“It’s in two weeks. ”
“I want to go with you. Since you waited until you were seven months to drop this on me, I think it’s only fair that I get to come to all your appointments from now on. ”
“Um, okay…sure Jeff, that’s fine. I don’t have the doctor’s information with me, so can I just text it to you later?”
“You don’t have the doctor’s info in your phone, Rebecca? No number or nothing?” I asked skeptically.
She let out a nervous laugh. “Of course, I have Dr. Wyatt’s number, Jeff. I just meant that I don’t have the address. I’ll text you the day and time of the appointment along with the address this evening. Do you want to pick me up, so we can drive there together? Maybe we can grab dinner afterwards?”
Oh shit, here we go. “Rebecca, I need you to know that I asked Ari to marry me last Saturday night. I love her, and I’ll always love her. Even if this baby turns out to be mine, Ari is going to be a part of this child’s life. ”
Rebecca had a stunned look on her face. “Wait…what do you mean you asked her to marry you? I thought…”
“You thought what?” I asked.
She started to look around frantically.
“Um… I don’t know what I was going to say. You asked her to marry you even after you found out about the baby? I’m not so sure that I’m okay with Ari being involved in any way, shape, or form. I mean… look, she came here today to spy on us! You have to see that she obviously does not trust you, Jefferson. ”
“She trusts me. It’s you she doesn’t trust. ”
“Well, ouch, that hurt. I’m not dropping the restraining order until after I have the baby. I don’t trust her, especially after the stunt she pulled today, and I’m beginning to think that her little friend didn’t accidentally pick up my phone either. ”
I held back from laughing. The moment Amanda had brought back the phone, I had known something was up. It had Ari written all over it.
“It doesn’t matter why they were here. Ari is a part of my life, and you need to accept that. ” I looked down at her stomach when I saw the baby move again.
She followed my eyes and smiled. “Do you want to feel again? He’s moving around a lot today. ”
“He? You already know the sex of the baby?” I couldn’t help but reach out to feel the baby.
Rebecca let out a laugh. She glanced down at my hand on her stomach and then looked back up at me.
“Yes, I was too excited to not find out. I’m going to start painting the baby’s room and then try to put the crib together. ”
I knew what she was doing. She was trying to get me to volunteer to help her. I knew that had to talk to Ari before I started doing shit like that.
I pulled my hand away from her stomach and then laid some money on the table. I needed to get out of here.
“Well, I need to get going. I’m getting ready to move out the ranch so I need to go and pack up. ”
“Wait! You’re moving out to the country? Isn’t that place like three hours away? What if something happens with the baby?”
“Rebecca, you made it this far without me. You’ll be fine with me being two-and-a-half hours away. If you need something, you can just call me. My cell phone works off and on out there, so, after we get a land-line I’ll give it to you. ”
“We? As in you and Ari? Is she moving out there with you? Are y’all moving in together?”
I stood up and threw my napkin down on the table. What is she, my fucking mother now?
“Listen, what happens between Ari and me is none of your business Rebecca…at least not until we have a test done after this baby is born, so we can find out once and for all if he’s mine or not. ”
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. Son of a bitch.
“Of course, Jeff, I’m sorry. It really is none of my business. May I ask when you’ll be moving?”
“After Gunner comes back from his honeymoon, we’re going to start moving, so we should be totally moved out to Mason in about three weeks. We have to be out of the house by the middle of July. Speaking of dates, I asked you earlier but you never told me. When is your due date?”
“Wait a minute. Did you say when Gunner comes back from his honeymoon? When did he get married?”