Page 9 of My Mail Order Valentine

"What is her name?"

He looks at me for a second and says simply, "Evie."

"That's a beautiful name. How old is she?"

"She's in her terrible twos right now, and, boy, is that accurate. She's been sick the past few days, so I had to take off a few days from work."

"You're very good with her."

"I'm her father. We've only got each other."

The way he speaks makes me look up at him. He's gazing at her like she's the most beautiful thing in the world, and I suppose for him, that's just right. I've always wondered what it would be like to have children, but the scene before me is making my ovaries ache.

When he's finished feeding her, he pulls her out of the high chair and takes her in his arms. She coos at him, and his face changes completely, revealing a huge smile. OMG, he's a complete and absolute god.

He leaves the room with her and brings me my sandwich, then goes back for his food. He mumbles things in the baby's ears that I can't quite catch, and the scene is beautiful to watch. Finally, he brings two water bottles and sets them on the table. He returns to his own seat with his precious cargo in his lap.

"I've got to wait for a bit to help with the burping, otherwise, the food she ate will come back up again. You can start eating, though."

I nod and take a bite of the sandwich. Turkey with mayo and a bit of mustard. My favorite. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I took a bite. Now I'm scarfing it down like I am a starved woman.

"I guess you were really hungry."

I've just taken a huge bite, and I can't really answer him, so I just give him a thumbs up. I feel like a complete loser here with this big, beautiful man. Maybe it's best that he's sending me away. The baby did her burping thing like a champ, and now her eyes droop like she's falling asleep.

"I'm going to put her to bed."

I finish my meal in silence and wait for him to return. When he sits back down, we do our best to make conversation, but it's pointless. I don't even understand how I got matched with him. I suppose if he didn't fill out the questionnaire himself, then the answers would belong to whoever created his profile.

"Who created your profile on the agency's site?"

"There's a group of octogenarians that kept threatening to find me a wife since Evie came to live with me. I guess they finally went ahead with it. I need to talk to them so that they pull that thing down from that site."

"Don't you want a family?"

"I already have one. Me and Evie. That's all we need. Is that why you joined? To get a ready-made family?"

"Yes. They promised me a quick match and a bright future with a good man who would build a future with me."

"How can they possibly promise that?"

"I don't know, Hunter. They have good testimonials on their page."

"Don't believe everything you read on the internet, Elena."

"I put my faith in them. It's not my fault you're not really looking for a bride. I'll have you know that I'll make some man an amazing wife."

I shove the chair back so quickly that it falls to the floor, but I don't care. I rush off and enter the bedroom I've been promised. The room is completely dark except for a small lamp on the nightstand. I search for my suitcase and find it next to a cozy recliner.

Pulling the suitcase onto the bed so I can open it, I sigh in defeat. My meager belongings are all here. I left everything else behind in the city. I search inside the bag and find my nightdress, my journal, and my lavender candle. I really need to practice my relaxation technique tonight.

I light the candle and put it on the nightstand. The journal goes next to it. I leave and search for the bathroom. I poke my head out into the hall and see Hunter in the kitchen. You need to be brave, Elena. I approach him carefully.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Second door on the left. Are you okay?"

"Thanks. Yeah."

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