Page 102 of Guarded from Treachery

Everything was fine. We made it through the shopping trip without incident, although I came close to breaking Matt’s hand from squeezing it too hard. Peter is still securely in jail, awaiting trial. There weren’t any natural disasters. And thanks to the work of Blade and Arrow and the FBI, all the people involved in the adoption ring are in custody.

At first, I had a hard time believing it was all over. But as the days went by and more information was shared, eventually it sank in. The adoption ring was shut down permanently. No one would come after me or the baby again.

Some of the news was bittersweet, though. While I was glad to hear that the stolen babies were found and returned to their biological families, it hurt to know they would never meet their mothers. Brave women who protected their children up until the end but never got the chance to raise them.

I still cry whenever I think about them—the women who could have been me, had Matt not intervened in that parking lot.

Sometimes I feel guilty about it. Why was I the lucky one and not them?

For the rest of my life, I’ll be thankful for the tremendous gift I was given. A life even better than anything I dreamed of. Matt. Little Dove or Eagle. The Blade and Arrow family. A best friend who overcame her own insecurities to come visit last week, giving her full and enthusiastic approval of Matt as she whispered to me in the kitchen one night, “He’s perfect, Isla. And I’m just so happy for you.”

Even the relationship with my mother is getting closer to what I’d always hoped it would be. She’s back in New Hampshire now, staying with a friend a town over from my hometown of Keene, but I saw her several times before she left. I don’t know that I’ll ever forget how she treated me, but I’m willing to give her a chance. And above all else, I want my baby to have the opportunity to know her grandmother.

So we text. And call. I told her she could visit after the baby is born. It’s not the close relationship some of my friends have with their parents, but it’s a start. And I’m happy with that.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Matt walks into the bedroom with a steaming mug of coffee in each hand. He sets mine on the bedside table before climbing back into bed with me. His arm comes around me, snugging me into his side, and his lips brush softly across mine. With a pleased smile he asks, “Are you wearing my shirt again?”

With a teasing grin, I reply, “You meanmyshirt?”

He chuckles. “Considering how much you wear it, I guess it is.” His gaze drags over the boldARMYletters before coming back to mine. “It looks much better on you than me.”

My attention shifts to his bare chest for a second. “The way I see it, if I’m wearing your shirt, then you can’t.”

“Oh? So you like it when I’m not wearing a shirt?”

“You know I do.” My fingers trace the lines of muscle on his stomach. “Not that you don’t look handsome in clothes. But like this? You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

Pink touches the tips of Matt’s ears, something I’ll never tire of seeing. “You’rethe sexy one.” He touches my belly, his hand cradling the swell of it. “And I can’t wait to see you with our?—”

Red floods his cheeks as his lips clamp shut. Before I can respond, he quickly changes the subject. “Oh. While I was making the coffee, Levi texted. He’s back in the States, and he’s going to have a few days leave coming up soon. He wanted to know if it was a good time to visit.”

“Of course!” I’ve heard so much about Matt’s younger brother, who’s been serving overseas with his own Green Beret team. “I can’t wait to meet him. When is he coming?”

“In a couple of weeks. But he said he’s going to try to get a longer leave after the baby is born. Since he?—”

Again, Matt cuts himself off. But this time, I decide to push him on it. “He what?”

After a few moments, Matt says quickly, “He said since he’s going to be an uncle, he wants to be here as soon as the baby comes.” A beat, and then, “I know he’s nottechnicallyan uncle, but…”

And there’s the unspoken question neither of us has found the courage to bring up.

What happens next?

Yes, I’m going to live here. And Matt is going to help raise the baby. But we haven’t talked about the specifics of it. Like marriage or birth certificates or what the baby will call Matt.

I’ve been hesitant to push the subject, afraid it might be too soon. But what if Matt has been feeling the same way?

My heart thuds hard as I gather up the courage to ask.

“Matt.”

“Isla.”

We both laugh nervously.

“You go,” Matt says.

“No, you.”

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