Jessica
I had a serious problem.
I think I just got pregnant watching Gorgeous Guy hold Ruthie.
And what the hell did that mean—“Semper fi”?
I asked him just that.
“It’s the Marine Corps’ motto. It means,Always faithful.”
“So, are you a former Marine?”
He winked at me. “No former about it. Once a Marine, always a Marine, darlin’.”
Darlin’…
I might be having twins.
All I could do was stare at him and swoon.
Then I heard Ruthie burp, followed by a big splash on the floor.
Chapter Thirteen
Jessica
“Oh dear!”
I could only hope the spit up that didn’t reach the floor hit the burp cloth as I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a paper towel roll and cleaner, then quickly returned.
I took one look at the back of his shirt and cringed. Pulling paper towels from the roll, I tossed three sheets on the floor and moved them around with my shoe at the same time I tried wiping his shirt.
He turned to face me, chuckling.
“You warned me.”
“Now youhaveto let me wash your shirt.”
“It’s fine, really. I need to do laundry tonight anyway—I’ve been on the road for two days and have a duffle bag full of dirty clothes.”
I squirted cleaner on the floor and crouched down to finish wiping up the mess.
“Where were you?”
“I live in Massachusetts. Brian and Jade stayed at my cottage on the beach a few weeks ago, and they had to leave Brian’s truck. I’m just returning it and visiting my little brother and Lainey, and Conor, too, of course. My parents are flying in tomorrow to meet Lainey and the baby.”
Okay, that explained a lot. His brother was Lainey’s boyfriend.
A wave of disappointment came over me as I reached for Ruthie to work on cleaning her up, too.
“So, you don’t live here.”
“No. Although the Chief of Police keeps offering me a job.”
I pulled a receiving blanket from the diaper bag and spread it on a couch cushion, then laid my daughter on it so I couldchange her diaper and bodysuit. A freshly bathed baby was one of my new favorite scents. Fermented baby barf and poop on the other hand…
It only took a few minutes to change her, dress her, and deposit her soiled clothes in a plastic grocery bag I kept in her diaper bag for exactly that reason.
