Page 91 of Biker Orc Baby Daddy

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"I color-code spreadsheets for fun. Complicated is my baseline."

I laugh. Actual laugh. The tension cracks. Not gone. But. Manageable.

"Okay," I say. "Okay. Ground rules."

"I love ground rules."

"Of course you do." I count on my fingers. "One. No more secrets. If something's wrong. If you're scared or confused or. Or whatever. You tell me."

"Agreed."

"Two. We co-parent. Actually co-parent. Not you helping out when it's convenient. We share this. Equally."

"Yes."

"Three. We. We take this slow. Whateverthisis. We don't. We don't rush into. Into anything we're not ready for."

His face does something. "What do you mean bythis?"

Heat climbs my neck. "I mean. Us. If there's. If there's an us. Beyond. Beyond Orry."

"Do you want there to be?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Do you?"

"Maybe."

We stare at each other. The air shifts. Charged.

"Slow," I say.

"Very slow." He nods.

"Glacial." My left brow cocks as I stifle the smile threatening to spread across my face.

"Geologic."

"Good."

"Good."

We sit. Not touching. But closer than before.

"I should get back to Orry," I say eventually. "Colum's probably taught him terrible habits by now."

"Probably."

"Want to come?"

"Yeah. I. Yeah."

We stand. Gunther folds the paper. Tucks it into his jacket pocket. Careful. Reverent.

"You're keeping that?" I ask.

"It's important."

"It's a lab result."

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