“I’m coming, Ash!” she cries, and goddamn, so am I.
“Fucking Christ, Olivia … I love you … I love you so fucking much, baby …” I growl as I spill into her with a force that has a dull buzz clouding my brain.
I’m dropping kisses to her shoulders, tracing her skin as I whisper into her ear how much I love her again before sliding my hands over her full belly.
“Mine,” I whisper, and the moment I do a firm little kick nudges my palm and my whole body stiffens. My eyes lock to hers in the mirror. Olivia has been feeling the baby moving for weeks, but I’ve never been given the chance. Until now.
“Fucking … Christ … was that?”
“Yes.” She giggles as I drop to my knees and kiss her stomach. I’m jabbed with another little kick and I start to laugh, incredulous. “Mine…” I say gruffly again, looking up at her with so much goddamn love as her fingers run through my hair.
“Yes, Ash. We’re yours, always.”
CHAPTER 58
Olivia
DECEMBER
THIRTY-TWO WEEKS
Baby is the size of a coconut and weighs close to four pounds. He or she misses nothing; they hear all of your sounds. So here’s to smiles, laughter, patience, and joy. A day to be showered and a healthy girl or boy.
“Just letting you know we’re closing very soon,” I tell the man who’s been browsing around my store for the last twenty minutes. I’m leaving early to head to Silver Pines for the winter-themed baby shower my mom has been planning for weeks.
The shopper turns and smiles at me.
“So many lovely things in here.” He has kind eyes. Yet, for some reason, I keep my distance. It’s not often men come into the shop alone. This man is not threatening, but something about his gaze makes me feel on guard. Plus, I know he’s not from around here.
“Maybe you can help me. I’m looking for something for my … girlfriend,” he says as he picks up a five-hundred-dollarshoulder bag. “She loves bags like this, and I just can’t decide which one would suit her. What do you like?”
The man has an accent not unlike Asher’s, only much stronger. He looks to be in his late fifties with lots of salt in his black hair, and his face is clean-shaven. Deep, vibrant blue eyes peer up at me, and he wears an expensive-looking leather jacket and black jeans.
I suddenly feel very alone in my shop. It’s already dark outside, and everything in me tells me to make this encounter short.
“Um, that one is classic. Pretty,” I tell him. “We have it in basic black too …”
He follows me as I weave through the store. He doesn’t say much, though I’m overly aware of his presence as he watches me.
“This is a quaint little town. Seems like the kind of place everyone knows everyone.”
“Yes, it is,” I say truthfully. “Been here my whole life.”
“We’ll go with the black,” he says after a few more minutes. “Thank you. You have a lovely store.”
“Thank you,” I answer quickly, hoping to end this conversation as soon as I can.
“Your husband must be very proud.”
I only nod with a tight smile as I assess him for a moment. He hasn’t said anything out of line, yet he’s unnerving me all the same.
“You’re not from around here,” I note as I scan the bag and bring up the total for him.
“No, love. Just passing through.”
His lips tip up in a wide smile as he hands me cash with his ring-lined fingers. He has a friendly smile, which makes me relax a little. He takes the receipt from me and tips his head in a farewell before turning to leave the store. I tell myself I was just being paranoid because this man has been nothing butkind. Plus, he just gave me a really good sale.
“Take care of yourself now,” he says over his shoulder.
