Her Dad’s Best Friend

I can see the tension disappear from his body. "So you're saying yes?"

"I'm saying that I'll go along with your plan for now."

His mouth falls on mine. He's ravenous, plundering my mouth. My knees are weak as his arms wrap around me, hard as steel bands. I can't breathe but it's glorious and I don't need to. When the kiss ends, we're both gasping for breath. His arms are still around me. He puts his forehead to mine.

"I swear you won't regret this."

Chapter 34

Telling My Dad

Elia

ONE DAY LATER

"You what?" My father has jumped to his feet.

"She's pregnant," Jeff says, drinking a little more wine.

"You asshole," my dad hisses.

I'm worried that a fist fight is about to start, but Jeff doesn't look like he's expecting it. Dad yanks him out of his chair and shoves his face into his best friend's face. "How dare you?" "You're the one who wanted her to live with me," he says.

"I thought she'd be safe with you," my dad says.

"She was. She is. Forever. I promise to protect her."

"Fucker," my dad spits, although he lets go of Jeff's shirt.

"When it comes to taking care of me, Dad, you know that Jeff will."

He rubs his eyes. "I guess I'll have to take that risk," he says. "I'm not happy about this."

"We're married," I say. "And that's what counts. No shotgun weddings for us."

My dad barks a short laugh. "I guess that's a plus. What a charlie foxtrot."

I relax. My dad is accepting this. Not easily, not happily, but he is. And that's what matters tonight. "How is this going to work? She's supposed to start a new semester soon."

"A semester is only four months. She'll still be pregnant at the end of it." "You mean that she's still going to her first semester of school? Pregnant?"

"It's what she wants," Jeff says.

"I'm going to commute," I explain. "It's a little too far for me to drive every day, but I'm spending Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at home. I'll schedule classes so that they're only four days a week. It's only for a semester. We can handle it."

"I sure hope so," my dad says. "But that's up to you two now."

My dad capitulated suspiciously quickly. I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, though.

The three of us finish our dinner. I leave and go take care of Danny, making sure that he's warm and happy as he sleeps the pure sleep of the innocent.

Chapter 35

Boxing

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