Page 5 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

Maddie’s gaze snapped to her face. “Forgiveyou?Why would I need to forgive you, Sky? You were just a kid trying to figure out life.” She gave Jasper a noisy kiss on his cheek. “There’s nothing to forgive between us—ever.”

Sky blinked furiously as tears stung her eyes. “You really are the best sister a girl could ever ask for.”

“I know.” Maddie hugged her tightly, squishing Jasper between them in a way that made him giggle.

Unable to help herself, Sky kissed all over his chubby face. Was there anything better than being an aunt?

“Is it family hug time?” Jaime teased as he entered their bedroom. With a grin the size of Texas, he wrapped his armsaround all of them. Jasper found that hilarious, of course, and when Jaime ended the hug, he stole his son from Maddie and lifted him high in the air. Jasper squealed, and Maddie tutted softly about how Jasper really was never going to nap now.

Knowing her sister and brother-in-law would want some time with Jasper before they left, Sky quietly retreated downstairs to tackle the lunch cleanup. As she loaded the dishwasher and wiped down the counters, she planned the rest of the afternoon and evening. Nap. Snack. Play. Dinner. Bath. Bottle. Bedtime.

She heard Jaime and Maddie talking as they came downstairs and walked out of the kitchen to meet them. Jaime had both suitcases and carry-ons, while Maddie carried Jasper, who already had that drowsy smile on his face.

“Let me help.” Sky took one of the suitcases from Jaime and a carry-on. She followed him out to the garage and handed over the luggage.

“I emailed you a copy of the flight plan and all of our reservation details.” Jaime stowed the bags in the cargo area of his luxury SUV. “There’s extra cash in the top drawer of my desk. The second emergency credit card, Jasper’s medical insurance information, the medical POA, and all that stuff are in the same drawer.” He shot her a humorous smile. “I know you already know all this because we’ve gone over it a million times, but Maddie will worry if I don’t tell you again.”

“I’ll take a selfie holding the envelope after you leave and send it to her.”

Jaime laughed. “Please do.”

“Once you’re in the air, she’ll mellow out,” Sky promised. “You know how much she loves flying with you.”

“I miss taking her up every week,” he admitted. “It was always our thing, you know?”

“I know.” Their first date had been a flight, and Maddie had been so mesmerized that Sky had known there would never be any other man for her sister.

“Thank you, Sky. For everything.” Jaime gave her shoulder a brotherly squeeze. “I don’t say it enough, but I don’t know how we would have gotten through the last year and a half without you.”

“You would have been fine,” she objected. “You could have hired a nanny and housekeeper.”

“Maybe, but it wouldn’t have been the same. You give Jasper a level of love that no nanny ever could. You’re histia.You’re family.”

“He makes it easy. Who couldn’t love that squishy little face?”

Jaime laughed and glanced at the doorway. Maddie had finally appeared and reluctantly handed over Jasper. “Did Jaime tell you about the cash? And the other emergency card? And the medical paperwork?”

“Yes.” She caught Jaime’s amused expression. “We were just going over it. Again.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Okay. Okay. I get it.”

Sky carefully accepted Jasper from her sister and cradled him close. He was nearly asleep, and she hoped he would easily transition to his crib. If not, she would have an excuse to rock him a little longer.

After hugging her sister goodbye, she took Jasper back inside and carried him upstairs to the nursery. Jaime had gone overboard with Jasper’s room and spared no expense to make Maddie’s vision a reality. During Maddie’s pregnancy, Sky was overwhelmed by the catalogs and mood boards. Pottery Barn Kids. Crate and Barrel. Maisonette. Local artisans. She shuddered to think what Jaime had spent to make this magic wonderland for his son.

She gave Jasper a snuggle and placed him in his crib. His tired eyes drifted together, and she slipped out of the bedroom. She paused just long enough to switch on the monitor before pulling the door almost completely closed behind her.

Downstairs, she made a cup of tea and carried the dedicated baby monitor tablet to the library. She thought it was a little bit overkill to have an entire tablet set aside only for watching Jasper sleep, but Maddie was a bit of a worry wart so Sky went with it. Although, she had to admit it was handy to have the tablet propped up nearby while she watched TV or scrolled social media or wrote a few paragraphs.

Today, she decided to indulge in TikTok and Instagram. There were better ways to use her time, but she had five nights and four days of babysitting ahead of her. May as well cram in as much mindless fun as possible now.

Lost in the silly reels, she was only vaguely aware of the weather turning bad. It had been cloudy most of the day, but storms began to roll in, and thunder rumbled. She glanced at the monitor where Jasper napped and then to the window in time to catch a flash of lightning. Worried the storm might wake him, she turned up the volume on the iPad to ensure she would hear him even if he were only making soft sounds.

She had just turned back to her phone when the doorbell rang. She didn’t bother opening the doorbell app. She was close enough to the front door and needed a new cup of tea anyway.

But as she opened the door and met with the last person she wanted to see, she wished she had checked the app and ignored the doorbell altogether.

Chapter Two

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