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“You know, when you say stupid shit like that, it—”
“Okay, okay,” he said with a grin. Kelli was friends with two of the hottest women on the planet, so it had really rocked his world when his flirting was rebuffed. His ego had taken a major hit until Kelli let him off the hook and told him why he’d never stood a chance. “Believe me, I know exactly who they are. A loss for our team,” he mumbled, enjoying the way she narrowed her eyes at him. It was so easy to get a rise out of her.
“After they got married, they decided they wanted to have a kid. Lydia asked a guy she’d grown up with if he would donate the sperm. She knew his family history, knew him, plus he’s a hot orthodontist, smart, funny, the whole package.”
“And he just gave them sperm and walked away? Gave up all rights to the kid?”
“For one thing, he’s married and lives in Iowa, and I’m sure he’ll see the kid on occasion, but you’re looking at this the wrong way. That’s not the point.”
“What is the point?”
“The point is, Lydia and Kristen are the parents. He just gave them…a gift.”
“Of sperm? You know most people give Keurigs or place settings as wedding gifts. Not sure I’ve ever seen sperm on a registry.”
“I hate you.”
Colm smiled. “I know.”
“I don’t even know why I started this conversation with you. Forget I said anything.”
“No. I don’t want to forget it. I’m glad you’re telling me. And I meant what I said. I do understand.”
She tilted her head.
“Always so suspicious,” he teased.
“I considered talking to Sunnie or Yvonne or Darcy, but they’re all so…emotional, driven by true love and all that shit.”
“Yep. The Collins curse is real.” For years, he’d sworn the Collinses had lived under a curse and, when it struck, it caused the person afflicted to fall in love fast and hard. It had been a joke for a while, but as more and more of his cousins found their soul mates, there was no denying the curse was real.
Though God knew none of those struck by it considered it a curse at all. His cousin Lochlan, the last man he’d ever expected to succumb to marriage, called it a blessing.
“So you’re considering a sperm bank, but you’d rather get the,” he finger-quoted, “‘gift sperm’ from a guy you know, someone you choose.”
She nodded. “I’ve been working on a list, but it’s pretty damn skimpy.”
“Oh yeah? Who’s on it?”
She shook her head. “None of your business.”
“We know a lot of the same people, Kell. Maybe I can help you narrow down your options. Am I on it?”
“Fuck no!”
“What? That’s a mistake.” He flexed his muscles for her. “You gotta want these genes.”
“Pass. Hard pass.”
Colm shrugged in a your loss way, then he had an unsettling thought. “Is Paddy on the list?”
“He was originally, but no. I marked his name out.”
“Why?”
“You know why. He’s not like that orthodontist in Iowa. He’d never walk away. Never. Besides, he’s not moving on, and I’m scared he’ll never get over Mia’s death. If I asked him to do this, my fear is he would say yes, and then he’d give his whole life to the kid as another way to avoid getting out there and taking a chance on finding love and happiness again.”
Colm nodded. “You’re right. He would. So who’s on the list?”
