Love You, Baby Read online

  Just thinking about saying any of that out loud made him feel like a loser, so here he stood. With no clue where to even begin. Because, like his parents, he paid a service to take care of his lawn. Then again, common sense said the blades were on the bottom—

  “Merit?”

  He looked up to see Ian standing in the doorway to the house, his short, blond hair a mess, wearing a tan shirt with a big soccer ball on the front, shorts, and tennis shoes. He seemed confused to see him there, and he supposed it was a little strange since they’d only ever seen each other at the bakery a few times before the wedding.

  “Hey, little man. How are you?” The boy shrugged, then stood there looking as lost as Merit felt. Sympathy tugged at his heart. “Wanna help me?”

  His face lit up as he nodded vigorously.

  “Well, then, come on. Let’s get to it.”

  Ian leapt from the top step to the garage floor and ran over. Then he stood next to Merit and put his hands on his hips as he, too, studied the mower.

  “What do we do?” he asked.

  Merit gave a soft chuckle both for his words and his stance. “Hell if I know.”

  The boy glanced up at him, his expression alarmed. “You can’t say that word. Mom will yell at you.”

  “Good to know. Thanks for the heads up.” He offered him a side knuckle bump and Ian gave it right back. Merit grinned.

  He’d liked this kid from the moment he’d met him at the bakery in January. Might have had something to do with finding out he was Mae’s son, not her boyfriend, but since then, he’d made sure to be extra friendly with him. If the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, the way to a single mom’s heart was through her kid.

  God, that sounded calculating. The thing was, Mae was the first single mom he’d ever been interested in, and once he got to know Ian, he liked him for him, not only his mother.

  “Sometimes Mom looks up videos on how to fix things.”

  Merit shook off his thoughts and reached for his phone. “Then let’s start with that.”

  It took him ten minutes to find the correct instructional video on replacing mower blades for her specific brand. Another half-hour later, he’d wrestled on a new belt that had been lying next to the replacement blade, and now he and the kid were showing that broken mulching blade who was boss.

  Ian sat beside him on the cement floor, legs crossed, talking his ear off while handing him twice as many wrong tools as right. He heard about summer school, Scooby Doo, what they did on the Fourth of July, found out Mae and Ian shared a birthday that was coming up in eight days, and last, but not least, the kid had a friend whose baby brother hogged his parents.

  He made a mental note of the birthday, then focused on the last part. “Babies require more care than strong, growing boys, Ian. They can’t dress themselves, or even feed themselves.”

  “They poop their pants.” He wrinkled his nose.

  “You used to poop your pants.” Merit held the new blade while securing the bolt with his other hand.

  “Eww.”

  “Everyone’s a baby once. It’s fine as long as you don’t continue being a baby when you get older.” A sideways glance caught the contemplative look on the kid’s face. Yeah, he was smart enough to catch his drift. Merit held out his hand. “Wrench.”

  Ian handed him the tool, then sighed. “Mom’s getting a baby.”

  Merit choked back a laugh. “You mean she’s having a baby?”

  “Yeah.”

  He snuck another glance at the boy’s forlorn expression. Had Mae told him Merit was the father? No, he didn’t think so. Judging by his face, he doubted Ian would be out here with him if she had. “You don’t like that she’s having a baby?”

  “Cory said his brother ruined everything.”

  “Nah, brothers don’t ruin everything,” he countered while tightening the bolt. His hadn’t always been the nicest to him when they were growing up, but he kept that to himself. Besides, Ian would be the big brother, so if anyone was going to do the picking, it would likely be him. “I have three brothers, and they can be pretty cool. They’re some of my best friends. We used to go camping, and swimming, and build forts, ride bikes, all kinds of stuff.”

  “Mom said it could be a sister.” His little nose scrunched up as if he’d just smelled a dirty diaper.

  He smiled and flipped the wrench in his hand. “I got two of them, too, and they’re just as cool. They did all that stuff with us, too.”

