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Before I knew it, we were to our room. Sabine opened the door and revealed the “small” guestroom. If this was small, what did she consider big? The room was more like a suite, with a four-poster king-size bed and a sitting area complete with a couch and chaise. It was light and airy, painted in a soft gray and accented with creams and hues of green.
It was like I had died and come back as Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, complete with my own Richard Gere. Except Jonah wasn’t paying me to be his escort, so there was that. But maybe Jonah would want to play out the grand piano scene later. Oh my gosh. I couldn’t think like that. We had a child with us, and I was sure Sabine and Dean wouldn’t appreciate us making out on the piano.
“I do hope this will do.” Sabine sighed. “It’s the only room that doesn’t have its own bathroom, but the one across the hall is for your special use while you stay with us.
I took her delicate hands in mine. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
She threw her arms around me. “I just want you to feel at home.”
She was nicer to me than my own mother had been, which was wonderful and disconcerting all at once. “You don’t know how much that means to me,” I choked out.
She released me and tilted her head. “I look forward to a nice long chat tomorrow. I’ll have breakfast ready by eight, but take your time. We are down the hall if you need anything.”
Dean set our luggage near the bed and approached me. He kissed my cheek. “It’s so good to have you here. Goodnight.” He waved at Jonah and he and Sabine walked out together, closing the door behind them.
I bit my lip and looked at Jonah. “I guess we’re roommates for the next couple of days.”
He shifted Whitney in his arms. “This trip just got a whole lot better.”
“Don’t get too excited.”
“Too late.” He wagged his brows.
I ignored his sultry comment. “We better put Whitney in her PJs so she doesn’t freak out in the morning that she didn’t sleep in the proper attire.”
“Good thinking. Do you mind getting them from her suitcase?”
“Not at all.”
We got Whitney situated and in bed—the middle of the bed. Jonah and I each took a turn changing in the bathroom and brushing our teeth. Then we were crawling in bed together. He on one side, me on the other. We grinned at each other while settling in under the crisp cool sheets and feather down comforter. Whitney, still asleep, curled into me. I cuddled her against my chest. Such love for her filled me.
Jonah rested his head on his pillow and stroked his daughter’s hair. “What I wouldn’t do to switch places with her tonight.” He scooted closer and rested his hand on my cheek. “You’re so beautiful.”
I closed my eyes and enjoyed his touch, enjoyed this quiet moment with him and Whitney. “I could get used to this.”
“I’m happy to hear you say that.”
I opened my eyes to find Jonah’s face even closer. “Thank you for coming with me.”
He inched over and pecked my lips. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Me either.Chapter Twenty-NineAs we headed down the hall toward the stairs, my eyes were fixed on the doors on the other side of the staircase. In one of them, Roger Stanton lay dying. It made me feel guilty for all the hateful things I had thought about him for not only my entire life, but last night as I fell asleep.
I hated him for what he had deprived me of. I could have grown up in this house. Maybe. I didn’t know how long Dean and Sabine had lived here. I didn’t even know how long they had been married. I didn’t know a lot of things. I didn’t even know for sure if Dean would have believed my mother, had he answered the phone that fateful day that set in motion the circumstances of my childhood. The circumstances that made me so scared to admit my feelings to the man who I had woken up to smiling at me as if he wanted to do this for the rest of his life.
Dr. Morales’s words spoke to me on a spiritual level about my guilty feelings and the underlying emotions associated with them. I could hear her say I needed to separate Roger’s actions from his current state, and that there was room for compassion and hate.
With that thought, we followed the noise downstairs. I assumed my brothers were down there, as I heard two male voices I didn’t recognize and a lot of commotion. Like the happy kind of a family glad to be together again for the holidays. I could hear the razzing, accentuated by the sweet tones of Sabine telling them all to act like they loved each other. But there was no doubt they did.
