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Her smile was weak because she was still cold, but she took the cup and gulped it down.
Russell handed the thermos to Holly and leaned in to kiss Melissa’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re safe, sweetie. Enjoy your treat and get some rest.”
“Thank you, Russell,” Elijah said, standing and pulling him into a bear hug.
Seeing the emotion on Elijah’s face was the last straw, and tears streamed down Gemma’s face. Russell was going to make a brilliant father someday. Even if he was anal about safety. His little girl or boy would be spoiled rotten and loved without condition just like she was.
She had to get out of the room before she started sobbing like a blubbering idiot, so she slipped out and found the gorgeous library the resort boasted, where she curled up on the couch and waited for Russell to find her.
Chapter 7
Russell
WhenGemmaslippedout,he fought the urge to go after her. The expression on her face said she needed to be alone for a minute, and he would respect that for as long as he could before he found her and took her back to their cabin to take care of her.
He stood near the door and watched as Emily Eastman fussed over Holly and Melissa. Her husband and Russell’s good friend, David, came to stand next to him. “You did a good thing today,” he said, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Thanks,” Russell said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. “You and Emily ever consider having one?” he asked, nodding toward the little girl.
David nodded. “We’ve talked about it. There are some questions about my ability after cancer treatment, but we’re looking into adopting first. You know I was part of the foster system, and it’s an issue that’s dear to me.”
It hadn’t occurred to Russell to consider adoption. There was so much pressure put on couples to reproduce that he’d put all of his effort there to build the family he wanted with his wife. He would have to test the waters and see if adoption was a solution that would work for her.
“Mind if I pick your brain about that?” he asked.
David nodded. “Of course. We can grab a drink and talk whenever you’re ready. Did I hear that you’re coming back to California for a few months?”
Russell’s lips twitched up. “Yeah. Gemma is nearly done with everything she has to take care of in London for a while, and we both prefer the compound.”
Russell’s property was known among his friends as the compound because that’s exactly what it was. It was an impenetrable fortress, but it was also state of the art and had every comfort a person needed or wanted.
“It’s a magnificent home. I understand why you prefer it there.”
Elijah stood and cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. His voice was gruff with suppressed emotion as he spoke.
“Thank you, everyone, for what you did for us today. We couldn’t be more appreciative, and we’d love to have dinner together before everyone leaves, but right now, it’s time for us to be alone as a family and get some much-needed rest.”
David motioned for Emily to join him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let’s go get settled, baby.”
Emily gave her husband a tender smile and turned to Russell. “It will be good to catch up with you again, Sir.”
They stepped into the hallway, and after saying goodbye and agreeing to meet up for drinks later, David and Emily headed for their suite, which was on the same floor, and Russell went in search of his wife. He had a feeling she didn’t leave the building, and instead of using the phone to track her, he looked at the map next to the elevators and tried to imagine where she would go.
He grinned when he spotted the library. It was supposed to be one of the most impressive rooms in the whole place. That’s exactly where she would go.
Sure enough, he found her curled up on a sofa with a book lying next to her as she slept.
He dropped to the floor next to her and picked up her hand, stroking it softly as he contemplated whether to wake her or scoop her up and carry her back to their cabin.
Sometime later—he wasn’t sure how much time had passed—Gemma’s eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him. “You’re here. How is everyone?”
Russell leaned in and kissed her, unable to resist after watching her sleep for so long.
“About as good as expected after a day like today. How are you doing, love?”
She squeezed his hand as she shifted to sit up and put the book on the end table. “I’m emotional. Today was hard. And at first, I was ready to tell you I didn’t want kids anymore. Not if something like this could happen so easily in a place as safe as this. I fear you’ll never sleep again if we bring a child into this world. But then I watched you with her, giving her the hot chocolate, and I nearly burst with emotion. You’re going to make such a damn good father, Russell. And I feel terrible that it hasn’t happened yet.”
He pushed himself up enough to sit on the couch next to her and pulled her close to him. “It’s not your fault. We’ve got a dozen experts who tell us nothing is wrong with either of our reproductive systems. The timing just hasn’t been there. And I think you were right last week when you said we were focused so much on the right time to have sex that we’d lost sight of our needs. So, I say we stop trying and just let things happen when they happen. And I think if we really want a baby and it still isn’t happening, we can always adopt. David and Emily are thinking about it.”
