Pippa
Co-parents.
That’s the format we decided to move forward with last night.
Technically I decided, since Sully really had no choice but to follow along, but I think the concept worked for both of us. Knowing the boundaries and keeping the baby central certainly made our talk a lot less intimidating. Overwhelming, yes, but it felt like we were on the same side of the fence instead of at odds.
I was able to listen to him explain his thoughts behind the suggestion I move in. Most of that idea circled around health insurance and that part actually made sense. The only coverage I currently have here is my temporary travel insurance, which is geared toward emergencies and not ongoing care.
I already know I’ll be getting a bill from the clinic and although I do still have some money in the bank to cover that, it won’t last me long. Not when I also have to pay Ira, who is starting today. God only knows how long it’s going to take for the business to start generating enough income to fully sustain him. In the meantime, I’ll have to supplement out of pocket. It’s a move I think will pay off in the end, but until then, it will likely leave me cash strapped.
Sully’s proposal could actually relieve some of the pressure on me. From what he tells me the insurance coverage he has is pretty comprehensive. He’s going to call them today to see if it’s possible, what is needed, and what it would cost to have me added on to his policy. The whole issue of health insurance this side of the border is so different than what I’m used to, I’m happy to have him take the lead looking into that.
I also managed to quietly listen to him explain why moving in with him would be a good idea. He did add it could simply be temporary until after the baby is born, but I’m not yet sold on the idea. Oh, I can see the benefits—no living expenses, other than personal needs and groceries, always having someone around for emergencies—but I’m not sure it would be healthy for me.
Being in such close proximity to that man may prove to be too difficult. Not because I’ve been angry with him since the beginning of the year, but because he really fucking hurt me and has the power to do it again. I didn’t even realize I had feelings for Sully until that night. Then within hours of that revelation, he managed to crush me. Sure, anger has been at the forefront of my emotions, but that doesn’t mean the other feelings are dead.
So last night, I promised him I’d give the housing situation some serious consideration before I insisted on heading home. I ended up taking Fletch’s truck, which he’d left parked at the barn.
It’s early morning when I pull into the hospital parking lot. I manage to slide Fletch’s truck into a vacant spot beside my pickup, which I intend to leave with after I check in with my sister. Fletch can have his shiny truck back, I much prefer my classic.
There’s no sign of Fletch when I walk into the room. Nella looks to be napping but when I tiptoe closer to the bed, her eyes snap open.
“Morning.”
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
She shimmies up in the bed to sit up straighter.
“I feel fine. I still have the occasional contraction but the baby is great and dilation has halted, so it’s all good. I’m kept on bed rest though.” She makes an unhappy face. “I can only get up to go to the bathroom and every time I do it causes a contraction.”
“That sucks. How long do you figure?”
Pulling up her shoulders, she answers, “I’m not sure. I think the idea is to get us to thirty-seven weeks at least, but that all depends on this little guy.”
She places a hand on her prominent belly, a gesture that’s becoming second nature to me as well.
“Guess he’s eager to meet his parents. Speaking of which, where is Fletch? I brought his truck to swap for mine.”
“He’s just gone to grab a coffee and something to eat. I’m hoping I can convince him to go home and get some proper sleep. He’s been watching over me all night in that chair, reacting to every little sound I make, and not getting any rest. I’m gonna go nuts if he stays and hovers all the time.”
“Did you get the nursery done yet?”
Last time I was over at her place, they were still putting it together at leisure. Things have become a little more urgent now.
“All the pieces are there. The crib and the changing table arrived the other day, but we haven’t had a chance to put it together.”
“Perfect,” I announce. “Remind him the nursery is not ready for the baby and it’s causing you stress. I bet he’ll tear out of here to remedy that in a hurry. That man would move mountains for you if you asked.”
I feel a twinge of envy, only a tiny one, but I shove it down. In truth, I’m thrilled my sister has found a man who adores her. Fletch is not exactly the most affable guy, but I love the way he is with my sister. She deserves to be adored.
She doesn’t bother denying and instead turns the attention on me.
“What about you? How was your night?”
That question is way more loaded than it might appear, and I keep my answer simple.
“Good.”
It’s obvious my response annoys her when she rolls her eyes.
“You’re being purposely obtuse,” she accuses before asking me straight out. “Did you tell him?”
“I didn’t get a chance,” I admit. “He already figured it out.”
“And?”
“After a bit of a bumpy start, we ended up talking. We’re gonna take it step by step, keeping the baby central, sharing decisions. That kind of stuff. Co-parenting,” I clarify.
Nella doesn’t bother hiding her disappointment. I know she wants me to have what she found with Fletch.
“And what about you two?”
“It was a one-time thing, Nella, and we’ve barely spoken since. That hardly makes for any kind of basis to build a relationship on.”
“I was sure you liked him,” she observes.
“I did, I do, but that has to be a two-way street.”
That seems to surprise her.
“I was sure he liked you too,” she states.
“Maybe, but even if that were the case, I don’t think he was or is interested in anything serious.”
“Well, then Sully is in for a surprise; becoming a father is serious business.”
Behind me I hear the squeak of a shoe sole on the tile floor, and I watch Nella’s eyes widen as she glances over my shoulder.
