I wasn’t going to point out that no birth could be consideredeasy.She already knew that.She was trying to reassure herself.
“Of course,” Grace said, cuddling Finn to her chest.“Our bodies are incredible, and trust me, you won’t regret a moment of the pregnancy or birth when you hold your baby for the first time.”
Bailey bounced out of her chair and reached for Finn.“Can I?I haven’t had my baby snuggles yet today.”
Grace handed Finn over.Bailey held him naturally in a way that made it clear she had experience with babies and cooed at him.Her smile lit up her whole face, and my heart yearned to see her holding her own baby.
Ourbaby.
She would make a wonderful mother.
Get a hold of yourself.That’s never going to happen.
I looked away because at least that way it was more difficult to imagine how perfect she would look with our son or daughter in her arms.
I tried to keep my distance for the remainder of brunch, but when we all walked out to our cars, I made a point to stroll alongside her.
“Good luck with your hike.”I again resisted the urge to invite myself to join her.
She swept her silky black hair over her shoulder.“Thanks.I’m looking forward to it.”
As she got into her car and I climbed into mine, I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like if I had the chance to be with her.
Would I be invited on those hikes without it being considered odd?Would she tell her obsessed fans that she was unavailable?
Stop dreaming, Max.This is real life.You’re not the kind of guy who gets the girl.
THREE
Reason #3 why Max Braddock is husband material:
He genuinely cares about everyone.
BAILEY
“So, this mascara”—I held up the tube to the camera so my viewers would be able to see it properly—“is supposed to be sweat proof.I’ll be testing it on my hike today.”
I opened the tube and used the mirror behind the camera to apply the mascara, being careful not to get it anywhere other than on my eyelashes.
“The trail I’m walking is called East Ridge Track, and it passes behind Destiny Falls waterfall and climbs above it.”I put the mascara down and chose a nice pink lipstick that wasn’t too bright and swiped it on.“There’s quite a lot of uphill, so please don’t laugh at me when I’m struggling for breath.I swear, it really is steep.”
I blotted the lipstick and reapplied, then checked that all of my makeup was in place.I kept it light for outings like this, but my audience liked to see me do something, even if it was basic.
“If you want to check the actual terrain details, you can look the trail up on the New Zealand Trails app.”
I blew the camera a kiss and subtly adjusted my shirt to ensure that the brand logo was visible onscreen because they were one of my sponsors.Then, I turned and started packing supplies into my backpack, explaining what each item was as I added it.
I wouldn’t need much for a quick day trip, but there were some basic safety items that I wanted to ensure my viewers knew they ought to have on them at all times, like an emergency blanket and a personal locator beacon.
Once the hiking supplies were in place, I turned off the camera and made sure my phone was fully charged and that my selfie stick was ready for use once I started walking.
If I was more than a one-person operation, I might take proper camera equipment out on my hikes with me, but when doing things solo, it was easiest to use a smartphone while on the move.
I strapped a water bottle to each side of the bag, tucked a couple of homemade bliss balls into the front pocket, and carried my gear out to the car.
It was only a short drive from my place to the parking lot behind Destiny Fibers, where the trail to the waterfall started.I’d be using a different trail today, but it came out nearby, so this was the most convenient spot to park.
I secured my phone on the selfie stick, drank enough water to wet my throat, and checked once again to make sure I had everything.That done, I switched the video recording function on my phone on and started walking.