  “They did?”

  “Uh huh. The good thing is, babies don’t stay babies forever. And to make up for it when they’re little, they’re really cute.”

  Ian shrugged.

  Merit studied him for a second and took a stab at what might be bothering the kid. “Are you afraid your mom will love the baby more?”

  “She said she wouldn’t,” he mumbled.

  “But it’s still scary, isn’t it?”

  The boy nodded, his blue eyes downcast.

  “Things will be different, Ian, I won’t lie to you about that. But the good news is, moms love their kids the same, and you’re gonna be okay. Your mom will make sure of it.” He’d help make sure of it, if she let him.

  After a moment of silence, Ian asked, “What if I’m not a good big brother? Cory said his parents are always telling him he has to be a good big brother.”

  Merit laid his free hand on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze. “The fact that you even asked that tells me you’ll be a good big brother.”

  “What do I have to do?”

  “Well…” He paused a moment, letting the wrench rest against the floor as he braced his forearm on his knee. “The best place to start is to help your mom when she asks. And when your brother or sister gets older, help teach ‘em things.”

  “Like how to build a fort? And ride a bike?”

  “Definitely.” Loyal, older by six years, had been the one who took his training wheels off when he was four. “And always be there for them. Like if they fall down, help them up. If they scrape their knee, make sure they’re not bleeding, you know?”

  He nodded in earnest. “And I’ll make sure no one bullies them at school.”

  Merit grinned and offered another knuckle bump. “Exactly. See? You got this. And if you ever want to talk about anything, if you have any more questions, I’ll give you my number and you can call me.”

  His eyes lit up. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Ian.”

  Merit jumped at the sound of Mae’s voice. Ian did, too, and they both looked to find her watching them from the door that led into the house. The brief touch of her blue gaze electrified his pulse, but she quickly shifted her attention to her son. “It’s nine o’clock. Bed time.”

  “Aw, Mom. It’s Friday.”

  “And the soccer tournament starts at eight a.m. tomorrow.”

  Merit glanced outside, surprised to see the sun about ready to kiss the Rocky Mountain skyline. When he turned back and saw Ian’s lower lip stuck out in mutiny, he handed him the wrench. “Put this away and listen to your mom. I have to get cutting anyway.”

  The kid huffed out a sigh, but he took the tool and headed for the tool bench.

  “It’s too late to cut the grass tonight,” Mae said. “I have older neighbors that go to bed early.”

  “Mr. Henry is really old,” Ian confirmed. “He goes to bed at seven-thirty.”

  Merit held back a laugh at his dramatic tone. “Then I’ll come over and do it in the morning.”

  Ian stopped at the foot of the garage steps and turned toward Merit. “Can I help?”

  “You have soccer,” his mom reminded.

  “We can do it after soccer, right Merit? You can come with us.”

  “Sure.”

  “No.”

  Mae’s negative overrode Merit’s positive, her glare cutting off anything else he would’ve added.

  “Why not?” Ian demanded.

  Yeah, why not?

  Because she do
esn’t believe I’m in this for the long haul.

  “I’m sure Merit has other things to do,” Mae said in a more conciliatory tone. As if she were trying to let her son down easy.

  “He just said he’d come,” Ian argued.

  Merit hesitated, then decided what the hell. She was already pissed at him. She couldn’t ignore him for a whole soccer tournament, could she? “There’s absolutely nothing I’d rather do tomorrow than watch Ian play soccer.” And spend time with his mom. He met Mae’s flinty gaze. “What time can I pick you two up?”

  “We leave at seven-thirty,” his new best buddy said.

  “Ian, go brush your teeth,” Mae grit out through her own clenched teeth. “I need to talk to Mr. Diamond.”

  Mr. Diamond?

  The kid didn’t move. “Are you mad at me for inviting him?”

  She broke eye contact with Merit and squatted down. “Of course I’m not mad at you, Scoob. But you need to get a good night’s sleep if you want to impress him with a goal, right?”

