Page 51 of Say We've Found Forever
She’s quick to distract rather than confront the swirl of emotions flooding her. “Much. Thanks, Honey. You’re the best husband I’ve ever had.”
“The bar is on the ground, ain’t it?”
“Fair point. In my defense, I didn’t pick the first one.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was arranged. Every marriage was. No one got the chance to choose. It was only based on the likelihood of creating strong offspring.”
“Sweetheart, that’s the saddest thing I’ve heard in a long damn time. They just threw him at you and saidhere, take this one?”
Hearing him call her sweetheart in that half-whispered, gravelly tone is orgasmic all by itself, and in such a surprising way that she actually shivers.
“Yes, it was very much like that.” She’s starting to feel a little embarrassed having brought it up. “It was common. Acceptable.”
“Well, him fucking off elsewhere got you outta that arrangement, at least.” He pauses. “I shouldn’t be swearing around the baby, should I? Does it matter this early?”
It probably doesn’t matter at all anymore. A baby growing up to say a curse as their first word is far from the worst thing that could happen these days. Still, something about how concerned Wyatt is about being a bad influence on a random child sleeping a few feet away is endearing.
He frowns at her shivers before she can tell him not to bother censoring his mouth. “Still cold? Here, come on.”
He’s mistaken her reaction and gotten even closer, lifting his arm with a put-upon expression like it’s some sort of burden. She can’t tell if that’s actually how he feels about the whole thing, or if it’s an act.
The proper thing to do would be to refuse. Tell him she’s fine and stand firm. But she is weak, especially when she still isn’t sure if he’ll be around past tomorrow or next week. So she lets him think she’s only chilly and slots against his side.
“We have to stock up on blankets before winter really settles in down here,” he says absently.
The fact that he’s talking about the future in any capacity is a good sign, so she runs with it. “Start chopping firewood, too.”
“The fireplace doesn’t work. I double checked. The flue is broken, we’d burn the whole place down.”
Well, that’s not good. Now she actually is worried about winter.
“The dairy farm has two of them, from the looks of it,” he continues. “Something to think about.”
“You want to move to the—”
She’s cut off by Samantha fussing across from them. Her father’s snoring has woken her, and she wiggles on the ground, trying to free herself from the swaddle.
Picking up someone else’s child is a surefire way to make an enemy these days, but Jeff is out cold from sleep deprivation.
Wyatt scoops up the bundle and sighs, long-suffering and irritated, but damn if he isn’t a complete natural. He cradles the baby against his bicep like he’s done it all his life until her gibberish begins to quiet.
Gentleness looks far better on him than he knows.
Good thing she’s already pregnant, or the picture before her would have her begging to get knocked up. All his rough edges smooth out into a soft half-smile that he’s trying to keep off his face.
Would he hold her baby like this? Tender and sweet, rocking her until she falls asleep. Then she scolds herself for going there at all. She knows better. He can hardly tolerate her these days. She shouldn’t be wishing he’d play instant father when asking too much is how they got in this mess.
His attention flickers to her for a moment, confusion flashing in his eyes. “You’re making a face.”
“Am I?”
“Mhmm. I know I’m not good at this. Here you should take her.”
“Actually.” She refuses to take the offered baby. “This is my‘you’re very talented at baby whispering’face.”
“If you change your mind, she’s all yours. She’s heavy anyway,” he lies.
