Page 86 of Sven

She slipped it over her head as Sven talked with his lawyer. She was surprised he stayed on the couch to have the conversation and even more surprised at the length of their short conversation.

Moving back into the living room, she wasn’t sure if she should ask, but Sven didn’t seem to care because he said, “Thatwas my lawyer. There was a hit when she tried to sell the memorabilia she stole.”

“And you don’t want to call the police?”

“I don’t know... Do you think I should?”

“I think that’s your decision,” she said as she sat next to him.

He laid his head back on the couch, his fist grabbing his hair. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is... I just don’t feel right about calling the cops on her... I just... I don’t know...”

“What’s bothering you the most?”

“I don’t know her birthday.”

“Winnie’s mom’s?”

“No,” he said and looked at Natalie with glass eyes. “I don’t know Winnie’s birthday.” He took a deep breath and shook his head, seemingly trying to shake away the emotion brightening his eyes. “I just want to know all I can about Winnie and the start of her life. Then I want to make sure I have custody of her because that precious baby doesn’t deserve anyone who could just leave her behind.” He gulped before lying his head back on the couch.

“All you know of me is who I’ve been since Winnie came into my life, and honestly, that is a much better person than I’ve been most of my life. To be honest, you and Winnie deserve better than me, but I’m not going to let that stop me from trying to keep both of you,” he said to the ceiling, not making eye contact with her.

“Sven,” she said, putting her hand on his knee. He covered her hand with his, but his glassy eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling. “You are a wonderful father. Who cares who you were before you found out. What matters is what you did when you found out. That little girl upstairs adores you, and you’ve only had her for a couple months.”

He closed his eyes and blew out a slow breath. She had never seen him like this before. The more she got to know him, themore she saw how much of what he portrayed wasn’t actually him. He was a good man, and she got the sense he didn’t think that about himself.

She squeezed his hand before pulling into a hug. The next thing she knew, he was laying his head in her lap as she played with his hair.

“I don’t deserve you,” he said softly.

She let the back of her finger graze his jawline, feeling his stubble. He turned his head, looking into her eyes finally. The emotion she saw there made her swallow hard. The pain she saw there was so underserved, and he didn’t seem to get that.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Then, you have to believe me when I say the man I know, the one I am developing major feelings for, is a good man. I don’t know who you were before, but I feel like I know who you are now and Sven, that person is incredible. I’m so glad we found each other,” she said before pressing a sweet kiss to his lips.

He cupped her face and gazed up at her from her lap. His blonde hair fell into his eyes, and she moved it out of the way. He captured her hand and pressed a kiss to the wrist.

“I’m going to show you I deserve you,” he said before pressing another kiss to the same spot.

“You don’t have to show me, Sven. I already believe you do.”

“How did I get so lucky?” he said with awe.

From the moment she’d seen Sven, she was attracted to him—who wouldn’t be? Then when she saw him with Winnie, she respected him for the amazing father he was. But as they continued, that attraction and respect was turning into something deeper, something better, but it wasn’t until this moment she thought she could actually love him. She wasn’t quite there yet, but the more she learned about him, the moreshe saw who he truly was and everything about the man she knew called to her.

“I think I’m the lucky one,” she said, gazing at him.

Emotion covered his face again, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her belly. While this had potential to make her feel uncomfortable, it didn’t. All she felt was this man trying to hold on to what was good and what he was scared he would lose. Her fingers ran through his soft blonde waves as he held her tight. She needed this just as much as he seemed to.

They sat like that for a long time until Natalie’s stomach rumbled.

He turned his head and looked at her with his sparkling blue eyes. “Hungry?”

“Shut up,” he said, shaking her head.

He sat up. “It’s almost dinner time. What do you say we order some food?” At that moment, a rustle of blankets came over the monitor. “And it looks like Winnie might be waking up. Let’s order some food and hang out with Winnie and then maybe we can get things back on track after I put her down for the night.”

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