Page 24 of An Endless Memory

“Yeah. I’ll see if…” I waved toward the house. “I’ll see if she wants to be there when I tell everyone.”

“Tell her we’d love her and the kids to come no matter what,” Vienne said. “You know Cody and Tova won’t have an issue with it.”

Cody would have thoughts about the marriage. Most of them critical.

“Will do.” Humbled that my family might be aghast that I was marrying a single mom whom I’d just met but that they understood and would support her, I went inside.

As I dug out fruit and nut packs, containers of meat and cheese, and a few candy bars because Austen knew I had a sweet tooth, I appreciated their efforts more. I wouldn’t be a present husband, but my family was here to watch over Lily. Something I couldn’t do.

Five

Lily

The night was a blur of feedings. Just as I’d wake to Kellan’s cries, I’d find Eliot handing him to me. I’d nurse, and as soon as Kellan fussed after he ate, Eliot was quietly knocking on the partially open door. He’d take Kellan, and I’d drop into the deepest slumber I could remember. Repeat. I hadn’t been this exhausted in vet school.

I was dimly aware of the sun rising outside for the last two feedings, but when I blinked my eyes open, panic rose. It was well into the morning. The angle of light streaming through the windows wasn’t normal. Neither was the silence.

I scrambled for my phone. Eleven. Oh no.

Alarm pumped through my veins as I catapulted out of bed. Where were my kids? I bumped out the door and careened down the hall to Cali’s room. I’d left her alone with a strange man.

A hot, considerate, basically a miracle guy. But I didn’t know him.

What had I been thinking? My boss vetted him, but what did that mean? I should’ve?—

I came to a halt when I took in Cali’s bedroom. The longing was almost as strong as the relief. Cali was on her stomach on the bed, kicking her feet behind her. She had on headphones while watching her tablet.

She grinned at me. Only partially mollified, my gaze darted to the rocking chair. Eliot was snoozing with Kellan curled on his chest. Kellan’s face was turned to the side. He puffed air out of his mouth a moment before Eliot did the same.

Eliot’s ball cap was on the floor, and his rich, chestnut hair was ruffled. Dark lashes swept over his cheeks. His face might be lax while sleeping, but he still had a jaw carved from stone, only this late in the morning, it was dusted with dark stubble.

For the first time in months, a kindling of desire curled through my belly.

Nope. I could not go there. The guy had given me almost fourteen hours of sleep. No orgasms could compare, and I was wrong to be so attracted to a man I was cornering into a marriage.

I turned my attention to Cali and tapped at my ear before putting my finger to my lips.

She took her headphones off.

“Did you eat yet?” I whispered.

“Eliot made eggs.”

I nodded, and she put her headphones back on. He let me sleep, and he cooked. This guy might just be perfect. Maybe the trick to picking a man to marry was to get one who wasn’t interested in me.

How long had Kellan kept Eliot up?

I backed out of the room.

In the kitchen, embarrassment filled me. I usually got groceries on the weekends, but I had purposely let supplies dwindle. Less to move or trash that way.

I checked the fridge as if food would miraculously appear. There was a plate with Saran Wrap on it. Behind it was a bottle of lemonade.

Where did that come from?

“It’s yours.”

I yelped and jumped away from the fridge. Eliot was standing behind me. Slumbering Eliot didn’t destroy my nerves as much as sleepy, tousled Eliot. He blinked, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He held Kellan facing out. I got a drooly smile from my son.

---