Josie peeked up at him, tears streaming down her fair cheeks. “Why?”
Travis smiled, warmth swimming through his chest. “Because of the way you treat my children. I have no doubt that you’ll be wonderful.”
“But what about safety?” Josie squeaked. “I couldn’t save my mother and sister when they were sick. What if I can’t protect the children?”
“That’s what we have God for,” Travis reminded. “I know this isn’t what we both planned, but as the days pass, I can see what a beauty God has made in our lives. We’re one family, all of us. And now, it’s growing with our new child.”
Our.The thought made Travis’s heart swell.
Josie smiled, wiping her tears. “Ours?”
“Yes. Is that all right?”
“Perfect.”
Travis looked towards the fire, his now thawed legs desiring never to move. “Do you mind if I stay by the fire tonight?”
“Please stay,” Josie said swiftly. “You shouldn’t be in that loft now, anyway. You’ll catch a chill.”
Travis chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know how I survived the past few nights.”
“You’re stubborn, that’s why.”
Travis’s brows raised. “Stubborn? Says the woman who never rests, even when I beg her.”
Josie exhaled dramatically, shaking her head. “I’m a farmer’s wife now. I have a duty.”
“A duty to our child, too. Remember, it’s all right to take a little rest.”
Josie placed a hand over her stomach. “I’ll consider it.” She rubbed her bump then shut her eyes. Travis leaned back, closing his eyes and listening to the fire crackle. He liked this, sitting in silence. He glanced over at Josie, a smile gracing her lips as she laid her head against the chair’s back. She gasped, her eyes snapping open. She sat straighter, placing her free hand on her back.
A jolt of terror rumbled through Travis. “What’s wrong? Is the baby—”
“It kicked,” Josie explained quickly. She giggled softly, her grin widening. Travis couldn’t help but smile too. Never had he seen Josie behave like this—so happy.
She turned to him. “Would you like to feel?”
Travis’s eyes widened. He cleared his throat. “Really?”
“Yes.”
He reached out his hand, placing it on Josie’s belly. She stiffened for a moment, her hands resting on the chair, then, she placed a hand beside his. As a soft thump hit Travis’s palm, a chuckle bellowed out of him. “This is real.”
Josie fixed her gaze on him, her eyes meeting his. “Yes.”
“I remember these days with Sophie, before . . .” Travis could hardly stomach finishing his sentence. Just thinking back to her last pregnancy, watching Sophie lose her strength little by little flooded his mind.
“She loved you very much. I can see it all over you, in the children too.”
“I will always love her,” Travis said swiftly. He removed his hand and placed it on the arm of his chair. “That’s why it’s so hard for me to talk about her.”
Josie reached out a hand to him, the tips of her fingers barely touching his. “Whenever you are ready, I’m here. I don’t want you to bear this alone.”
Travis pressed his lips together as he nodded. “Thank you, Josie.”
Their gazes bounded, and Travis never wanted to waver or pull. His heart moved to his throat, thumping hard. Josie shriveled back from his gaze and rose to her feet. She placed her hand on her swollen belly.
“I think I’m going to take your advice and rest.”
