Ms. Kealy continued to list the items she’d purchased as she put the finishing touches on dinner. “Dinner is ready. Ye just need to put it in the oven for thirty minutes.” She rubbed her hands over her apron, then reached behind her to untie it. “Is there anything else ye might need?”

Macie shook her head, stunned by how much the woman had accomplished so quickly. “No. That all sounds incredible. Thank you for your help.”

“Ah, ma’am, it is me pleasure!” She hung her apron on the hook behind a pantry door. “I’ll be back tomorrow. If there’s anything ye need, just ask His Grace te text it to me and I’ll have it fer ye tomorrow mornin’.”

Edward pressed his foot against the baby rocker where Kyle was sound asleep. The little rocker was a miracle! Kyle loved the little bounces and, after giving him a bottle, changing his diaper, and burping him, Kyle had fallen asleep. The rocker allowed Edward to watch him while he worked on his computer.

A movement to his left caught his eye and he looked up to see Macie step into the great room.

He didn’t speak, but pointed at Kyle. Macie came over to look at their son and Edward had a chance to watch Macie. She was still so stunningly beautiful and he enjoyed the way her fingers tucked her hair behind her ear.

She needed a manicure, he thought. Her nails were ragged and her hands looked raw. She must wash her hands often, which would make sense if she were cleaning bottles and washing her hands after every diaper change.

“Any news?” he asked, his voice low so he wouldn’t wake Kyle.

“No,” she sighed, sitting down on the sofa and looking down at Kyle. “I didn’t find anything new, but I need to look over the previous data to see if I can spot a pattern.”

“I think you should push that off until tomorrow,” he urged, taking her hand and kissing her fingertips. It was such an automatic gesture. Their weekend together a year ago had been all about touching and exploring each other. So, he should have anticipated the spark of need. But he was still surprised by the sharp intake of Macie’s breath and the way her head swiveled towards him.

Yes, it was there. Just like this morning. Macie still felt it. They have a child together, but the need, the passion, could still ignite at the smallest of touches.

She pulled her hand away and he didn’t object.

“Would you like a glass of …” he stopped when he noticed her grimace. “Right. No wine.”

She shrugged and looked down at Kyle. “Go ahead if you’d like a glass. I won’t mind.”

He sighed. “Macie, there’s zero chance that I’m going to drink a glass of wine while you deny yourself. You’ve already sacrificed so much for Kyle. I’m not going to torture you.”

“It’s okay. Really. I’ve gotten used to no alcohol.” Her lips pulled for a moment and she glanced at him, then quickly away. “Coffee was the hardest part. The headaches were vicious for a few days after I realized I was pregnant and had to stop drinking coffee.”

“You didn’t wean yourself off?”

She shook her head. “No. I read that caffeine constricts the blood vessels and I didn’t want to harm Kyle.”

“How did you choose the name?”

She looked at him again, her green eyes sharp. “You don’t like his name?”

“I like it. I just…” he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I want to know, Macie. I want to know everything.” He looked down at Kyle as he said, “I feel like I’ve missed out on so much.”

“I didn’t–”

He lifted a hand, stopping her protest. “I don’t blame you. Not at all. We left each other that weekend, both of us assuming that we’d never see each other again. That was what we’d talked about. Because of our past.”

“I know,” she whispered, lacing her fingers together. “I just….” She paused and looked at him with a chagrinned expression. “There’s an enormous amount of guilt that comes along with being a mother. I never feel as if I’ve done enough to keep him safe and healthy. I wonder if I should be doing more to stimulate his brain, or if I should be eating something that makes my breast milk healthier. If I’m feeding him too much or too little.” She sighed, leaning back against the sofa cushions and ran a hand through her hair. “I love taking him to the pediatrician because she always tells me he’s perfect.”

“What about you?” he asked, shifting so that he could watch her as easily as he kept an eye on his son.

Startled, Macie glanced over at him. “What about me?”

He reached out, gently touching the dark circles under her eyes. “What about your health? What did your doctor say about you?”

She laughed, her eyes moving to the ceiling. “I haven’t been to the doctor yet. I was supposed to go back after six weeks, but…” she sighed. “It’s just too difficult to get Kyle ready with all of his stuff, so I kept putting off making the appointment.”

Edward twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “I can get a doctor out here tomorrow if that will ease your mind.”

Macie smiled at him, unconsciously leaning her head closer to his touch. “That’s okay. I’m not in pain so I’m okay with skipping this particular visit.”