Page 124 of Bloom: Part 1

“When we were here.”

“You were here yesterday? Where was I?”

Bay frowned at me, his hand held in midair. The little girl grabbed his hand and tried to force the spoon toward her mouth.

“What day do you think it is?”

“Tuesday.”

“Not quite. It’s Wednesday.”

“Wednesday? Impossible.”

“Like we said, you were exhausted.”

I’d spent twenty-four hours without seeing Bloom?

“He’s doing fine,” Bay said. “Sit and have something to eat. Since you’re awake, I can take my girl home, and you can go see Bloom.”

Because I knew it was better not to argue with him, I ladled some of the aromatic stew simmering on the stove onto a plate and took a seat at the island. “Where are the others?”

“They left. We’ve been staying here on shifts. Crowe stayed the night, and I got here this morning.”

I took a bite of the stew, and the flavors exploded on my tongue. Warmth spread throughout my body, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything decent in days.

“Who made this?” I asked.

“I did.” Bay smirked without taking his eyes off Gift. “Why? I’m not the best cook, but I’ve been learning to help Ger with everything at home.”

“No, it’s good. Real good.”

“Or you’re just starving.”

“True.”

I gobbled up the stew while Bay fed and played with his daughter. Her delightful squeals made me smile. I’d never wanted children, but watching how good he was with her was heartwarming.

“So…you and Bloom.”

“Yes.”

“You know, the day Bloom met you, and he went after you, I never expected him to have his way.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It might have been better had you met my expectations. For reasons, we’re all protective of Bloom.”

“I can tell.”

“It won’t ever go away, so you’ll have to put up with us for a lot of years.”

“Already figured that one out.”

“What exactly do you want with him?”

I shrugged. “The same thing you expect from your partner.”

“So not short term?”

---