Page 44 of Found By You

He kisses my forehead. “I’d rather you stay here,” he says. “I’ll go so you don’t have to deal with the cold.”

“Are you sure?” I sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed to stand, but my legs have other plans. I plop back down and laugh, peering over my shoulder at a man soaking up the clear ego boost.

“Hang on.” He grins, coming around to help me to the bathroom.

“You know, this happened last time,” I say.

“Oh, yeah?” He loops a strong arm around my naked waist as my trembling legs fail to cooperate.

“I had to hold on to the wall. You were too busy snoring like a broken fan to help.”

He throws his head back with a laugh. “I only snore when I’m on my back,” he protests. “If you give me a hard shove, I’ll roll on my side. Shuts me right up.”

He leans into the shower and turns it on. We step into the tight space together, and he holds me close as the hot water runs over us. He gathers a dollop of body wash and starts to lather me, seeming to take extra care over my stomach.

“I think it’s a girl,” I whisper.

Duke pauses his movements, his dark eyes finding mine. “What makes you say that?”

I smile. “Just a feeling.”

“When do you get to find out?” he asks, his hand covered in suds sliding between my thighs with even more care.

“At twenty weeks,” I say. “I’d love to go to one of those 3D ultrasound places, but I doubt you have one around here.”

“Not here, but I’m sure Helena has a place.”

I scrunch my nose. “Helena?”

He chuckles. “It’s the capital of Montana.”

“Oh.” I guess I better learn a few more things about this place before I fully settle.

Duke gets dressed while I slip into my pajamas and under the covers. I flick on the TV when he decides to just run across the street to the gas station for the ice cream. “Where’s your room key?” he asks, tugging on his coat.

I point to my purse. “Front pocket.”

He takes the room key and leans down for a kiss. “You want me to text you a picture or call you?”

“Picture.”

He kisses me again, firmer this time. “I’ll be right back.”

My belly flip-flops like a love-struck teen watching him head out the door to fetch my craving. Never, in all my twenty-six years, has a man waited on me or remotely cared what I wanted. Now here is a man who gets a spark in his eye when I ask him for a favor like it’s a gift I’m giving him.

Duke might be one in a million.

Too bad I’m a mess of pregnant baggage. Why couldn’t I have met him before?

And his confession of being a widower… His face when he opened up about the tension between him and his brother—his need for us to feel real—was heartbreaking. For everything he’s been doing for me, and continues to do, giving him this one thing is the least I can do.

Let’s just hope I can keep my feelings in check.

Duke: [Image]

Duke: This is all they got. See anything you like?

Me: Panda Paws, please.

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