ll be there to help with feedings and diapers and all that other parenting crap—but we keep our hands off of each other, like we should have done all along.”
    She raised a brow and folded her arms across her chest. “Somehow, I don’t think we can do that. Not after what happened between us last time.”
    His cock twitched just thinking about that night but he stubbornly ignored it. He took a deep breath. If he played this wrong, she would refuse him. He had to make her think he didn’t want her anymore. “Sure we can,” he said.
    “Oh? And