  That sounded like a good sign.

  “Yeah.” A grin split his face as he darted up the stairs. “See you tomorrow, Merit!”

  “Night, little man. Thanks for the help.”

  But Ian had already disappeared, and one look at Mae’s glare told him he was still in deep Mr. Diamond shit.

  He turned and started futzing with the lawn mower. One, he was a chicken shit. Two, if he stared at her in that tight, white, baby-doll T-shirt and cotton short shorts for too long, he was going to start drooling.

  “We put on the new blade and the belt. I noticed you drained the gas and took out the spark plug, so I’ll take care of that before I head out. Then it’ll be ready to go when we get back tomorrow.”

  As he talked, he was well aware she’d remained at the top of the stairs, one shoulder leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest. And man, her breasts were a work of art that were almost worth sneaking a glance.

  Almost. Because, yeah, he was a chicken shit.

  “Merit.”

  “Yeah?” He removed the block of wood that had been wedged under the wheel to tilt the mower up and reached for the gas can. When he realized she hadn’t continued, he paused and looked up.

  The moment her gaze met his, she uncrossed her arms and descended the stairs. Each slow, deliberate step that brought her closer was punctuated by her low, firm voice. “Don’t ever use what Ian wants to get what you want again. Do you understand?”

  He hadn’t realized that’s how it came across. His stomach plummeted so fast it made his breath catch. “Yeah. But I—”

  “No.” She stopped two feet from his chest, a good eight inches shorter, yet somehow managing to make him feel small as she clenched her fists at her sides. “There are no buts. I’m his mother. What I say goes. You are not allowed to undermine my authority in front of him. Ever.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You haven’t raised him for the past six years. Alone. You don’t get to come in here and start taking over.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that, I swear. I’m sorry. Really. I just…I like the kid. And seeing him play sounded fun.”

  Surprise flashed in her gaze, and she lost a bit of her bluster.

  Recognizing he’d caught her off guard, he pressed forward. “It won’t happen again. Promise.”

  Her lips pressed together at that last word. Someone had really let her down, hadn’t they? Ian’s father. The dumb fuck asshole who left her and gave up a pretty awesome kid.

  “May I please come with tomorrow?”

  She blew out a resigned sigh. “Be here at seven-thirty and you can follow us to the field. If you’re late, we leave without you.”

  He’d prefer they ride together, but wasn’t going to push his luck. At this moment, anyway. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Her nose wrinkled like Ian’s had. “Don’t ma’am me.”

  “Yes, gorgeous.”

  “Stop it.”

  He grinned and raised his hands in surrender as he took a step back—because if he didn’t put some distance between them, he was going to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she moaned his name in that breathy, turned-on voice he remembered so well.

  Then he saw it. The corner of her mouth twitched as if she was fighting her own smile. His gaze caught on hers, and his pulse kicked into high gear.

  Damn.

  A step or two wasn’t gonna be nearly enough, so he spun around toward his SUV. “I’ll see you at seven-thirty. Not a minute later.”

  Chapter 10

  Mae checked the clock for the hundredth time Saturday morning as she put on one last swipe of mascara. It was while she was doing her hair that she realized how idiotic she was being for a guy she didn’t even trust.

  But she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to.

  Steeling her weak, hopeful heart, she threw her hair up into a short ponytail and lied to herself that she didn’t care what she looked like in her cut-off shorts and sky-blue top. Then she went to make Ian eggs for breakfast. Her stomach was too unsettled for more than a piece of toast.

  “When is Merit gonna be here?” he asked as she started folding the three loads of laundry piled on their couch.

  Another glance at the clock revealed only six minutes had passed since she’d checked it at seven-ten. “Seven-thirty. But he’s a busy guy, Ian. There’s a chance he won’t make it.”

  “Oh.”

