“I love you,” I say, finding the energy to grip my husband’s neck.
“I love you, too, honey.Don’t move.I’ll be right back.”
I don’t move, but mostly because Ican’t.That would take too much effort.I’m sated.I’m a liquid.
Aaric isn’t gone long, and the next thing I know, he’s propping me up and settling Eve in my arms so she can nurse.
“Do you suppose she cares that I’m naked?”I say, giggling.
“I’m certain she has no idea, sunshine.”
“Will she know if we have sex while she’s in her bassinet?”
“No, but it might be time to move her into the nursery.When you’re ready, of course.Or when we want to get amorous.”He sits on the edge of the bed and watches me nurse.His face is soft because this is his favorite pastime.
Eve’s nursery is fully stocked.My husband went totally overboard, filling it with every imaginable piece of furniture and all the baby toys he could find.He’s done a lot of reading, too, so he knows every single developmental stage and what we should introduce to her and when.
I’ve read the same books and articles, but it still impresses me how hands-on he is.He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ve had the most amazing two months of my life since I wandered onto Gallant Mountain.I was nothing but a scared girl who thought she was going to die that day.I’ve come so far.
Why, then, do I have this annoying ball of dread bubbling inside me?I haven’t told Aaric about it because there’s nothing to say.I’m just nervous.I keep looking over my shoulder.Something bad is going to happen.I just know it.
Sixteen
Aaric
“So, he left the house three days ago, and no one has seen him since?”I lean back in my desk chair and stare at my brother.
“That’s correct,” Adrian says as he paces my office, running a hand through his hair.“My PI got a notification that he drove away.He has not returned.There’s no evidence anyone has been in his house since then.”
I take a deep breath.“Shit.”
“Yeah.Could be nothing.Maybe he went out of town.”
I chuckle sardonically.Presley Vanguard does not take regular vacations.I doubt he’s ever left the mountain, except to come into town for supplies.
Adrian sighs.“Well, he can’t get onto our property without me knowing.”
“True, but I don’t like my wife held prisoner in her own home.I want her to be able to learn to drive and go into town on her own.She deserves to have some freedom.”
“I hear ya.I don’t know how else to handle this other than for her to go to the sheriff and file a report.After all, the man bought her and was holding her against her will as a slave.”
“Yeah… I hate the idea of her having to go to court, but I think it’s time we faced this head-on.I wasn’t about to have her think about or deal with Vanguard until she was healed from giving birth, but it’s time.”
We’re entering into a new phase in our lives.I’m back at work part-time.Hannah’s at home with Eve.She says she wants to start studying for her GED like Rebekah is doing.
Hannah is not an idle person.She’s never had an opportunity to relax.And though I encourage her to take plenty of time for herself, now that she’s been medically released to resume all normal activities, she never sits down.
We’re lucky that Eve sleeps through the night.It’s such a blessing.Neither of us is exhausted.She is the sweetest, easiest baby ever.I doubt we’ll get so lucky when we have another one.
It’s madness how often I think about adding another child to our lives.I must have a screw loose.But I love my girls so much.Watching Hannah with the baby makes me all warm and fuzzy.I also love being a father.It’s rewarding in ways I never could have understood before having my own kid.Now I understand why my parents had six.
Granted, they didn’t exactly plan on having me and Adam at the same time.Apparently, my twin and I thought there should be two of us, so we split that egg.
I’m not bringing this subject up with my wife yet because she has barely recovered from the last birth.And I just got her.There’s plenty of time.She’s only twenty-one.I’m twenty-eight.That’s not exactly old.We can fill this cabin with tiny voices and add on as many times as we want.
“Earth to Aaric…” Adrian waves a hand in front of me.
I chuckle and swipe a hand down my face.“We have to go into town for a well-baby visit today.I’ll talk to Hannah about meeting with Sheriff Sherman.”
