Page 52 of Landing Love

“I won’t be gone long, only three days.”

Three days alone with her feelings. The tumult she’d been keeping at bay would almost certainly come crashing down on her. But she had to face it sometime. Maybe it would be for the best if he wasn’t around for it.

She started burping Junior. “I know. I don’t really mind. I just wish you didn’t have to go away so soon.”

He hugged her tight against him. “Me too.” He kissed her hair. “It’s going to be fun telling my friends, though. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.”

Junior let out a loud burp and looked terribly pleased.

“Well done, little man,” Bill said with a grin. “Can I hold him?” At her nod, he picked up Junior and settled him against his chest.

Something deep inside her clenched at the sight of her sweet baby curled up on that chiseled chest. Was there anything more appealing than a strong and tender father? Would it have been like this with Roger? He never even got to meet his son.

“What’s wrong, love?” Bill asked.

“Hmm?”

“You look sad and pensive all of a sudden.” He let Junior close his tiny fists around his fingers.

She shook her head. “I was just thinking how I never got a moment like this with Roger. He never even got to meet his son.”

“He’s never far from your thoughts, is he?”

“No.” There was no point denying it. Roger was in her thoughts constantly.

“You know what we need?” Bill said with sudden, forced cheerfulness. “Strawberry cake. Let’s pop down to the bakery and get some.”

Jarred by the sudden change in topic, she had trouble gathering her thoughts for a moment. Was he always this impulsive? He married her based on a very limited acquaintance. He wanted to buy the first house he saw, even though it was a mess. And now he wanted to buy strawberry cake. It was hard to fathom how he’d had the discipline to save all the money he had, given how subject to whims he seemed to be.

“All right, we can go get cake,” she said giving him a worried smile.

“Now cake makes you sad?” His brow furrowed.

“No, it’s just…unexpected is all. Let’s go get cake.” She gave him the brightest smile she could manage.

“That’s better. We’ve got to cheer up your mama,” he said to Junior, putting him down on the bed while they got dressed.

Twenty minutes later, they were back with an entire cake in a brown box tied with twine.

“I still can’t believe you bought the whole cake.” Ann put it on the table, cutting open the twine with scissors.

“You can put it in the icebox and eat it while I’m gone. It will cheer you up when you’re sad.”

“I swear you are the most impulsive man I’ve ever known.”

His face fell for a moment, and he swallowed hard then tried to cover it with a goofy grin. “Not impulsive. Madly in love and eager to please.”

“How can you be madly in love? We hardly know each other.”

His grin fell away completely.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” She turned to get plates and forks to cover how flustered she was. Here he was opening his heart, and she couldn’t stop herself from harboring doubts.

“I know that we haven’t known each other long, but I knew I wanted you to be my wife almost as soon as I met you. I would have taken the time to court you properly if circumstance had allowed, but it didn’t work out that way. You’re my wife now. I can’t help how I feel about you, and I don’t see any point in hiding my feelings. I only hope someday you can return them.”

If she could have taken back her words, she would have. It pained her that she’d hurt him, as she obviously had.

“Bill, I⁠—”