"I went for a run. The estate has some nice trails, and I figured I'd better try to get a run in before it started to rain."
"From the look of the sky, we won’t be getting too many breaks today, so I hope you enjoyed it."
Julian chuckled. "Not sure I enjoyed it, but I was glad it didn’t start to sprinkle until I was nearly home."
Home.Was that just a slip of the tongue? Or did he really think of the house as home?
Kiara couldn’t deny that she hoped it was the latter. Because if he thought of it as home, he might be more inclined to spend time there with their son.
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. The baby shifted, and Kiara adjusted her position on the stool, trying to get comfortable.
"Are you okay?" Julian asked.
"I'm fine," she said, adjusting herself again. "He's just really active this morning. I swear he's going to be a soccer player considering all the kicking he does."
Julian's expression softened as his gaze dropped to her belly. "May I?" he asked, his hand hovering uncertainly in the space between them.
Kiara's heart skipped a beat. Julian had touched her bump briefly in New York, but this felt different somehow. More intentional. "Of course."
She guided his hand to the spot where the baby was most active. For a moment, nothing happened, and she worried her son would choose this moment to settle down. Then came a firm kick right against Julian's palm.
Julian's eyes widened. "Wow. That was… strong."
"Tell me about it," Kiara said with a laugh. "Sometimes he wakes me up with his gymnastics routines."
Julian kept his hand there for a moment longer, his expression one of wonder. Another kick came, and he laughed softly, the sound warming something deep inside her.
"He's definitely strong," Julian said, slowly withdrawing his hand. "Must be all that good food you've been feeding him."
Kiara smiled, trying to ignore the lingering warmth where his hand had been. "I try to eat healthy, but sometimes all he wants is ice cream."
"I can't blame him for that," Julian said, returning to his breakfast. "Ice cream is a solid choice."
After they finished eating, Kiara cleared their plates while Julian made himself a cup of coffee. The domesticity of the moment felt both natural and dangerous. Natural because it flowed so easily between them, dangerous because it made her heart yearn for things she couldn't have.
"I should probably shower and change," Julian said. "But I was thinking—if you're up for it—maybe we could go for a drive around the estate later? You could show me your UTV skills."
"I'd like that," Kiara said, surprised by how much she meant it. "Jude says I should practice as much as possible."
"Great. I'll be back in a bit, then."
Kiara watched him disappear into his suite, trying not to dwell on how comfortable everything felt between them that morning. The way he'd touched her belly, the genuine wonder in his eyes when he felt their son kick. It was so easy to imagine that it was real. That they were a normal couple expecting their first child.
But they weren't. And pretending otherwise would only lead to heartache.
She busied herself cleaning up the kitchen, then went to change into something suitable for an outdoor drive. She opted for jeans and a warm sweater, knowing that even with the UTV's enclosed cab, the October chill would seep in. After fixing her hair, she gathered a few snacks and filled a thermos with hot chocolate, packing everything into a small bag.
Julian emerged from his suite looking refreshed, his hair still slightly damp from the shower. He'd changed into jeans and a burgundy Henley that made his green eyes seem more vivid somehow.
"Ready?" he asked, grabbing a jacket from the coat rack by the door.
"Almost." Kiara retrieved her jacket—a new one she'd bought when her regular one no longer fit comfortably over her growing belly. “There’s a UTV in the garage. Jude wanted me to have one here, though it’s not the one he ordered. That one hasn’t been delivered yet.”
“Hopefully, it has good heat so you can drive it through the winter months.”
“Jude assured me it had a good enclosure and heater, which I had told him was necessary for the baby.”
“And for you,” he said. “You need to be warm as well.”
