Out On a Limb(91)

Once finished, I dry my hair, rub lotion on my slowly growing belly, brush my teeth, and tiptoe back across the hall. Once there, I find a freshly brewed cup of coffee from Bo on my dresser. He even made the bed. I don’t think I’ve ever made my bed, but I appreciate the sentiment.

I dress in thick, black leggings, my favourite emerald green Westcliff sweatshirt, and a pair of woolly socks. I tie my hair up in a messy bun and make my way toward the scent of something delicious from down the hall, coffee in hand.

“Morning,” I say, slipping into the kitchen.

“Just me,” Bo says, flipping a pancake on the stove. “Dad really must have had too much to drink.”

“Should we wake him? When is his flight?”

“I’m dropping him off at nine. It’s an overnight. Let’s let him sleep.”

“Have you talked to him about coming to visit once the baby’s born?” I ask, filling a glass with ice from the fridge.

“No. Actually, I was thinking… Maybe we could go there. A little family vacation… you ever been to Paris?”

I beam, shaking my head. Family. That’s exactly what we are. “I’ve always wanted to, but no. Maybe we could do a little world tour? Stop by my mom’s too?”

“She’s still not sure about coming up in August?”

“No… something about having to pay an entrance fee to this new business she’s doing—she swears she’s going to earn it back soon but,” I say, shrugging, “who knows?”

“Does your mom know… about…” Bo gestures between the two of us with the spatula.

I smirk into my coffee, taking a long sip. “She knew before you did, actually. I sort of just lied from the start when I didn’t clarify in what nature we were living together. But now, I guess I can call it manifesting,” I say, going up onto the tips of my toes to kiss his cheek.

Bo flips a pancake, nodding to himself. “So, I’ve been thinking…”

Sarcastically, I look between the bathroom down the hall and him. “In the last ten minutes? Did I leave you alone for too long?”

“I’d like you to quit the café.”

“Bo.” I roll my eyes with affection. “I like being home too, but I still have to save money for the camp and pay my fair share around here.” I drape my hand around his neck, rubbing his shoulder. I love that I can just touch him now. I love that it feels like maybe I always could have. “And I’d get you fired…” I say in a low hum. “Those sweaters you wear for work and your glasses? They do it for me.”

Bo laughs, his throat working as he lifts a pancake from the pan to an already full plate, then turns off the burner. “You’d still be working. Just not at the café.”

“I also consider sex work to be an honest living, but gorgeous, that’s not happening.”

Bo leans on the counter, his hand flat on top of it. “I got an email from James Burrough—the investor—this morning. Well, last night. But I was busy then.” He winks. “I saw it this morning.”

I place my mug on the counter, nearly chipping the thing with the speed I do it. “And…” I wave him on with both hands.

“And he wants to invest. He’s offering 78 percent of what we need.”

I bring both hands to my face, covering my gasp. “That’s amazing!” I throw my arms around Bo’s shoulders and hug him. He stays unmoving, other than bending to tuck his chin into my neck. “But wait. That still means I—”

“I want to invest the rest, Win. But…” he says, tapping his fingers on the countertop. “I want to know my investment won’t be burning themselves out running between two jobs. You’ve got four more months before the baby shows up, and I think if you were able to focus on the camp, you could make some serious progress.”

“Bo, that’s…” I try to do the calculations in my head and come up empty. “That is…”

“One hundred, thirty-eight thousand and six hundred dollars.”

“You don’t have that!” I exclaim, my mouth open.

“No?” He pouts his lips. “Huh… could have sworn I did.”

“Bo…” I whisper, side-eyeing him. “Are you rich?”

“I do well.”

“I do well sounds like something a rich person would say. I know you have a really great job, but that is some serious money.”

“I’ve been lucky with some investments. Adamir approached me for some advice when he finished school, and I ended up partnering with him on an app he built. It sold over a year ago for just under three million.”

“And when you say partnered, you mean…?”

“I got about 30 percent of that.”

I grip my forehead, laughing without sound. “There is so much math going on this morning.”

Bo drops his hand from the counter and wraps it around my back, tugging me to him. “There have been a lot of things I wanted to do and say these last few months, and I’ve been waiting not so patiently. This is one of those things. Now that you trust me,” he tilts my chin up toward him when I look down between us, “I want you to let me help, okay?” He nods, his eyes locked on mine, as if he’s trying to get me to do the same. “It’s your turn now, Win.”