I’m alone on the couch now, tucked under a fuzzy blanket, and I can hear Archer talking to Lincoln. My heart swells hearing their conversation, one-sided though it may seem. Lincoln makes some cooing noises and Archer laughs.
“You bet, kiddo. We’ll get you something to eat after we change your stinky butt. Don’t you worry. I know exactly what to do.”
I can’t stop the grin from taking over my face. I love hearing Archer talk to Lincoln. He’s so good with him. Not everyone can carry on a conversation with a baby. Not that I blame them, since babies don’t hold up their end of the conversation most of the time. That just makes it more special when someone can do it.
And Archer does it so well.
Just like he does other things so well. I stretch my arms over my head and there’s a pull low in my belly. I’m sore from last night. Deliciously sore.
I can’t believe I was so…forward.I practically forced myself on him. Butterflies run riot in my stomach and a throb of awareness hits my center as I remember dragging him to the bed and climbing on him. I press my legs together against the frisson of desire building between my legs.
Go to sleep, Phoebe. You can revisit that later.
I screw my eyes shut and try to calm down. The yawn that tears through me confirms my need for more sleep. But the knock on the door signals the end of my nap time.
I shoot up off the couch, yelling out to Archer, “I got it.”
The light in the house tells me it’s late afternoon now. Somehow, I slept the entire morning away.
No, not somehow. Archer must’ve let me sleep. He woke up and took care of Lincoln while I was dead to the world? He took it upon himself to let me get the sleep I so desperately needed?
I didn’t think I could like him any more, but I was mistaken. And thanks to Archer stepping up, I know I can’t blame whatever is happening with my emotions on sleep deprivation anymore.
“Hey Mom,” I say when I get the door open and see her and Warren on the front step. “Come on in.” I turn around and let them follow me in. “I just woke up. I’ll go into the kitchen and see what I can get started for something to eat.”
When I turn into the kitchen, my mouth drops open. Every surface is covered with trays of food. Every. Surface.
“What is all this?”
“Oh, hey guys. Welcome back.” Archer is standing by the sink holding Lincoln while he gets a bottle ready. “I called a buddy of mine and had him bring over some stuff from his bar. I hope that’s okay?”
“You did all this while I was asleep?”
He shrugs. “I wanted to make sure we’d have stuff to feed everyone when they came back. It’s a good thing I checked the fridge because it looks likesomeoneraided the leftovers while we were at the hospital with Lincoln last night.”
Gavin coughs, hiding a guilty look with his fist. “Oh, man. I wonder who that could have been,” he deadpans.
Mom rolls her eyes at him. “I told you not to eat all the leftovers.” She reaches over and pinches his arm. “You were supposed to bring food.”
“Do you know how many places are open on Christmas day? None. None of the places are open on Christmas day.”
Warren screws up his eyebrows and looks at Archer. “Then how did you get food here?”
Archer chuckles. He shakes the bottle he’s holding, pops the lid off, then squeezes some of the formula onto his wrist and a flush of heat creeps across my face.Who knew watching him test the temperature of my son’s bottle would be so sexy?
“Like I said, my buddy Mason owns a bar. He owed me a favor.”
“Must be some favor if he’s making and delivering food to you on Christmas day.” Gavin has already lifted the lid off a tray and he’s examining the selection of sandwiches. “These look amazing.”
“I’ll tell him you said so. Everyone dig in. Lincoln’s sucking this down like he hasn’t eaten in days.”
As I watch my family circulate the kitchen with Archer in the middle of everything, I can’t help feeling the rightness of it all. He fits in. He’s feeding Lincoln while joking with my parents and siblings like he’s done it a thousand times.
And I love it.
I love how easily he teases Gavin about eating all the leftovers. I love how he brought pies for Charlie to bake and effortlessly solved her problem of setting the kitchen on fire every time she tried to make a treat. I love how it’s already second nature for him to take care of Lincoln while he’s doing all these other things.
Shit.
