Page 8 of Betrayed By the Wolf

“That’s perfect,” he said.

He knew he was staring but couldn’t pull his eyes away from the domestic scene. Vera’s smooth, dark hair fell forward to cover her cheek. Rami wanted to tuck it behind her ear, see the sharp line of her cheekbone, the curve of her jaw where it ran to the delicate skin of her neck. She had loved it when he’d kissed that line up her throat, her skin so thin there that he could feel the pulse of her blood quickening for him.

“Well, you’re making me nervous just by watching me do this,” Vera snapped. “Don’t you have cleaning to do?”

She had every right to snap at him after the way he’d dumped her, and it was the splash of cold water he needed with the way his thoughts were heading. He swallowed the retort he wanted to utter and turned away, grabbing a trash bag from under the sink to start the process of picking up.

Rami knew she’d never understand his reasons for the breakup. He’d decided it would be easier for both of them in the long run if she hated him. That way, there would be no chance of her wanting to start the relationship up again. He just didn’t know if he could resist if she offered him a second chance, even though he knew better.

Still, he kept stealing glances at the two of them while he cleaned. Without having to worry about taking care of Jessa, he made quick work of the mess around the house, even pulling out the vacuum that had been collecting dust in the closet.

When he came back to the kitchen, Vera was sitting on the padded floor mat with Jessa, making notes on a clipboard she had found somewhere.

“There,” she said, setting down a ruler. “I’ve made a chart to track her feedings and naps. How much, what times, etcetera. Make sure to mark it if you’re the one to feed her or put her down for a nap, okay? Once we have enough data, we’ll put together a schedule.”

“You’re still on about the schedule?” He flinched when she whipped around, glaring at him. “Okay, okay. I’ll try to remember.”

He’d liked her fiery nature when they were dating, the way she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind in any situation, but it frightened him a little now that she had reason to hate him. It felt sharper. Deadlier. She seemed mollified by his agreementat least and turned back to play with Jessa, encouraging her to reach for a rattle shaped like a jellyfish.

“You’re doing amazing, Jessa,” she cooed, showing off her gentle side.

Despite their relationship ending in a cold snap, he trusted her with Jessa. She was competent, capable, and determined. If she didn’t know how to do something, she’d figure it out. It was everything Rami could ask for in a nanny; the only trouble was spending hours every day with his ex. Could he suck it up for Jessa’s sake?

He hadn’t lied when he’d told Vera that she’d been the only response to his ad. It wasn’t like he had any other options. But he couldn’t imagine a candidate that could compete with Vera. A selfish part of him wanted her around anyway.

“If you’re feeling comfortable enough, I really need to get over to the bookstore. Jonah was covering for me this morning but I told him I could make it for the afternoon shift. If not, I’ll bring Jessa.” He’d been doing that since Jessa had arrived on his doorstep, making it work while running his own store, but it was taking a toll on him.

“We’ll be fine,” she said, not looking up. “See you around dinner time; then I’ll need to go and get my stuff if you’re expecting me to start right away.”

“Oh, right. You can take my car since you need to head back to Rosewood for it.”

Something flickered across her face, an emotion he couldn’t read that blinked out as quickly as he spotted it. Her fingers tensed in the blanket.

“I’m staying at Evelyn’s. I can just walk.” When she finally looked at him, her eyes were blank, purged of all emotion.

“Why did you move?” He asked, afraid of the answer.

Was it because of him? He couldn’t imagine that Vera would react so brashly to a breakup. Maybe he was being arrogant, thinking it had anything to do with him.

“We’ll see you later,” she said.

Clearly, the conversation was over. He supposed he deserved that. He’d lost the right to know anything about her personal life after removing himself from it.

He bent down to kiss Jessa goodbye and left, fixing the sight of Vera smiling at his baby in his mind. After so many days wrapped up in Jessa’s care, it felt wrong to leave the house without her, his arms empty, without the bags of supplies she required wherever they went. It was funny how quickly things could change. In a single night, he’d gone from a bachelor to a father.

And now he was living with his ex. One complication on top of another. It wasn’t too late to back out and tell Vera he didn’t think it would work, and his fingers hovered over the keys on his phone, ready to tap out the message. He shoved his phone back into his pocket instead and jogged up the path to the bookstore.

“Oh hey, there you are.” Jonah looked up from behind the counter, setting down the new hardcover he’d been reading. “Man, you look beat. Are you sick? I can close up here today if you need to go back home and rest.”

“I think that whole rest thing has gone out the window for the next ten years or so.”

Jonah’s eyebrows rose. He closed the book and sat up. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Rami told him the whole tale, beginning from the one-night stand and ending with Vera’s interview. It felt therapeutic, laying it all out there, even if he was careful to keep back the emotions twisted through it all. Jonah listened with wide eyes until he ended, breathing out a long, dazed breath when Rami fell silent.

“Wow. Just, wow.” He drummed his fingers on the countertop, searching for words. “I thought Cora was unexpected, but at least Moira and I were sort of together. This is next level. I can’t imagine just having a baby dropped at my door. You must be reeling.”

Was he? That night when he’d seen that woman at his door, he’d been reeling. When she’d first told him about Jessa, he’d been reeling. But now? Now, he couldn’t imagine his life without that little girl; it had happened that fast.

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