Page 79 of Guarded from Treachery

He pushes my hair back from my face and kisses me. Then he chuckles. “I’m not sure if we actually conserved water. But I’m definitely in favor of sharing the shower.”

I smile at him, my heart filled with a light, fizzy joy. “I’m definitely in favor of it, too.”

“Remember,you can take as much time here as you want.”

Matt glances around Rock a Bye Baby, the maternity and baby shop in Seguin, his gaze softening as he takes in all the adorable little outfits and cuddly toys. He’s still in high-alert mode, his posture rigid and shoulders tight, a hint of tension evident in his features. One arm is wrapped around me, keeping me nestled against his side.

“We have the store for the whole day,” he continues. “Aside from you, me, Erik, and Rhi, the owner is the only one here. And she knows how important it is that we have complete privacy.”

“I don’t think I’ll need the entire day,” I reply. Leaning against him, I stretch up to kiss his bristly cheek. “Maybe just a few…” But I trail off as a particularly cute baby outfit catches my eye, a little pair of lavender overalls with a fuzzy bunny embroidered on the front of them.

Laughter in his voice, Matt asks, “Are you sure about that?”

I grab his hand and tow him across the store, over to the display of overalls in a rainbow of shades. “Maybe.” Plucking the lavender ones from the rack, I hold them out to Matt. “This is a neutral color, right? A boy could wear it, couldn’t they?” I pause. “Not that I’m saying it’s a boy. I’m still ninety percent sure it’s a girl. But just in case.”

“A boy can wear purple,” Erik calls over. He’s stationed by the store’s only entrance, keeping an eye on the parking lot to make sure no one suspicious pulls up or tries to come in. He glances at Matt with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “If little Eagle wants to wear pink, that’s okay.”

“Of course Eagle can wear pink,” Matt shoots back. “Whatever color he wants. If he—” His lips press shut and the tips of his ears go pink. A beat later, he looks at me and says, “Sorry, Isles. I shouldn’t have presumed. It’s your choice what little Dove or Eagle wears.”

But Iwanthim to presume.

Though Matt’s not technically the father, the more time that passes, the more I wish he was. And the more I think—dream—about Matt making these decisions with me.

I want him to reassure little Eagle, if he’s right and Idohave a boy, that it’s okay to dress in colors that aren’t blue and green. That it’s okay to be different. That being smart and good with computers isn’t a bad thing.

If it’s little Dove instead, I want Matt to show her how a man should act, so she always expects the same for herself. I want him to encourage her to pursue any interest, whether it’s dancing or baseball or chess. And I want Matt to be at the front door when she gets picked up for her first date, letting her hopeful suitor know he’s looking out for her.

I put the overalls back and turn to face Matt. “You weren’t presuming. I care about what you think. And I agree. Any color is fine.”

Matt catches my hand in his, enfolding his fingers around mine. Then he bends down to press a soft kiss to my lips. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” I smile up at him. “I’m sure.”

“In that case…” He takes the overalls back off the rack. “Can I buy them? For little Eagle? Or Dove?”

For a second, all I can do is stare at him.

He looks so cute, this big guy holding this teeny outfit, his expression soft and contemplative as he looks at it. And I see a flash of a possible future; Matt carrying my—our?—newborn baby snuggled against his chest.

I know he said he wants to be in the baby’s life. But that’s not the same as being a father.

Still. I can hope. Right?

“We have lots of gender-neutral outfits,” the store owner, Lydia, adds. She points to another rack in the corner. “I know with the whole gender reveal thing it seems like everyone is finding out the sex before the baby is born, but there are actually still a lot of people waiting to find out.”

Rhiannon walks back into the front room of the store. She’s holding an adorable stuffed bunny in her hand and a pudgy elephant in the other. “You have to check out the toys, Isla. They aresocute.” She pauses, her normally confident expression turning hesitant. “Could I buy these for her? Or him? Would you mind?”

“Hey, don’t buy all the toys,” Erik interjects as he turns away from the view of the parking lot again. “Leave some of them for the rest of us.” He grins at me. “We’re all planning on spoiling the little one.”

My heart squeezes.

Somehow, amid the chaos and fear and confusion, I found the closest to a true family I’ve ever had.

Blinking back tears, I swallow a few times before replying, “Of course you can buy them. But you don’t have to go all out?—”

“Yes, we do,” Matt interjects. “You and Jade are going to have our first Blade and Arrow babies. In Texas, at least. And once the baby comes, maybe we can take him to New York to meet the Sleepy Hollow team. Cole and Maya have little Clara, Leo and Georgia have Lily, and I just heard Rylan and Charlie are expecting.”

Rhiannon sets the two stuffed animals on the checkout counter. “Ry and Charlie are expecting?” she asks Matt. “How did I not know?”

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