Page 16 of Sudden Summer

I bent over the back of the couch, my lips pressing into her hair. I needed to stop kissing her, but I just couldn’t. “You’re not my maid. Or my cook. Or my nanny.”

“I’m your house guest,” she whispered.

“You’re my lifeline,” I corrected, “and we both know it. Just sit tight for a minute, I’ll be right back.”

Birdie

Ipushed the shopping cart through aisle after aisle of baby goodies, the smile on my face not wavering for a single second. Because for years, after shifts or when shopping for friends, I would imagine coming here to get things for my own baby one day.

Juniper wasn’t mine, I knew that. But she was Beau’s. My biological clock wasn’t doing me any favors, and even if it was, there was no partner I wanted to be with. So that meant Juniper was as close to a daughter as I’d probably ever be blessed with. And I planned on spoiling her rotten, even if she’d only ever call me Aunt Birdie like the rest of the kiddos in the Ford family were destined to.

“What did Vi say to you?” Beau’s question pulled me from my thoughts.

“Huh?”

“When you two were in the kitchen. When I thought my family might start pummeling the…” he placed his hands over Juniper’s little ears, “shit out of me for not wanting a paternity test.”

“Oh.” I bit my bottom lip. “She asked me if I was okay.”

His face fell. “And what did you say?”

“I told her the truth—that I’m worried about you beating yourself up for not knowing about Juniper before last night. I’m sad that the two of you could have known each other for all this time. Anxious over the thought that if something so tragic hadn’t happened, you might never have known about having a daughter out in the world.”

His jaw worked back and forth. “That’s all about me and Juniper. She asked if you are okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked as I turned back to the shelf, grabbing a lavender soap that would be gentle on Juniper’s skin.

“Do they have citrus?”

“Citrus what?”

“Soap. For babies.”

“Oh, uh…I think citrus oils might be too harsh for their skin. Why?”

His cheeks flushed under the brim of his hat. “You like lemons. I noticed you swapped out your body wash a few weeks ago at the ranch. It used to be that stuff that smelled more like wildflowers and mint. But now it always smells like a lemon farm when you shower. And that perfume you always wear is…well, it smells like lemons to me. You mentioned last night to the social worker she should have something that smelled like her mom.”

“Beau…”

“She’s going to get used to you, and I just thought, if I could give her a bath with something that smelled like you on the nights you have to work and can’t be there with us⁠—”

God, my throat ached. “That is the sweetest thought. I’m not sure this little shop will have something like that, but we’ll figure something out.”

Beau pulled his hat off his head as I grabbed an industrial sized box of wipes off the shelf, rubbing his eyebrows with overwhelmed written all over his face. My side ached, but it was easy enough to cover with my smile. Juniper was fast asleep on his chest in the carrier Violet had insisted we stop over to get before driving into town. She was right—it was a lifesaver. And I couldn’t stop sneaking glances at the two of them together. It was so precious, the way he bounced when we stopped walking, or the way he kept kissing her head and sniffing her skin. I wasn’t even sure he realized he was doing it, but Beau had taken to fatherhood exactly how I knew he would.

“What’s left on the list?” he asked, looking over at me with wide eyes.

“Overwhelmed?” I teased.

“Yeah, just a little.”

“Okay. Well, honestly, we just need to grab her a bedside bassinet if you’re dead set against using the playpen again before the crib gets delivered, and we can probably get by with just a few more outfits. I can order stuff online when we get home…eh, back to the ranch…” Cue the embarrassment. It was their home, not mine.

“Okay. Let’s divide and concur because I feel like I could fall asleep standing up, and I want to get you both home.” I looked over my shoulder at him, and that man had the audacity to wink at me. I guess he had heard my little flub.

“Sure. I’m going to go grab the bassinet while you go over to the clothes, and I’ll meet you there.”

“No.” He stopped me with a hand on my arm. “I should grab the bassinet. You’ll be better at picking out her clothes.”