“That rat bastard,” I hear Fletch growl behind me and I swing my head around. “I had a fucking feeling,” he continues, glaring at me. “Knew he was sniffing around, but I had no idea that son of a bitch already went there. I’m gonna—”
I can pretty much guess what is coming after that, and I’m going to put a stop to it right now. I love my brother-in-law, I’ve been lucky to have seen his caring side, even appreciate his ingrained need to protect, but I could do without the knuckle-dragging, chest-pounding displays of aggression it seems to invoke.
“You will do absolutely nothing,” I tell him firmly, getting up in his face so he’ll understand me clearly. “I’m a grown woman, I made the choice to sleep with Sully, and I’ll be the one dealing with the consequences. You need to know I’m gonna be mighty pissed if you make what is already a precarious understanding between Sully and me more difficult by throwing your weight, and—God forbid—your fists around.”
I take in a deep breath before I hammer it home.
“I can—and will—make your life miserable if you interfere.”
I can see the figurative steam coming from his ears as he glares at me, but then Nella clears her throat behind me before giving me her vote of support.
“And so will I.”
Sully
“That’s ridiculous.”
I’m beyond annoyed, but it’s not the fault of the insurance broker.
“Sorry I can’t be of more help.”
“That’s okay. I’ll figure it out.”
Getting Pippa onto my insurance is not quite as straightforward as I’d hoped. It’s not a problem changing to a family policy from the individual one I own. Her pregnancy is also not an issue, it used to be considered a pre-existing condition, but that no longer applies.
The problem we’re facing is for her to meet the requirements of spouse. Her moving in with me is not going to be sufficient, and the fact she doesn’t have her green card doesn’t help. There’s only one way to fix that, but I foresee that’ll bring a whole new set of issues.
Luckily, once the baby is born, he or she would fall under my policy, but for Pippa the only alternative is to pay for her care out of pocket.
I do a Google search for the average cost of pregnancy and delivery. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I’d need to do a little shuffling but I can afford it. I just don’t know if Pippa will let me pay it all. I’ll probably be lucky if she’ll allow me to pay half. The woman is fiercely independent. But the problem is, I don’t think she can afford it. She recently bought the garage, she hired a mechanic, and if she doesn’t want to move in here, she’ll also have to pay for a roof over her head.
I wanted to give her options, not force her into a corner.
Fuck. This is not going to be easy, is it?
“Who’s ridiculous?”
Jonas is leaning against the doorpost to the office and I wonder how long he’s been standing there. I haven’t talked to anyone yet, but I want to be the one to tell my teammates. Out of respect for Fletch, I intended to tackle him first, but he’s at the hospital with his wife and probably has other things on his mind right now.
Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to start with Jonas.
“Health insurance.”
“What’s wrong with your health insurance?”
“I wanted to switch to a family plan.”
He pushes away from the doorpost and walks in, taking a seat on the other side of my desk.
“Explain.”
Jonas is direct, I know he’ll appreciate the same from me so I’m not going to beat around the bush.
“Pippa is twenty-one weeks pregnant. I’m the father.”
The words turn out to be surprisingly effortless for me, but hearing them has an obvious impact on Jonas. It’s not often I see my friend lost for words, but he is now.
“What the fuck were you thinking, Eckhart?” he finally bursts out, leaning forward. “Four months ago? The woman would’ve barely recovered from her injuries. And she’s Nella’s sister. Practically family.”
“I know that, J.”
He gets to his feet, snatches his hat off his head, and slaps the brim against his leg.
“Fletch is gonna lose his goddamn shit.”
“Probably. I plan to talk to him next.”
Jonas shakes his head at me. “You’d better, my friend, because I won’t stand for it if shit like that bleeds into the team.”
“It won’t,” I promise, mentally crossing my fingers.
He leaves the room and comes back a few moments later with the bottle of bourbon he hides in his desk drawer and two tumblers. He pours a couple of shots, hands me a glass, and sits back down across from me. Then he looks up, the corner of his mouth twitching, and raises the glass.
“I trust you to do the right thing. Congrats, brother.”
I raise my own glass and follow his example, tossing back the shot. The burn of the alcohol going down stings my eyes, and I suck in a sharp breath through my teeth.
Jonas simply winces and slams the empty glass on my desk before sitting back with a full-on smirk on his face.
“Butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Sullivan Eckhart…a fucking daddy.”
My chuckle is inadvertent. It shouldn’t be funny but Jonas is making me laugh. It’s probably only nerves, or maybe the alcohol, but it takes me a moment to regain my composure.
“It’s gonna be tough getting her added on my insurance unless she marries me.”
“What are the odds of that happening?” Jonas asks.
I let out a snort. “I’d say pretty damn slim,” I admit grudgingly.
“You not willing to take that step? You’re not feeling it?”
“I’m feeling it and I wanna do the right thing, but I’m not so sure about her.”
“Word of advice; don’t mention ‘doing the right thing’ when you bring up marriage with her. I don’t pretend to know much about women, but even I can tell you that’ll be sure to annihilate any chance you might have.”
I’m about to acknowledge what he says when my phone buzzes in my pocket. One look at the screen puts a smile on my face.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
It’s not often my niece calls me anymore. Not since she went off to college a few years ago. Too busy with student life to bother with her uncle.
“Uncle Sully? We have a problem.”