Chapter 12

Shepherd

I'm going to be a father. The more I say it over and over in my head, I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that I am indeed going to be a father.

"Why's that asshole been hanging around?" I ask Felicity, still unsure as to what is going on between the two of them. "And how do you know for sure the baby's mine?" I want to make sure there's no confusion.

Felicity's eyes narrow as she stares at me. "Why don't you come inside." She steps into her house, and I follow her, dropping her hand in the process.

We settle on the couch, and I take in her house. The living room is cozy and warmly lit, with soft lighting. A large bookshelf, filled with an eclectic mix of novels and trinkets, lines one wall, while a well-worn rug covers the hardwood floor.

The couch itself is plush and inviting, positioned in front of a modest fireplace that adds to the room's warmth. On the mantel, there are various knick-knacks, including a few framed pictures, a small clock, and a couple of candles that give off a subtle, soothing scent. A large window behind the couch allows natural light to filter in during the day, with heavy curtains that can be drawn for privacy.

Felicity sits close to me, her expression serious yet soft. "This is your baby," she says firmly. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

"So, what about him? What's his name? Kurt?"

"Karl," she corrects me. "And I haven't been with Karl sexually since before he left me at the altar. He was at the store when I bought the pregnancy test, and now that I'm pregnant he thinks I'll want him back, or something. He doesn't think I can raise this child on my own. But I can." She looks me hard in the eyes, and a sense of overwhelming protectiveness overpowers me.

"I don't want him around. You get that?"

She crosses her arms over her chest, drawing her cleavage together. Her tits press against her beige tank top, and I remember how good it felt to have those breasts in my mouth. "I can do whatever the hell I want," she says, and her defiance is pissing me off.

"Not when you're carrying my baby in your belly."

This statement pisses her off, and her eyes grow wild.

"Are you kidding me?" She stands from the couch, moving toward the front door as if she's planning on kicking me out.

"You can leave now. I need to get some sleep for work tomorrow."

"You're working." I keep my ass rooted on the couch. I'm not going anywhere until we figure a few things out.

"Of course I'm still working. Why wouldn't I?" She taps her foot by the door, tugging her arms closer to her body.

"I don't think you should work in your condition."

Her face flushes red with her apparent anger. "Shepherd, you should go. Do you realize women back in the 1800's were still working the fields when they were eight months pregnant."

"Aren't you glad you're not living back then?"

"Please leave."

I settle on the couch, crossing one ankle over my knee, resting my hand on top of it. "We need to figure things out." I want to tell her to sit down, but I can tell I'm not going to win that argument.

Pick your battles is something my father always told me. Maybe one day I'll be able to tell our child that.

"Like what?" she asks.

"Have you been to the doctor yet?"

"I have an appointment tomorrow at three."

I nod, thinking about how I'll need to reschedule my day. "Okay, I can push a few things around."

"You're not invited."

I can see the exhaustion on her face, and suddenly feel bad about not letting her sleep. I know we need to figure things out, but maybe we need to take it slowly. I stand from the couch, invading her space just to be able to catch a smell of her fresh coconut scent. "I will be going to the appointment with you. I'll pick you up at two-thirty. Be ready."

Her fiery brown eyes search mine, and I spot the exact moment that she realizes she isn't going to be able to persuade me out of taking her to her appointment tomorrow, and she sighs. "Fine, now please leave. I need to work in the morning."

"Should I pick you up from work?" I ask her.

She nods. "Okay, fine."

"Good night, Felicity." I open her front door and don't even wait for her to say goodbye before I'm walking back to my house next door.

I'm going to be a father. I can't believe this.

I don't even know who to tell first.

I grab my phone, and open up my group chat with all of my brothers, and Griffin.

Baby's mine. I'm going to be a father.

Callum: Holy shit. Congrats, man.

Tripp: I'm going to be an awesome uncle. Congratulations.

Paxton: Wow, I can't believe this. Hartford says congrats, btw.

Brock: I'm speechless.

Griffin: Anya and I are speechless as well. Wow.

She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'll know more about it.

Callum: Let us know how things go. Are you and her a couple now?

Considering the fact she hates me? I don't think so.

Paxton: Give her time. The most important thing is that you don't cause her any undue stress.

Griffin: Yeah, stress is bad for the baby. Wow, congrats, Shep. We need to celebrate.

Tripp: Yes, party time.

Brock: When are you going to tell Mom and Dad?

Ugh. Don't remind me.

