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“And it’s even better with you here.”
My cheeks heated, but Emmett was quick with the redirect, gesturing back toward the kitchen. “How about a snack?”
I nodded, still feeling…well, I couldn’t really describe it.
“Yeah, that sounds great.”
A while later, the impossibly handsome alpha looked at the contraption in my hands with an utterly befuddled expression.
“How do you…” He trailed off, cocking his head to the side.
“Think of it like a reverse backpack.” I giggled.
After Milo had woken up from his nap, we’d decided to walk into town. Emmett had suggested driving, but I insisted I wanted to see the sights. Because I didn’t have a stroller, I’d grabbed Milo’s carrier, which had left Emmett highly confused.
“Will it fit me?” he asked, brows crinkling.
“Are you asking me to carry you around like a baby?”
He gave me a playful, withering look. “No. I mean, can I be the one to carry Milo?”
“Anyone can wear the carrier. It’s not size restricted, but you don’t have to do that,” I insisted.
“I want to. It’ll be a good workout, and you carry him around plenty.”
“I…”
He seemed to sense my hesitation. “If you’re wary of new people and you want to keep him close, I totally understand. I just want to help you, but only if you’re comfortable.”
I’d gained a new appreciation for help. After Marshall had scooped up the baby while we were eating dinner at the restaurant, would it really have been such a bad thing to let Emmett carry him?
“Okay, but let me help you get this on,” I said, stepping forward.
Milo was watching from his crib, babbling as he looked between us. He didn’t complain one bit when I scooped him up and placed him in the carrier I’d strapped to Emmett; in fact, he seemed pretty content.
“You look great.” I smiled as Emmett looked up at me with a grin, his large hand going to the front of the carrier and resting on Milo, who squeaked happily. Seeing him hold my little dude like that…well, I could admit to myself that it did something for me.
Big, strong guy being gentle and caring with my son? Extremely attractive.
Emmett adjusted the carrier a little, then nodded approvingly. “I can see why people like these things. The baby is close, but you can use your hands.”
“They are so useful,” I agreed with a nod. “Especially when someone won’t let you put him down, and you need to pee.”
We both laughed, and Emmett grabbed the key from the catch-all dish, gesturing at the door. I waited for him to lock up, and then we were off to see the wizard—or whatever we were actually doing.
It was a beautiful early fall morning. The leaves were turning a lovely orange and falling over the sidewalks.
I followed alongside Emmett as he guided us toward town. We talked about anything and everything, from how his family grew up to the bizarre politics of small towns. Apparently, there was a conspiracy that someone was stealing pears from a certain tree, and no amount of security cameras was picking it up. Some of the old ladies in town were convinced young “hooligans” were playing a prank. Emmett was convinced it was a wild animal.
“Okay, so first things first, this is Main Street,” Emmett explained. “Almost everything you’re going to need is here and at the town square.”
The town was small, cute, and welcoming. Neat rows of houses and several independent businesses lined the streets, with trees dotted throughout, along with several patches of grass and benches. The exteriors were all rustic brick, some painted, some not, and the old and new mixed together in the form of ancient hardware and corner stores next to a very hip coffee shop.
Streetlamps lined the road; lines hung between them, draping over the street, and cars drove slowly along, no one in a rush. It was quaint and picturesque, like something right out of a lifetime holiday movie.
Emmett walked with one hand resting on Milo’s back as he snoozed in the carrier; the other reached down to grab my hand before I could complain. He looked pointedly forward, like he was waiting for me to say something or tug my hand back, but I didn’t.
It was… nice.
