Page 72 of Found By You

It’s grown into a rustic mountain lodge home with views to die for.

I bite my lip at the sight of a very large box perched in the back of Duke’s truck.

It’s the crib I ordered last week. “Shit.”

The second I park the bay door to the garage opens, and the look on Duke’s face says it all.

I get out and go to him. His towering frame imposing with his arms crossed over his chest and a heated scowl on his face. I peer around him at the open hood of the Chevelle and the engine sitting on a mount beside it.

“Did you finally get the rebuild kit in?” I ask, innocent as can be.

“The crib you ordered came today,” he growls. I guess we’re getting right into it then. “When were you going to tell me you started ordering stuff? And why was it delivered to the cabin and not here?”

“I found a crib I liked, and it was on sale, so I bought it,” I say with a casual shrug.

His scowl doesn’t waver at my ‘it was on sale’ reasoning. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve given you my card to charge it and had it shipped to the right damn place.”

Now he wants to pay for the baby’s stuff, too?

I scoff. “The right place? Really, Duke? We’ve talked about this. I’m—”

“No, Maci,” he bites out. “You’ve rambled on and on with excuses for why you don’t want to move into the house for two months. That’s been the extent of the conversation.”

“Excuses? Me thinking it’s too soon to be moving into the house is not an excuse.”

“Yeah, it fucking is,” he snaps, gesturing to the cabin down the road. “We already live together. Why wouldn’t we continue doing just that?”

“Because Duke—” I throw my hands in the air in frustration. “—I don’t know if we can make it after the baby comes. Do you have any idea the percentage of relationships that end after the birth of a child? It’s high, honey, really high.”

His nostrils flare in anger. “You don’t believe that would happen to us for a second, because it won’t.”

I shake my head. “You don’t get it.”

“Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t move forward with everything we have to the new house,” he demands. “We’re together. We love each other. What’s the problem?”

“Do you love me? Because I haven’t heard you say it yet,” I bite back, and regret hits me before I can stop myself. Too far…

His jaw clenches. “That’s not fair, Maci, and you know it.”

Tears sting my eyes, and I turn away. Why am I doing this to myself? I’m fighting him when all he wants is for us to be together.

“Angel.” He sighs, reaching for me. I cover my face as I start to cry, and he holds me to his chest, rubbing my back soothingly. “You know how I feel about you.”

I nod against him. “I-I know. I’m sorry.”

“What’s this really about?” he asks gently.

I bury my face into his chest.

Duke kisses the top of my head. “I get it. You don’t want to have to rely on me when the baby comes if something were to happen between us.” I peer up at him. “I get it, babe, I do. But that doesn’t apply to us, all right? We’re solid. More solid than anything I’ve ever had in my life. And if keeping the lease on the cabin as a backup plan is this important to you, then… Fuck it. We’ll keep the cabin. The house isn’t even close to ready to move in, the paint alone is going to take a week or more to air out before I want you in there.”

I sniffle. “Do you mean that?”

“Yes,” he says, brushing my hair out of my face. “But you’ve gotta promise me you’ll give the house a chance. Stay here a few nights during the week and get a feel for the place. And we sleep together every night, no matter where it is. The cabin, here, wherever you want.”

This man… “I love you.”

He grins and leans down to kiss me. “And the crib is staying here.”

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