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But that was going to change. Very soon. And it would change because of Rule, because of what he offered her and Trev, because of the kind of husband and father he was. Not only deeply committed to his family, but also an excellent provider.
As soon as she was finished at the firm, she would be available to Trev more consistently—constantly, in fact, at least at first. And even when she found interesting work in Montedoro, it was going to be work with reasonable hours for a change. She would truly have it all. Time to be a mom, time to be a wife, time to do good work that mattered.
It was all going to be fine and she needed to get over her guilt and her jealousy. Trev had a dad now, that was all that was happening here. Sometimes a child wanted his dad over his mom. And there was nothing at all wrong with that.
She leaned her head back in the rocker and closed her eyes.
The next moment—or so it seemed to her—Rule was whispering in her ear. “Come back to bed, sleepyhead.”
She forced her heavy eyes to open, asked, “Trev?”
He put a finger to his lips, tipped his head toward the toddler bed across the room, where Trev was curled up under the blankets, his arm around his favorite stuffed dinosaur.
She gave Rule her hand and he pulled her out of the chair. He drew her close and she leaned against him as they returned to the master bedroom.
In bed, he gathered her close to him. “You work too hard.” He stroked her hair.
“Not for long. Another week or so, the way I figure it, and I’m so outta there.”
“I can’t wait to take you home with me—you and Trevor both.”
She traced his dark brows, one and then the other, by feel more than sight. They had turned off the lamp. “I have a secret to tell you.”
“I love secrets.” He bent closer, kissed her temple. “Especially your secrets.”
“Don’t laugh.”
“I promise, I won’t.” He stroked her hair.
“You and Trev look a lot alike.”
He kissed her lips, a brushing kiss, his breath so w
arm across her cheek. “We do, a little, don’t we—and is that your secret?”
“No. I’m getting to it, though. And it starts with the resemblance between you and Trev, which is pretty striking, really. Beyond the dark hair and eyes, you both tip your heads at the same angle when you’re thinking. And when you smile … you make me think of him. In fact, that first day we met, remember how I’ve said I kept thinking how you looked familiar? Remember, I even asked you if we’d met before?”
“Yes. I remember.”
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, kind of marveling over it. And then I realized it’s not surprising in the least.”
“Why not?”
“Simple. The sperm donor I chose was a lot like you—and yes, that would be my big secret.” She traced the so-manly strong line of his jaw. “I chose him because he was just like you—I mean, the you I didn’t even know then. He had your same height and build, dark eyes and dark hair. I chose him because he seemed like the man I always hoped to meet someday. The man I had by then decided I would never meet.”
He withdrew from her then, turning over onto his back beside her.
She wondered at that. “Rule? Are you okay? Did I say something that upset you?”
“Of course you didn’t.” He sounded … distant. And a little strange. “I’m perfectly all right.”
“You don’t seem all right.”
He found her hand under the covers, twined his fingers with hers. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” She smiled into the darkness. “You sure you were never a sperm donor?”
“You’re joking.”