  She frowned at the disappointment in his face and voice. Was she wrong to prepare her son for the possibility Merit would flake on the invite? Maybe, since she’d said the words as much for herself as for Ian. Still, he might actually show up, right?

  I sure hope so.

  They’d find out in fourteen minutes. Mae sent a brief prayer heavenward for her son not to be disappointed, then smiled across the room at her little Scooby Doo.

  “Hey, no long face until we see what happens, okay? Finish up and get your soccer stuff on.” He drank the rest of his milk and carried his dishes to the sink. “Thanks, bud,” she called as he darted off to his room.

  She blew out an unsteady breath, her emotions in a jumble. After Ian’s comments about wanting a daddy instead of a sibling, and seeing how quick he’d latched onto Merit, her concerns of him getting hurt were increasing. But then, there was that conversation she’d overheard last night.

  It had taken everything she had to keep tears at bay as she listened to the two of them, bonding as they sat on the cement fixing that stupid lawnmower. Ian hadn’t wanted to talk to her, but he’d had no problem opening up to Merit. It had broken her heart even as her own protective armor cracked when he reassured Ian he’d be a good big brother.

  Keeping her defenses intact as she yelled at him for undermining her authority had been hard, especially when she really wanted to step forward and hug him for being so good with her little boy. It was a good sign for the kind of father he’d be to their baby.

  Maybe she needed to start giving him the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t like he’d disappeared after she told him she was pregnant. Or asked her to get an abortion.

  Instead, he’d shown up at her work, and again last night. Other than the, “Are you sure it’s mine?” question, he’d been the complete opposite of Patrick. And if he kept up the opposite actions, it meant he was going to be in their lives. It stood to reason it would be best if they got along.

  It would be even better if we got together again.

  Her pulse ticked up a notch as she considered another night like at the hotel where Honor and Asher’s wedding had been held. Heat pooled low in her belly, and her nipples puckered from the memory of his hands and mouth on her body.

  Yeah, okay, she’d give him the benefit of the doubt—if he showed up.

  Think positive. He’s gonna show.

  Ian dashed down the hall toward her, soccer ball in hand. “I’m gonna go practice my dribble.”

  The door banged as he ran outside, and Mae tossed the shorts in her hand on the remainin
g laundry. He’d gone out to the front, so she knew he’d be watching for Merit, too.

  He better show if he knows what’s good for him.

  She did her best to ignore the passing minutes while filling a small cooler with snacks and drinks before carrying it out to the truck. She took her time loading a couple of folding chairs in the back, reminded Ian not to get too close to the road, then went inside to use the bathroom one last time.

  On her way back out, her gaze automatically shifted to the clock on the stove.

  7:34.

  Her chest tightened as she locked up and headed out to the garage. Ian was still dribbling his soccer ball back and forth across the driveway, the early morning sunshine making his blond hair look almost white. She squinted upward. They were calling for thunderstorms later, but right now there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

  She waited one last extra minute, playing with the zipper on her light-weight, navy hoodie before unclenching her jaw to call it. “Scoob, we gotta go.”

  He checked the street one more time. When she saw his shoulders slump before he leaned down to swipe up his ball, the resentment simmering in her gut bubbled up. She was mad at Merit and herself. She shouldn’t have let her foolish, lonely heart get her hopes up.

  Her disappointed little boy turned to walk toward their truck at the same moment a familiar red SUV turned the corner. Mae’s pulse jerked, and the frantic beat of her heart shortened her breath. After sucking in some oxygen to calm her nerves, she called out, “Hey, look, here he comes now.”

  Ian whipped around with a huge grin. “I knew he’d come!”

  Mae held back her own smile as Merit turned into her driveway. He grinned at her son jumping up and down while waving like a lunatic, and rolled down his window.

  “Ian, my man. You look like you’re ready to score a goal.”

  “I am.”

  “Awesome. Nice jersey.”

  Her little boy puffed out his chest in the red and white jersey with Lockhart Construction printed on the top left. “Mom sponsored our team this year.”