Sage: I’m wondering the same thing
I ran a hand down my face, seriously debating turning off my cell. Instead, I decided to tackle that issue later. The dark gray clouds looming in the evening sky told me I had minutes to get these things inside before rain would begin coming down in buckets.
I got out of the truck and shoved my still-buzzing phone in my pocket before closing my door and opening the back one. While balancing five boxes of various granola bar flavors in the crook of my arm, I folded a massive pillow in half and tucked it under the other elbow in order to loop my hand through the grocery bags. My hip bumped the door to close it before I made my way up the steps of my porch.
The boxes threatened to topple to the ground as I shifted to grab my house key. Somehow, none of them managed to fall as I unlocked the door and twisted the handle, pushing my way inside. Once I was in, I kicked itshut and crossed to the counter to set everything down. With my hands on my hips, I heaved a breath, surveying the damage done today.
Not a single thing on my list had been for myself, and for a split second, I thought I’d gone overboard. That once Parker saw what I did today, she’d think I was overstepping and run off.
With a shake of my head, I forced those thoughts aside.
Bell Buckle didn’t have major shopping centers, so I’d called off work today to go on a small road trip to the only place I could find that carried pregnancy pillows. While I was there, I’d grabbed whatever else I didn’t think Bell Buckle had—and then things they most definitely had, but I wanted to get today, anyway. Fancy granola bars for the mornings when she felt nauseous before eating, prenatal vitamins in case she didn’t have any or needed to stock up, lotions, bubble bath, eye patches.
Really, I didn’t know what she wanted or needed, and now that I was thinking about it again, I’d definitely gone overboard. I was practically setting her up for a spa day.
A flash of light had my gaze moving from the counter to the living room where the TV was on, but the volume was so low, I could barely hear it. Leaving the items in disarray, I crossed to the couch to find a sleeping Parker with her legs curled up and her head on the armrest.
I frowned at her bare arms and feet. Despite the heat being on, it was still less than comfortable to sleepwithout a blanket. Reaching for the throw draped over the back of the couch, I gently laid it over her, making sure it covered her toes.
I should’ve left it at that, but before I could help myself, I crouched to get a better look at her. Her calm presence warmed something in my chest, and while I’d known what missing her felt like, having her here in front of me was almost more painful. Because if she was back, there was a high probability of her disappearing again.
Carefully, I moved a stray curl off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. Her breathing shallowed out for a moment before her eyes flicked open.
“Beckham?” Her face scrunched before she glanced at the window behind me. “What time is it?”
“Five. You fell asleep watching TV.”
Her focus moved to the TV before she rubbed her eyes and propped herself up on an elbow. The movement made the blanket fall down her arm, and she grabbed the edge, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. “You put a blanket on me?”
“You looked cold.”
Something in her expression melted away, replacing itself with a look I couldn’t quite place. “Thank you.”
I dipped my chin and forced myself to stand. I was too close to her. So close that I could reach out and cup her cheek. Or take her hand in mine. Both seemed wildly inappropriate and right all at the same time.
“I got you some things,” I said as I walked back to thekitchen. Behind me, the colorful hue from the TV disappeared, indicating she’d turned it off.
I turned around at the counter to find her making her way over.
“What’s all this?” she asked as she surveyed the mountain of items.
I opened my mouth to list everything off, but snapped it shut when I remembered she could see what it all was easily. She meant why.Whydid I get my childhood love all these items to make her more comfortable in her pregnancy?
That was a question even I couldn’t answer.
“I figured you might want a pregnancy pillow—” I began.
“You know what a pregnancy pillow is?”
I lifted my focus from the items to find her shocked expression on me.
“Well, I didn’t until Sage informed me on some pregnancy…stuff.”
She crooked a brow, stifling her smile.
“What?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. That’s just… That’s cute you asked her.”
