Page 64 of Brage & Dinah

She weaved around the tables slowly, swaying side to side the way she'd seen the others do it. His poor little body was like a bundle of heat against her. Cradling him in the nook of his arm, she loosened the tightly wrapped blanket around him.

Catching one of his waving hands, she put her pinky in his palm.

He latched onto her tightly. She stopped moving. His grip was strong.

"My, my, my, you are going to grow up to be strong like your daddy," she said.

Tyr inhaled a shuddering breath and stopped wailing at the sound of her voice. She smiled and held still, letting him look at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tyr." She slowly moved to the nearest chair and sat down. "I'm Dinah. You've got a lot of people here who love you. Yes, you do."

She opened up the blanket all the way and lifted him out and put him on her chest. His head went right to her shoulder. With his body free to move, he kicked his little sleeper covered feet against her.

"Are you trying to walk?" She rubbed his back, inhaling his sweet scent. "You have months before you have to worry about that. Right now, you get to be a baby."

She rocked back and forth in the stationary chair. Proud of herself for getting him to calm down, she was amazed that such a tiny human could make so much noise.

Holding a baby wasn't too difficult. It was like getting a hug.

Holly came back into the room with a plate and approached the table, taking one of the chairs. "He likes you."

"I think he noticed someone else holding him and doesn't know what to do." She laughed softly.

"Do you want me to take him from you?" Holly chewed a piece of her sandwich.

"Go ahead and eat. I'll hold him as long as he's happy with me." Afraid to change what she was doing, she rocked and rubbed, rocked and rubbed.

"Have you eaten dinner?" asked Holly.

"Not yet." She hoped Brage would come back and she could fix them both something to eat. "Do you know when the guys are supposed to return to the clubhouse?"

Holly shrugged. "I haven't heard."

Taking in the sandwich, she asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I've noticed that everyone here doesn't use two pieces of bread on their sandwich. Why?" She eyed the bread with two slices of tomato on it and a piece of meat. "Is it a Norwegian thing?"

Holly's studied the sandwich. "I don't know. It's how we always eat. There's no reason for two pieces of bread."

"It makes sense, I guess." She rubbed her cheek against Tyr's bald head. "I think he went to sleep. Should I put him down?"

"Do you want to?"

"No," she whispered. "I like holding him."

"Then, that's what you'll do." Holly wiped off her mouth. "Now, it's my turn to ask you a question. Do you love him?"

"Who?" She knew who.

Holly dipped her chin and looked at her under lowered brows. "Brage."

"I..." She looked away from the woman's imploring gaze. "There's a lot going on."

"When isn't there?" Holly sat back in her chair. "I wish I had the days back when my husband was alive. I wouldn't mess around. I'd live every second as if it was the last and do the things that make my heart fuller, instead of worrying about the small stuff."

Guessing Holly's age around forty-five years old, she was surprised to hear she was a widow. "I'm sorry about your husband. I didn't know."

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