Callum: I am still so shocked. Fuckin' A, right?

Yeah. Oh, I'm gonna need to kick off early tomorrow so I can go with Felicity to the docs.

Callum: Sure thing, Daddy.

Paxton: LOL. Hartford is so excited she's already looking for baby clothes online.

Griffin: Haha, so is Anya. She's already planning the baby shower.

Oh god.

Callum: Griff, you and Anya just got together. I don't need to hear about her staying the night already. It's late, she should head home.

Griffin: …

Paxton: Hartford says you need to get the book, The Expectant Father. She's ordering it for you. It'll be at your place tomorrow.

Thanks, I guess.

Tripp: Is there an expectant uncle book? I'm going to need one.

Brock: You're an idiot, Tripp. But, yeah if there is, we all need it.

Night guys, I'm gonna go freak out in private now.

The next morning, I'm still in shock about last night. I tossed and turned for hours, unable to find any real sleep. My mind raced with thoughts and fears about the future. The fact that I'm going to be a father has completely freaked me out, filling me with a mix of excitement and anxiety that I can't shake.

As I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, the morning light filtering through the curtains, I try to gather my thoughts. I know I need to be strong for Felicity's sake. She's counting on me, and the baby will be too. Despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me, I have to step up and face this new reality.

I crawl out of bed, making myself a cup of coffee before heading into work. I've got a busy day at the brewery, filled with ordering and inventory, and I'm thankful it's all a bunch of mindless work, because my mind's so occupied with the fact that soon I'll be a father.

I don't even know how far along Felicity is. I mean, we had sex over Christmas and it's May now, so that would make her almost five months.

When do mothers start showing?

As I head into the brewery, Callum is waiting for me by the back door.

"Hey there, Dad," he says with a huge smile on his face.

Callum may come off grumpy and mean to others, but since him and I are closest in age, he's never been that way with me.

Griffin steps up behind him. "Anya went a bit overboard last night and bought a whole baby store. She wants to know if at the appointment today you can figure out what sex the baby is so she can buy more."

Callum laughs. "With Shep's luck he'll have a daughter. That way he can fight off all the high school boys who want to get her into bed."

"Ugh," I say, scrubbing a hand across my bearded jaw. "Don't even start on that shit." I can barely picture having a baby, let alone a teenager. Especially a daughter.

They both laugh, and I follow them back inside and make my way to the dry storage so I can get started on inventory. I pop my Airpods in and get to work, letting the sounds of Red Hot Chili Peppers take over as I lose myself in counting supplies. At around two, I set my iPad down and take out my Airpods.

I need to get Felicity for her appointment, and let's just say I'm a little nervous about the whole thing.

I honestly don't know what to expect, and I fear I'm going to screw everything up.

As I'm about to head out for the day, Tripp stops me.

"Hey, I wanted to run something by you really quick," he says.

"Walk with me to my truck," I tell him, heading out the back door of the brewery.

He nods, following after me. "First, congrats on this baby thing. How are you feeling about it all?"

I shake my head, stopping at my truck in the lot. "Honestly, I haven't really had time to process everything."

"What about the mother? You gonna try to make things work now that she's having your baby?"

"Tripp, I've liked her since the night we spent together. Even if there was no baby, I'd still try to win her back."

"You need to tell her that." Tripp may be young, but he's wise beyond his years, even though he never shows this side to anyone else.

"She hates me."

Tripp rests his hand on my shoulder. "She doesn't hate you as much as you think."

I nod. "Is this what you wanted to run by me?"

Tripp shakes his head, his green eyes catching in the light of the sun. "No, I'm not sure if the brewery is what I want for my future. Sure, it's a great job, but I think I want something different."

"Like what?"

Tripp has this far off look on his face, and then smiles. "I'm not a hundred percent sure about it yet, I just wanted to see how you all would feel if I did something else, and not the brewery."

"Sure, we just want you to be happy," I tell him. "Unless you want to do something crazy like rob banks."

Tripp laughs. "No, it's nothing like that. You'll definitely be the first person I tell if I plan on pursuing it."

I nod again. "Sure thing. Now, I need to get to Felicity's so I can take her to the doctor."

Tripp says his goodbyes as he heads back inside the brewery. I hop in my truck, making my way downtown to Felicity's work.

How bad is it that I don't even know what she does for a living? There's so much I don't know about this woman, but I definitely want to find out.

I want to find out everything I can about the woman carrying my baby.