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“We ordered some heaters that arrived today for the garden,” Christopher says, coming over to us. “Is that enough to keep you warm, or would you rather keep Phoebe inside?”
They ordered heaters. For me? For Phoebe?
Why would they do that?
Seb kisses my temple and disappears, and I shrug at Christopher. “I’ll do?—”
“Here,” Seb says, handing me Phoebe’s wrap and a little snowsuit. I don’t know how he grabbed those so fast, but I don’t ask.
“Thank you,” I murmur bringing them close to myself. The boys are still holding Phoebe, and I can feel a twitch as I resist the urge to steal her back.
“Boys, go put your shoes on,” one of Talia’s men says, taking a step forward. I step backwards, just the tiniest bit, but both Christopher and Seb step closer. “You can see the baby girl?—”
“Phoebe,” Seb interjects with a deep growl. The man’s eyes dart to Seb before he nods once.
“Phoebe,” the man corrects. “You can see Phoebe in a few moments once we’re outside.”
“Good thinking,” Ben says with some snark in his words. He gives me a dazzling smile before heading through the house. The two sisters follow, and Christopher bends down to take Phoebe from Liam.
The two men help the boys put their shoes on as Alex closes the door and takes the pizza outside. It smells delicious.
The boys cake mud all through the house, which Christopher sighs at, before the door closes.
“Fucking hell,” Christopher mutters with a shake of his head. He gives me a hesitant smile. “Are you okay bringing her out? The heaters should keep her warm, but we can bring her straight back in if she feels the chill.”
“Sure,” I say, nodding.
“Don’t worry about Kyle and Lyle,” Christopher says. I look at him blankly, and he sighs. “Ben’s a dick. Kyle and Lyle are Talia’s mates. They’re harmless but abrasive.”
I shake my head as I start getting Phoebe ready to go outside. Seb stands protectively by my side, and I’m surprised when Christopher heads to the shoe rack to grab my shoes for me.
Phoebe starts to stir as I get her wrapped up, so I help her latch on once she’s safely in the carrier. Seb wraps my cardigan around me before the three of us head outside.
I’ve not been in the back garden yet, but holy wow. There are three very large heaters that are all turned on and add a soft glow to the already beautiful landscaping. There’s a large decking area with enough chairs for us all to sit—a mixture of sofas and single seats—and a glass table in the centre. Even without their heightened senses, the air is rich with the scent of the flowers and plants that adorn the area.
It’s gorgeous, the colours of the flowers melding beautifully to create a serene garden oasis, and I know that come summer—provided I am still here—I’ll be spending a lot of time outside.
“This garden is one of Ben’s creations,” Christopher whispers in my ear as he moves past me. My eyes widen, and I look over at the cheery man, who is chattering away with the twin boys. It’s strangely very fitting for him to be the mastermind behind this.
“This is gorgeous,” I say, and I’m grateful that I can feel the warmth. I’m the only one wearing a coat—even Iris, who was wearing one when she arrived, hasn’t bothered—but I don’t ask why.
Alex passes me a plate of pizza, and things are mostly quiet as we eat. Liam and Finn are excited and bounce around each of their uncles, asking questions and chatting, and it’s very endearing to see the Wolfe brothers entertain their nephews.
Seb is quiet, but he changes his eyes three times for them to awe over.
“I’m just going for a quick wee,” I murmur once I’ve eaten a few slices of my pizza. Seb’s eyes narrow, but he’s brought into a game by the twin boys, so he can’t follow me inside the house.
“Want some company?” Christopher asks, surprising me since he’s the last one who usually wants to be around me.
“To the bathroom? No,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Overprotective men, am I right, Maia?” Iris calls, and there’s some giggles from her sister. I muster up a smile and head through the house to the downstairs bathroom. I quickly do my business, but I can’t get the tap to turn on in the toilet. It seems stuck, weirdly.
I stop by the kitchen to wash my hands in the kitchen sink instead and hum slightly to the little girl on my chest. She’s still feeding, but she’s doing it in her sleep. A skill I shall forever be envious of.
There’s a flash of bright light out the window, and I catch sight of a familiar head of blond hair. I rise on my toes and peer through properly, but the figure has vanished.
I consider the possibility—it’s likely Iris or Talia fetching something from their car, since the figure was far too tall and lithe to be one of the twins. However, a gnawing doubt lingers. What if it was Ryan, and I’ve missed him?
