Page 56 of Silver Lining Love

Sweet girl, I wish I could wrap my arms around you in a warm embrace and tell you what you want to hear. But, alas, that is impossible to do via the internet. I can, however, assist you in dissecting the web of emotions you are caught in.

First, let me say, with all you have been through, it would be easy to confuse dependency and loneliness with love. Does this neighbor make your heart race because of his babysitting skills or does the man behind the child whisperer truly get your engine revving? That, my lovely, is something only you can answer. This neighbor man sounds like a very caring and nurturing friend. A person can’t manufacture those traits for very long, so I believe that is truly his nature. My advice to you would be to get to the bottom of the mystery as to why a man who so clearly has everything it takes to be an amazing father does not desire a family of his own. Then, and only then, might you discover what fate has in store for you both.

You’ve done an incredible thing by stepping up and giving those precious children love and stability during a very scary time in their lives. Be just as kind to yourself. Seek your own happiness, even if it’s not waiting for you just outside your door.

Good luck, Darling!

Josephine Grace Clarke

I read it a second time because the first time, I’d still been in shock.

After another read, I considered her points.

I could honestly say that my feelings for the child whisperer were real. I loved Wyatt, even more now that I’d met his family, which I hadn’t thought was possible. But JCG did have a good point. Maybe I needed to know the real reason that he didn’t want a family, especially after meeting his. They were amazing, the best people I’d ever met. There had to be more to the story than he just got burned out being around kids.

Maybe finding out what had caused his aversion to fatherhood and family life would be the key to unlocking the answer to our future. Or my future, at least.

Urgency to find out answers to my question rushed through me. I checked the time and saw it was almost one a.m. Wyatt’s room was just across the hall. He was probably asleep. But what if he wasn’t? What if he was lying in bed wide awake, too?

There was one way to find out.

I grabbed the baby monitor and slid out of bed, careful not to disturb little Miss Sleeping Beauty, and tiptoed out of the room. The door didn’t stick like mine did, so it shut quietly.

When I turned around to face Wyatt’s door, I saw that there was no light coming in from the gap between the bottom and the floor. That wasn’t a great sign. I bit the inside of my cheek as I lifted my hand to make a fist. My knuckles barely kissed the wood as I knocked so quietly there was no way it could wake him up.

After two taps, I lowered my arm and put my ear to the door, listening for any signs of life. All I could hear was the whooshing of my heartbeat in my head. I let out a sigh of disappointment as I leaned my forehead against the door. When I did, it opened, and I stumbled forward.

Thankfully, very large, very chiseled arms caught me. I did a faceplant into Wyatt’s bare chest and had to admit, I wasn’t mad about it. The fewer clothes Wyatt wore, the better; that was my motto.

It had been two weeks since Wyatt and I had had sex on the couch. Unfortunately, there’d been no hanky panky since then. With three kids in the house, there really wasn’t a ton of opportunity to get frisky. Although, Walker and Dolly must have figured it out because they’d managed to have nine.

I took a moment to appreciate the male perfection that was Wyatt Briggs’ naked torso. I’d missed seeing his gladiator physique and feeling the closeness of him being inside of me. A shiver of desire rushed through me, but I shook it off.

Focus, Whitney.That’s not why I was here.

When I lifted my head and straightened back up, I brushed the hair behind my ear.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, probably because I’d been lurking at his door.

“I couldn’t sleep.” I saw the heat in his eyes, and I immediately clarified my statement. “No, I didn’t mean that. I mean, yes, that would be great, but not when your parents are downstairs.”

“Fair enough,” he grinned.

“Did I wake you up?” I cringed slightly, worried about what the answer would be.

“No.” His tone was serious. “I can’t sleep.”

“Me either.” There was a moment of silence before I asked, “Is it okay if I come in?”

He blinked as if he hadn’t realized I was still standing in the hallway. “Oh, yeah.”

When he stepped back, opening his door further, I walked into his room.

When Dolly had shown me to my room earlier, she’d mentioned that this was Wyatt’s room. I’d tried to peek in but hadn’t seen much.

“Is this what it looked like when you were growing up?” My hand ran along the wainscotting that ran halfway up the wall.

“Pretty much. My mom hasn’t really changed anything in any of our rooms.”

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