Page 58 of Finding Forever

Two:yesokay, he was very aware that she only had on a pair of panties—if that—beneath that shirt and that all it would take to get her naked was a quick yank of the thing over her head.

Three: the ugly black T-shirt was a stark, unpleasant contrast against her skin.

Four through ten: it belonged to another man and had no fucking business being anywhere near her soft skin.

Cade pinched the bridge of his nose, in a vain attempt to ward off the encroaching headache. He scrubbed his hands over his face, and bit back a groan as he once again thought about those pretty, naked legs. He wished he’d never asked the doctor about sex during her pregnancy.

After their conversation he’d read up on it andfuck… now he couldn’t think of anything else. And seeing her in nothing but that shirt had had a depressingly predictable effect on his body.

It didn’t help that Cade hated failing and their one encounter together could not be classified as anything other than a failure. And while before—when there had been little chance of him ever seeing her again—he’d been happy to relegate it to the past. Now, when he was stuck seeing her every day, the idea of fixing that mistake was quickly becoming an all-encompassing obsession.

And he needed to put it the fuck out of his mind.

Or go insane.

He shook his head and reached for his phone, with a fewquick taps on the screen he secured a driver/guard for Fern and Beth’s shopping excursion. He’d been tempted for a few seconds to do the driving and insert himself into their day, but reason had won out almost immediately.

It would be a dick thing to do. He recognized that. Fern needed friends, and Beth could be a real friend to her. Having him there would make both women too nervous to relax around each other.

He knew that, and yet, he still selfishly wanted to tag along. And he couldn’t isolate the reasonwhy.

He glared unseeingly at his computer screen, hating the upheaval and confusion Fern’s presence in his life was creating. The least complicated thing about his marriage to Fern was removing her assets from Abernathy’s sticky grasp. Despite Abernathy’s pathetic attempts to delay the process, untangling that mess was proving shockingly easy compared to living with her, and seeing her every day. And knowing that inside her another heartbeat was growing stronger and more deafening by the minute.

A heartbeat Cade wouldn’t be able to ignore for much longer. Much as he might wish to.

It turnedout that figuring out what she liked wasn’t as hard as Fern had imagined it would be. It helped to be around a confident shopper like Beth. The woman had a great eye for what would suit Fern and had prodded her in the direction of a few dresses and jumpsuits she would never have dared to try out by herself.

Still, it was a daunting task… she neededeverything. Underwear, sleepwear, casual, formal, beach, leisure, the list was endless when you were starting from scratch.

And as they sat sipping milkshakes after a long, lazy lunch,Fern stared at the woman who was fast becoming a friend and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Beth asked, looking up from her Belgian chocolate shake.

“I feel like we haven’t even scratched the surface yet.” And they hadn’t. So far, she’d bought several pairs of shoes, mostly sneakers. Skirts—which had depressed her since she already had an endless supply of skirts. And underwear. She’d stuck with basic cotton panties and bras until Beth had rolled her eyes and steered her toward some very risqué lingerie. She now had lacy bras, thongs, chemises, and teddies. None of which she was certain she’d ever wear.

“We’re laying a foundation,” Beth reassured. “Figuring out what you like, what sizes you take. Get some mix and matches to wear right now, so that you can chuck those skirts and blouses. We’ll definitely do this again. Next time I’ll invite my friend Cat along, she’s so good at knowing what suits people. You’ll like her and it’ll be fun. And you can also do some online shopping if you find the prospect of going out to shop too overwhelming.”

“Are you tired?” Fern asked, watching as Beth unsuccessfully attempted to smother a yawn.

“Oh, no,” the other woman said with a smile. “Not tired. A little sleepy maybe. Gideon and I are trying for a baby and… well we can be both very goal oriented and we wereextremelyfocused on our mission last night.”

“Oh.” Fern’s cheeks went pink, while Beth grimaced and covered her mouth with her palm to stifle a giggle.

The other woman’s face had also gone red.

“I’m so sorry. Maybe Iammore tired than I realized,” she said with a horrified giggle. “I didn’t mean to tell you that.”

Fern laughed, and shook her head, waving the woman’s embarrassment aside.

“Don’t be silly, I spent my adolescence in a boarding school.Trust me, I’ve heardmuchworse,” she said with a wry chuckle. “So you guys are trying for a baby? That’s a huge step. Exciting.”

“I know. And Iamexcited, but also a little terrified. A baby will change everything. I can’t imagine being a mother. I like to be as prepared as possible for any new challenge. I do a lot of research… it’s my livelihood after all and ingrained into my personality. But everything I’ve read warns thatnoamount of research can ever adequately prepare you for the reality of parenthood. I’m not easily intimidated but I must admit to finding that thought a little terrifying.”

Fern gnawed at her upper lip, watching Beth apprehensively, the woman’s words sending a shudder of fear down her spine. Beth picked up on her mood immediately. “Fern? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost? Are you feeling ill?”

“I’m pregnant… And I’m nowhere near as prepared for this as you are. I feel like I’m doing everything wrong,” she admitted. The words, rushed and breathless, emerged like a confession.

Beth gaped at her for a few seconds, jaw slack, before she gathered herself with admirable swiftness and stared at Fern with a somber intentness that she wasn’t quite sure what to make of.

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