“No, it’s not that.” I cleared my throat.
He looked at me with kind eyes. It was a rare moment when he’d forgotten to put on his grumpy mask. “My mom knows all the case workers at Children’s Services. She’ll do everything possible to make certain that she gets a great family.”
“I understand.” He waited for me to get up, then gestured for me to go ahead of him out of the nursery.
We walked past Daria at the nursing station and walked halfway down the ward. It was very quiet, the blue floor lights illuminating the dark hall in a strange midnight way.
I was standing across from him, but I wasn’t really seeing him. My brain was spinning with ideas that seemed far-fetched and improbable and yet seemed exactly right.
“I want her, Adam.” I said practically at the same time that I thought it. It flew out of my mouth, low and soft, but not wavering.
He spun around. “What did you say?” He looked exactly like my dad did two minutes before my wedding when I said I couldn’t marry Tyler.
I put my hand over my chest to still my pounding heart. “I want to foster the baby.”
Chapter Nine
Adam
“No, you don’t,” were the first words out of my mouth as I grabbed Ani’s elbow and steered her away from the nursery. We stood together in the middle of the ward, the ghostly blue floor lights shining off her sparkly dress. A dress that didn’t fail to cling to any of her amazing curves, that was for sure.
Who was this woman, who’d come up with this life-changing idea as quickly as most people change a TV channel? Was she stable?
My words were obviously the wrong ones, because Ani cast me a death glare. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
Unstableandstubborn. And I was as bound up in her as H2 and O were in water.
She was one of those scary people who saw a need and actually did something to make it better.
Either that, or she was a super-impulsive person who tended to make decisions that got her into trouble, like canceling her wedding at the last minute. But that seemed to be a reallygood decision from what I knew about Tucker. Trevor. Tanner. Whatever.
“You’re feeling sorry for the baby, and that’s understandable,” I said in my calmest voice. “But you heard my mom—lots of people are waiting for babies. She’ll go to a good home. Things will be okay.”
Ani looked at once anguished and determined as she said, “Her mother handed her tome.” Then she looked up at me and frowned. “And you’re mansplaining.”
“I’m not mansplaining.” To be honest, I didn’t really know what that was. “Okay, I’m sorry if I am, but I’m trying to talk you out of an impulsive idea. One that could change yourentire life.”
She shook her head so adamantly that her curls bounced a little. “Maybe my life needs to change. That baby needs a great life, andIcan give that to her.”
I swallowed. Because I saw the conviction in her face, heard it in her passionate tone. She was actually convincing me.
And something even worse. She was stunning, standing there in the weird light of that hallway. It wasn’t just her beauty, which was considerable. It was how resolute she was. How unconvinced she was by my logic. She had her own logic, she was her own person, and it was…really hot.
It was as if, for the past few years, I’d been living in Jell-O. Thick, blurry, sluggish. Ani had clarity. She knew who she was. And she was going to fight for what she wanted.
I’d never seen anyone like her.
On the other hand, this was nuts.
I grabbed her by the arms. “Ani, I know you feel responsible. I’m sure it was very emotional, having a baby surrendered to you like that. But I feel like you’re taking this way too?—”
“Way too what?” Her voice held a warning.
“Seriously, okay?” I raked a hand through my hair and paced back and forth. “Hear me out. You’re on your own. You’d be asingle parent. Do you have any idea how much work a newborn is?” I counted the reasons out. “Plus, you have a job. Are you going to just spring this on your partners? You don’t have any leave situation in place, and you don’t have childcare set up. And—” I stopped dead. I’d said enough.
“And?” She crossed her arms, undeterred. “I mean, why hold back now? Just let it out and tell me what you really think.”
“Maybe all this is a distraction from thinking about Byron.”
