Page 79 of Flawless

“You’re awesome. You know that, right?”

I smiled, feeling a rush of pride that I could still make my little sister proud of me. “Thanks.”

“What about the house you’re buying?”

“Hmm, I gotta say, I love it. It has all the character and charm you claimed my last house was lacking.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But you should have taken me with you, you know to get a woman’s stamp of approval, so we can be sure Rylee will like it too.”

“It feels like the kind of house Rylee would have given anything to grow up in, sis. The energy was great, if that makes sense? As soon as I walked in the door, you could just tell there’d been a hundred plus years of families lovin’ each other in that home.”

“Awe, I love that!”

“Yeah, it’s an old farmhouse on a couple of acres. It’s move-in ready, but still a few projects we can do to make it our own. And the wrap-around porch sealed the deal for me. I’m thinkin’ sunsets on that porch, watchin’ my girl rock our baby to sleep.”

“If you don’t stop it, you’re gonna make me cry.”

“Sorry.” I chuckled. “I guess I was just getting caught up in the fantasy. I just hope Rylee buys into it too.”

“She’d be crazy not to. A guy like you, totally in love with her, a baby on the way, and a chance to raise your little ones in a cozy farmhouse like the one you described. I know her. She’d sign up for that in a heartbeat.”

“This is everything I’ve ever wanted,” I said, quietly. “And that scares the hell out of me. Because what if it doesn’t play out the way I imagine? I mean, moving close to Rylee is the right call because I need to be a full-time dad. But I need that girl too, Eden. I don’t want to do life without her.”

“She loves you,” she said, softly. “I know that for sure. And she wants to give your baby the kind of childhood she never had. I think she’s going to be totally shocked and overwhelmed that you made all these changes without clueing her in. But when she’s had a chance to process it, she’ll see it for what it is.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“It’s just about the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard of… so… nicely done.”

I laughed, feeling a sense of relief. “I’m glad you think so, kid. Let’s just hope Rylee does too.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rylee

It felt like forever since I’d seen my man. In reality, it had only been a month, but I couldn’t shake the feeling he was only making the effort to visit when I had an important doctor’s appointment. Today we’d be finding out the sex of our baby, and when we talked on the phone, he seemed happy and excited, but he hadn’t said another word about our future, and that scared me.

I was sure I wanted all of the things he’d claimed to want. Marriage. Babies. And that picture-perfect home life he painted. But had he changed his mind? Or was he just giving me the time and space he thought I needed to adjust to all the changes in my life?

I was already waiting outside when Cam pulled up to the curb, but before I could get in his truck, he was jumping out, picking me up in his arms and swinging me around while kissing me like no one was watching.

“Damn, I’ve missed you.” His eyes drifted to my stomach.

I’d purposely worn a tight-fitting black cotton top over leggings with an open jacket, because just this week, I’d started to pop. I had the tiniest little baby bump and it was so exciting I couldn’t wait to show it off.

“Oh, wow.” His hands covered my belly as a smile lit up his handsome face. “You gotta know I’m lovin’ this.” His mouth drifted down my neck, as he whispered in my ear, “I can’t wait to get you alone later, so I can show you how much I love it.”

Just like that, all my fears melted away. I could feel his love for me in the way he held me, touched me, looked at me. No one had ever loved me the way he did… and it healed all the broken parts of me.

“I missed you so much,” I said, fisting his shirt in my hands. “Why the hell did you stay away so long?”

“Patience, beautiful.” He winked before opening the passenger’s door for me. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you good things are worth waiting for?”

“That must be true,” I teased, as he reached over to secure my seatbelt before stealing another kiss. “Look how long you’ve been waiting for me, old man.”

He couldn’t hide his grin as he dipped his head, promising, “I’ll get you for that later,” before closing the door.

I watched him walk in front of the vehicle, and couldn’t still my racing heart. Something felt different today. Sure, I was amped up about seeing Cam and finding out the gender of our baby, but it was even more than that.