In the driveway, she paused at the passenger door of Dusty’s truck and looked back at the Summer House. Every light on. Sliders glowing. The Gulf behind, the sun down now, the water still and pewter-bright.
“C’mon.” He opened the door and helped her climb up, stealing a kiss on the way.
They drove home past houses with their plywood up and sandbags out and lawn furniture stored and patio plants taken inside.
And another freshly painted message—No vacancy in Destin, Norman!
No, there wasn’t. The town was full of family and friends and neighbors and shops and too much love to be wiped off the map.
Go away, Norman.
Jonah’s downstairs apartment looked even darker with the last of the shutters in place, but it smelled like lemon and baby and…Pepper. So that was nice.
While the meeting and family gathering had ended with people grabbing plates of food, Pepper had slipped down here with Atlas, bathed him, and dressed him in a nightgown with dinosaurs all over it, which was just funny.
He found them in Atlas’s room, with Pepper rocking in the glider, holding his son, humming a song while she gave him a bottle.
“How’d you do that?”
She opened her eyes and looked at him, the impact of her warm gaze, long lashes, and utterly beautiful features rocking him like he was the one in the glider.
“Do what? Bathe him?”
“Without a squeal for help?—”
She laughed. “I didn’t need help.”
“And you left without eating,” he added, openly admitting he noticed her every move.
“I’m not paid the big bucks to eat, I’m paid to bathe, feed, and adore.” She gestured for him to sit on the floor next to them.
Her pay was anything but big, he thought as he followed her silent command and dropped onto the floor.
“I can stay in here with him while you shower and get the restaurant off you,” she said.
He lifted a brow. “Do I reek of the kitchen?”
“You just look like you’ve had a long day, and I’m fine…” She looked down and stroked Atlas’s cheek, making him whimper with utter contentment as he sucked on the bottle. “So is my little man here.”
Herlittle man? A weird tightness stretched in his chest. What would it be like…
He shook off the thought before it formed.
Instead, he watched theMadonna and Childscene unfold in front of him, choosing gratitude over any other emotion.
“Man, I got lucky when I found you. For his nanny,” he added quickly, but still got a quick flicker of a look.
“I’m the one who’s lucky,” she said softly, shifting her gaze down to the baby. “I’m so in love with him, Jonah.”
And his heart did a tumble, roll, drop, and crack.
A quiet beat passed, and she looked at him, searching his face. “Are you having second thoughts?” she asked, proving she did not have mind-reading skills.
“About?”
“Staying at my dad’s for the storm.”
Oh,that. He’d forgotten it in the face of her unabashed love for his son.
