“Where's Laney this weekend?”I ask, lifting my head to meet his gaze.
“She’s on a girls’ weekend for her friend’s birthday. Her parents rented a cabin with a hot tub about an hour from here.”
“Sounds fun.”
“I almost didn’t let her go after everything that’s happened, but she begged, and I caved.”
“Softie,” I tease.
He groans.“More like a pushover.”
“She’s your little girl. My dad’s just the same.”
Ben falls silent for a moment, his gaze holding mine a little longer than usual.
“Do you want kids, Ash?”he asks.
“Yes,”I answer without hesitation. I’ve always known I want children. But as soon as I say it, it hits me. Ben already has Laney. Maybe he doesn’t want more.
I hesitate before asking,“What about you? Have you ever thought about having more?”
He exhales slowly.“I don’t know. I’ve never had to think about it.”
My heart sinks a little at his uncertainty.
“What made you think about it now?”I ask, propping myself up on my elbow.
“I’ve seen you with Hunter. It’s obvious you’d want kids.”
I nod.“I’ve always wanted a big family. Growing up with my brothers was the best, and I want that for my own kids.”
His brows lift slightly.“There are five of you.”
I laugh.“Five is probably too many, but I was thinking maybe three.”
He clears his throat.“Three? That’s... a lot.”
“Are you freaking out?”I ask, watching him closely.
He reaches up, his fingers trailing gently across my cheek.“No. I’m not freaking out.”
I arch a brow.“You sure?”
A sheepish smile tugs at his lips.“Well... maybe a little. I guess I figured I was done with diapers and formula, but then I met you, and now... I want to give you everything you've ever wanted.”
Leaning in, I press a soft kiss to his lips. “You're everything I've ever wanted,”I whisper.“Anything else is just a bonus.”
He leans back just a little, his eyes scanning mine. “You don’t mean that. Kids, I could probably get on board with, but I know you want to get married, and that’s something I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to give you.”
A strange unease settles in my stomach.“Where’s this coming from? Who says I want to get married?”
“No one,”he mutters, dropping his gaze.“I just assumed.”
Then it clicks.“It was Nash, wasn’t it?”
Ben doesn’t say anything, confirming my suspicion.
I nudge him.“Ben, was it Nash?”
