My stomach churns with nausea, and my heart races. “You need to call her. She needs to come back.”
Reece gives me a blank look as he lifts Danny with one arm and cradles him against his chest. “I’m not calling Harper.” He bounces him gently. “Every kid misses their mother. He’ll be fine.”
The crying subsides into shuddering sobs of “Mama,” and he reaches for the door. It’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen; my eyes actually water.
If our baby is like this, I’ll never leave. I can’t imagine abandoning a screaming child, or abandoning a child period. Where is his father? I’d go crazy without my son.
I cast a doubtful glance between Reece and his mini-me dressed in dinosaur pajamas. “He doesn’t seem fine. He seems traumatized.”
“He’s overtired,” Reece snaps, his frustration palpable. “You wanna try?”
In response to his agitation, Danny wails and flops sideways. The Viking grimaces in pain and nearly loses his grip on him.
I lunge forward. “Give him to me before you drop him.”
Big blue eyes stare at me suspiciously, but the boy doesn’t fight when I take him from his uncle. The weight of him surprises me—solid and lanky yet so damn small. His tiny hands grab fistfuls of my shirt, and he continues to sob. I’ve never held a child that I remember, and the feeling is unfamiliar—strange, terrifying, but freaking incredible. I can’t wait to have one of our own.
“Hey, buddy.” I rub his back. “It’s okay. Your mom will be home soon.”
He hiccups and presses his face to my neck, his tears dampening my skin.
I pace the small bedroom, mimicking the way Reece bounced him. “So…you like dinosaurs, huh?” I spot a well-loved, fuzzy orange T-Rex in the crib and reach for it.
Reece sinks onto the edge of the bed and massages his injured shoulder. “You’re a lot better at this.”
I scoff at how disgruntled he sounds. “I’m not. He senses your agitation, that’s all.” I hand Danny the stuffed animal, and he snuggles it to him. “You don’t like children, do you?”
“I do—well, I used to.” He rakes his fingers through his hair and releases a heavy sigh. “I hate listening to them cry. Makes me wanna kill something.”
I recall Lucas mentioning they worked in an orphanage while deployed. Hearing other kids cry or seeing them hurt is a whole lot worse than hearing my own crying in my head, I suppose. “I understand. It’ll get easier. He doesn’t know us. Our baby will know you. He’s learning our voices even now, and he’ll recognize yours, the same as he does ours.”
Seemingly impressed, he nods and presses his lips together. “You’ve thought about this.”
Danny’s weight grows heavier, and his breathing slows.
“Of course I have. Ethan and I will have to FaceTime while on the road, even when Eli’s a baby, so he hears our voices often. Our kid is going to have four parents who adore him, not to mention Gram and the twins—your sisters,” I add. “He’ll never be alone or feel abandoned.”
“You’re not what I expected.” He twirls the diamond in his ear. “I was certain you’d be a nightmare and guard this baby like a pit bull.”
I sway side to side, rocking Danny. He clutches my shirt, and his soft hair tickles my chin.
“I mean, I might, but not with you.” I stifle a yawn, exhausted from traveling and everything else. “I want our life to be peaceful. I don’t want our kids going through the shit I went through.” Parents arguing nonstop, tension in the home, walking on eggshells… That’s not a family, at least not the one I dream of having.
Studying me, Reece tilts his head and narrows his eyes. “What did Ethan do to you? Did he finally snap and choke you out? First, you let me in your bedroom, and now, you’re sharing your kid?”
I suppress my laughter, not wanting to wake the sleeping child in my arms. “I saw your dick. You brought me home to meet your family. We’re basically dating—engaged.”
He flips me off, but there’s no heat behind it. “You’re ridiculous. Don’t fucking start.”
I shake my head and dismiss the joke. “Should I lay him in his crib?”
“No. I bet he sleeps with Harper,” Reece whispers, not saying her name too loud, and stands. “Let’s sit with him downstairs until she gets home. She shouldn’t be much longer.”
Chapter 36
Aurora
Ethan’s large hand slides over my swollen belly from behind. “Fuck, look at you.”
