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Max moved his lips again.
“Daaagguh.”
“Much better,” he praised, putting his finger to his lips once more. “Dooogg.”
“Doggguh.”
“Look at you!” Eric said tenderly, hugging him as Trigger ran up with the ball again to play. She was pretty sure they didn’t know she was watching them, as their backs were slightly towards her and neither had paused.
“You did it!”
Then Eric did the most incredible thing. He hugged Max and kissed him on the forehead, before laying his head on the toddler’s. “I’m so proud of you for saying ‘dog,’ and I can’t wait for you to show your Mommy.”
“Doogguh,” Max volunteered.
“Yep, let’s pet the dog,” he said, kneeling in his uniform garb, almost uncaring if it got dirty.
This soldier came out of nowhere, befriended her, was kind and loving to her child, and was already turning out to be more of a father figure to Max than Asher had been the boy’s entire life… and this was the man she’d married?
… And Madison’s heart melted as she leaned against the doorframe watching them, only to have Trigger bark, announcing her presence.
Eric glanced over his shoulder and Max did the same a moment later, both watching her. He whispered something to Max… and Max smiled happily, before yelling out his new word.
“Dooooguh, ma…”
“A dog!” she said emphatically, acting surprised and excited all at once. “Look at you! Learning all the words so fast, Max. What a good boy you are.”
Eric stood up and met her gaze, giving her a nervous smile.
“I hope you don’t mind that I took him out here for a few moments while you made his bath. He was pulling the side of the playpen wanting out, and…”
“Thank you,” she said openly, looking at him. “Thank you for everything.”
His smile faded as he stared at her, before nodding and handing her Max.
“I think I’ll go make the coffee and we can eat,” he said hoarsely, looking away and leaving her to wonder what was going through his mind.
10
MORRISON
Eric letout a deep breath as he hung up the phone just as Madison was emerging from the bathroom, holding Max wrapped in a towel in her arms. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life as her tender smile as she looked at her baby.
How could anyone push her away or reject her for choosing her son?
“Say, ‘I’m all clean now!’” she crooned playfully as Max beamed happily, announcing something that sounded almost like baby gibberish.
“Keengowwwwseeeme!”
“Yep. You’re clean now. We do see you,” she smiled and looked at Eric. “I’m going to put him in his pajamas, and then I thought we could talk for a bit. I usually rock him for a while before putting him into bed, if you don’t mind. I didn’t know if you were tired or…”
“Don’t change your routine,” he said simply, wanting to feel these moments of family – even if it wasn’t his own or something that was ‘just on paper’.
For now, he was her husband, and a part of his mind wanted to pretend that she wanted him to be there. That was part of the reason he’d suggested coming over to sleep on the couch, in the hopes that he could talk to her for a while… and perhaps sneak another kiss.
Oh gosh, he would forever remember that kiss at the courthouse. Forget little Becky Smithson who had been his first kiss at age fourteen, stolen in a treehouse – she was just dethroned by this stunning woman before him.
Madison had drawn in her breath as he leaned close. He felt her lip brush up against his moustache causing a tickle down his spine, and had never felt such soft lips in his entire life. He wanted to linger, to taste and savor that moment forever… and it was over within seconds.
