Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“No. You go sit on the couch and make sure my niece gets her belly full. It won’t take me long to clean up.” She glances at all the food on the island. “I got this,” I assure her. “Big family, we’re used to this kind of thing. Go sit, and relax. Finish feeding her. I’ll be done before you know it.” She nods and moves toward the living room, and I jump into action.
Twenty minutes later, I have all the food put away, the counter wiped down, and the dishwasher running. I make my way through the house, checking all the candles are blown out and the back door is locked before I stop next to Crosby, who’s watching Remi sleep in her arms.
“She’s so peaceful,” she whispers.
“She trusts you.” I don’t know why I say it, but it has to be true, right? Babies can sense things, and the way that Remi is sleeping away in Crosby’s arms tells me she’s happy and content.
“Are you ready?” she asks.
“I am. Do you want me to take her?”
“No, I can get it.” She stands carefully, and as if she’s done it a million times, she settles Remi into her car seat with ease.
“You’re good with her. Lots of experience with babies?” I ask.
“Yeah, you could say that. I—” She stops and peers up at me. I can see war waging behind her eyes, and when she speaks again, it feels as though I’ve been punched in the chest. “I grew up in foster care. I was moved around a lot, and many of the families had babies and smaller kids. They would take on foster kids for the income while on maternity leave or whatever and then send us on our way once they were done with us.”
“Fuck.” I hiss under my breath.
“Can we just forget that I just blurted that out?”
“No. No, we can’t forget that you just blurted that out. However, we can table it. For now, let’s get this place locked up and get this little one at home and in bed.” She seems grateful for the pause in the conversation that’s sure to happen regarding her confession.
She’s not the only one. I need some time to wrap my head around what she told me. She didn’t say the words, but I read between the lines. She truly is all on her own. Here in this strange town, living by herself. I send up a silent thank-you to whoever is listening that she was brought into my life. Into the lives of my sisters-in-law, who have taken her under their wings.
“Ready?”
She smiles and nods. “Ready.”
I grab Remi in her seat, Crosby picks up the diaper bag, and we make our way to Brooks’s vehicle after locking the house up. I get Remi situated, and I almost ask Crosby what she’s doing when she climbs in the back seat next to her. Thankfully I remembered Palmer’s request and bite down on my cheek to keep my smile at bay.
I don’t know what it is about this woman, but I’ve been trying to get her alone since the moment we met. Not because I want to fuck her, although I’ve thought about that too. There’s something intriguing about her. Hopefully, the time we spend together tonight will pacify my curiosity, and I can stop spending so much time thinking about her. Because I do think about her. More than I care to admit.
CHAPTER
SIX
Crosby
The drive is quiet. I spend my time watching Remi as she drifts off to sleep, and Rushton remains quiet in the front seat. I don’t know why but that surprises me. I guess I assumed he’d be his chatty self during the drive. I most definitely did not expect his silence. When we pull into the driveway, he pushes the button for the garage door and drives inside as if this is his house. I guess since it’s his brother’s, he knows the ins and outs.
“I’ll grab Rem if you can get her bag,” he says as he exits the vehicle.
It’s not until now that I realize what I’ve gotten myself into. I agreed to babysit with a man I barely know. Sure, my gut tells me I can trust him, but this isn’t the smartest decision I’ve ever made. I should have insisted that I could watch her on my own, but then they were in the same boat as I am currently. They don’t know me that well, either.
“Sure,” I reply, grabbing the diaper bag that’s next to me on the seat, and climbing out of the SUV. I follow Rushton into the house. He leads us to the living room, where he places Remi’s seat on the couch, and he quickly unfastens her and lifts her to his chest.
“You can make yourself at home. I’m going to change her diaper and get her into some jammies.”