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“Such a good, handsome boy,” I cooed, leaning over to pat his butt and kiss the top of his head. Adam couldn’t have had the first clue when he gave me a dog, but that was it for me. I didn’t want a fancy car or designer shoes. Expensive jewelry was pointless, but that was pretty obvious coming from the woman who spent $10 on a six-pack of underwear.
But a dog? Bingo. Bailey was a priceless gift, and that Adam had been training him for me meant even more.
“Every man wants to hear that at the end of the day.”
Adam was standing at the other end of the kitchen, in the doorway that led out to the hall. His hair was wet from another shower and he was bare-chested, wearing only a pair of soft joggers that were making my brain flatline.
“Holy shit,” I breathed, because I couldn’t stop myself. “And every woman wants to be greeted by this when she walks through the door at night.”
A small smile touched his lips and he raised one eyebrow. “You saying you think I’m cute, VanBuren?”
Cute was not the word, and I knew I was standing there with a glazed look on my face as I imagined dropping to my knees in front of him and making him groan filthy things when I took down those joggers.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” I finally snapped out of it and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I forced a grin across my lips as I said it, so he’d know I was teasing. “You’ll do in a pinch, but just know I’m making sacrifices.”
“Sacrifices.” His chuckle was low. “Yeah, sure. I suppose you don’t much hurt my feelings, VanBuren. You’re acceptable. You know, by most standards.” He held up two fingers in a microscopic measurement.
I snorted as I uncapped the water, tipping it back. I liked this, the easy teasing, something I knew could devolve quickly into throwing him down on the kitchen floor and kissing him senseless–and to be honest, that was a theory I really, desperately wanted to test but I was pretty sure he’d shut me down like he had the night before.
Turning to put the empty bottle in the recycling bin, I gave myself a little pep talk so I could keep my head on straight.He’s marrying you to rescue Daniela. He’s doing this for you and for a helpless little girl, so don’t go getting any ideas. He’ll never want the things from you that you dream about from him.
“You ok?” he asked softly, and I realized the defeated little sigh I’d let out in my head had actually come out of my mouth. “That wasn’t a very happy sound.”
“Yeah.” I pasted a bright smile on my face. “I’m good. I’m just tired–you could say the last couple days have been a lot.”
That made him smile again. “Sure have.”
He looked like there was something more he wanted to say, but he stopped himself and I was incredibly tired, so I didn’t push it.
Bailey followed me down the hallway and flopped on the floor on my side of the bed.
It had taken Bailey all of two nights to figure out he’d lost his spot in the bed and he’d taken it well, alternating between Adam’s side and mine, curled up into a tight little bean on the floor. He couldn’t decide which of us he liked better, though Adam claimed it was me, and already we’d contacted the trainer about holding a special session to teach us how to introduce the baby to the dog, because already we were living in hope. It was something bright shared between us, and I got the feeling he was as excited about it as I was, which was weird. He’d adopted my dream so quickly, I half worried at some point he’d wake up and realize he’d made a stupid mistake.
Steve must have let it slip to Kennedy, because she’d been busy all day, calling in favors and getting in touch with friends who had announced they were done having children. Thanks to her and her network of friends, family and professional contacts, she and Hailey had shown up that morning and transformed one of the bedrooms into a nursery.
Adam had jumped right in to take directions, rolling out a rug, hauling in a dresser and a changing table, setting up a bassinet on my side of the bed in my room–our room–and carefully hanging things on the walls.
Hailey put him to work washing the several bags of baby clothes she’d brought over and he sat on the floor with her to fold tiny onesies straight out of the dryer, tucking each new stack carefully into the drawers.
“You really do go big, don’t you Mads?” Kennedy teased as the two of us stood in the doorway watching Adam and Hailey. “The guyandthe kid? You sure don’t let any moss grow. Bet Grams will have something real interesting to say about this.”
I hoped Steve hadn’t let my confession slip, that Adam was marrying me because the sisters wouldn’t give me Daniela unless I had a husband. I was afraid it would make Kennedy angry enough to stop giving money to the home, and my hurt feelings and general outrage weren’t so important in the grand scheme of things that more kids needed to suffer or go without.
That afternoon we sneaked out to get our marriage license and Adam said he’d called in a favor with Gary, who could squeeze us in at 11:30 the next morning.
We strolled down Main Street, his arm protectively around me, and I could have sworn he bit back a snarl at the man who’d given me an appreciative nod.
When we ducked into the little jewelry store, the guy behind the counter greeted Adam by name, a big smile on his face. It didn’t surprise me. After eight years back in town, Adam knew everyone and they certainly knew him, and the guy kept assuring Adam he would give us “the best deal” as we looked at simple gold bands. We’d agreed that fancy was unnecessary, money better saved for future doctor appointments and toys.
That night I took a change of pajamas into the bathroom with me and shut the door. I didn’t like wearing pajamas during the summer, because I was a hot sleeper, but Adam’s reaction to me two nights earlier had been enough to convince me that I’d either crossed a line or he didn’t feel the things for me that I felt for him.
That seemed a pretty likely scenario, now that I thought about it. Of the times he’d commented on how nice I looked, he was just being nice, because Adam was a nice guy.
Of the times he’d hugged me, it was because he could sense I needed a hug and that was what he did. Adam Beckman was kind and thoughtful, protective and caring. I was like a little sister to him–of course I was–and he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me or get in my way.
Toweling myself dry after a quick shower, I sighed again. Of course that was the case, and I was just going to have to accept it for what it was and be thankful if he decided to stick around for a while once Daniela arrived.
“I heard that sigh too,” he called, his voice muffled by the bedroom door, and I chuckled to myself.
