Page 76 of Falling Stars

Mav thinks on it a minute. “Maybe breastfeed for your bedtime routine. I can do his two a.m. feeding with his bottle, but that way you have your special time with him and still get some sleep.”

Not having to drag myself out of bed in the middle of the night sounds like a dream. “I like that idea. If you don’t mind doing that for me, I’ll be your slave for life.”

His eyes go mischievous. “Does this include a slave girl outfit?”

“Like Princess Leia inReturn of the Jedi?”

“With the bikini top and everything?” he asks as his eyes heat.

“If you dress like Han Solo for Halloween, it’s a deal.” That man was hot back in the day.

Mav winks at me. “I can do Han, and then you can play with my lightsaber.”

I choke on a laugh, but then he grabs my hand as his expressiongrows serious. “I’m teasing. You don’t owe me anything. I’m happy to help. And I can’t take credit for the feeding suggestion. I read that on a mommy blog.”

I fold my lips to contain my amusement. “Why were you reading a mommy blog?”

“When I talked to Paige about the baby supplies you needed, she suggested checking it out because this blog focuses on how partners can help new moms. And one of the articles talked about balancing bottles with breastfeeding. It said it might be hard to give up that time with your baby because that’s when you bond, but you can use bottle feeding strategically to get the mom more sleep or a shower or a chance to run errands. It seemed smart.”

Wow. Just when I think I can’t love this man any more, he offers insightful advice on breastfeeding. It’s been a long time since I fantasized about having kids and a family with Maverick. I may have always held a torch for him, but after high school, I kept those dreams in check.

I fiddle with Leo’s hair. “Mav, I don’t know if this is too much to talk about, but do you want kids?”

He tilts his head. “If you had asked me that a few years ago, I would’ve said no. I had friends in college who had baby scares, and a kid can change the trajectory of your life fast.”

“That’s true.”

“But I love my nephews and Ella. And I love Leo. He’s great.”

He loves my son. It’s bittersweet to think about. “Except you’re not a hundred percent sold on the idea of children.”

His brow furrows. “I’m conflicted because I heard my mother couldn’t handle the pressure of having kids. I just wouldn’t want to put that on anyone, you know?”

“I hear what you’re saying.”

It’s dumb of me to bring this up when I’m not sure if we haveany kind of future together. I change the subject before I get too worked up about this. “Are you excited to meet up with your physical therapist tomorrow?” I ask as I put Leo in his basket and tuck him in for the night.

When I sit back down on the couch, Mav shrugs. “I’m apprehensive. It’s tough to focus on rehabbing when people keep telling me I’m lucky to be alive.”

Maverick almost died. That’s another thing I won’t think about.

I curl up next to him. “Life is so much harder than I thought it would be.”

He opens his arm, tugs me to him, and kisses my forehead. “You’re telling me. I thought I’d make it to the NFL, and it would be all about making the highlight reel every weekend and going to cool parties.”

“And now you’re changing diapers and burping a baby. Not sure you’ve leveled up there,” I tease.

He grabs my chin and gently tilts my head up. “I love doing those things for Leo, and I’m happy as a clam vegging out here with you.” His brows furrow. “Listen, I need to apologize for something.”

“What?”

“I feel bad that I wasn’t able to get your baby shower gifts to you in time for your party.”

I run my fingers through his hair. “It’s okay. If you had, they would’ve gotten destroyed, and I wouldn’t have that beautiful nursery now.”

He nods. “Those gifts are actually why I broke up with Kira. She cancelled my order. She must’ve seen an email or something on my laptop. I was really pissed about it.”

Oh, wow. “That was really shitty of her, but maybe it worked out for the best.”

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