I chew on my bottom lip.Maybe Aaric is right.
“Be right back.”He rises from the bed and hurries into the bathroom.A minute later, he returns, and he’s holding a wet washcloth like earlier when I first arrived.
Aaric tips my head back and gently washes my face.Then he kisses my forehead, letting his lips linger for several seconds.When he releases me, he hands me the bottle of juice.“Drink, sunshine.”
After he flips the top, showing me how, I take it from him and guzzle a lot of the cool liquid.It tastes like heaven and soothes my throat.
Aaric sets it on the nightstand and bends to kiss my temple again.“Sleep, honey.If you need me, call out.I’ll leave the door open an inch.”
All I can do is watch as my savior strides from the room.He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, and he’s also the kindest.I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I’m so very lucky that I’m here.At least my baby has a chance at survival now.
Closing my eyes, I let exhaustion take me under.
Five
Aaric
Hannah has been asleep for six hours.I’m not surprised.She needs rest.I check on her every half hour or so.Every time, I find her breathing deeply.
I need to wake her up, though.She needs to eat and drink more.She’ll be dehydrated if she doesn’t.
I’m grateful for my brothers.They have really come through for me today.Adrian returned with a truckload of supplies.He went above and beyond.He didn’t just pull up to the stores and collect what I ordered.He went inside and found more things.The living room is filled with boxes.It looks like Christmas morning, minus the wrapping paper.
Hannah is going to throw a fit when she finds out what I’ve bought.She’s so humble that she doesn’t think she needs anything.But she’s going to have a baby any day.How does she think she’s going to care for it?She needs supplies.
I’ve also contacted a midwife in town.I’m not sure where Hannah was planning to have her baby, but if it happens fast, there might not be time to make it to the city.I want to be prepared for the eventuality that she either labors quickly or refuses to let me take her to the hospital.
It’s ridiculous how attached I am to her.I’m enamored.It happened so fast.The only person who understands and finds it hilarious is Adam.This is exactly what happened to him two months ago.He married Rebekah on the same day Asher found her sneaking around the property.
The.Same.Day.
I hate what Hannah has been through, but I’m eternally grateful that the father of her child is not in the picture.I’m not sure what I would do if she was in love with him or even afraid of him coming after her.
I’m still not sure what the situation is with Presley.That part confounds me.Why did she run away from him?Did he not approve of the baby?It’s his own grandchild.Surely, he knows that.
I have concerns.Dozens of them.But I’m also falling for the precious human being who’s been sleeping in my bed all afternoon.I don’t care that it’s not rational.It just happened.She’s a ray of sunshine.I feel like she was sent to give my life purpose.
My world is about to have meaning.That’s for sure.Any day now, this boring, quiet cabin is going to be filled with the sounds of a baby crying, cooing, and ten other sounds that babies make.
I’ve never thought much about kids.Sure, I assumed I would have them someday.I’ve always hoped the perfect woman would appear in my life, and I would be so enamored that I would want to have ten kids with her.
Perhaps that’s exactly what happened.The perfect woman showed up today.And she’s already nine months pregnant.A bit unconventional, but who cares?No one is going to judge me.Certainly not Adam or any of our brothers.
It’s a bit comical that the two of us would be among the first to fall for a woman.After all, we’re the youngest.Identical twins, twenty-eight years old, and the babies of the family.Asher has also met his soul mate.He’s thirty-two, but Adrian, Aaron, and Andrew are still single.
I need to rein in my thoughts.There’s no guarantee Hannah will even be interested in me romantically.I can’t be sure she even likes me.She’s so overwhelmed right now, it would be selfish to presume anything or suggest it.
I need to let her get through the next few weeks, help her through the birth, get her settled into a routine, and slowly woo her.If I’m lucky, she’ll let me take care of her and eventually see me as a romantic partner.
Fuck, but I’d love to fast forward to the day in the future where she looks up and smiles at me with love in her eyes.I’m a dreamer, apparently.
“Aaric?”
At the sound of her voice, I rush into the bedroom and over to her side.She’s pushing to sitting, looking around the room, dazed.
It’s dark out, but I put a nightlight on the wall so she wouldn’t wake up scared.
“Hey, sunshine…”
