Page 82 of Silver Sanctuary
He swallowed down his nerves. “For our baby, one day.”
“You want to have a baby with me?”
“I told you, Lace. I love you. I want it all with you. A marriage. Raising Embrie. Adding to our family. I want it all.”
Twenty-Four
As much as she tried to stay present in the moment and trust what the lawyers told her, it was torture the next day, waiting for the phone call. Nash stayed with her all day at Petals, but even his presence wasn’t enough at times to distract her from the worry that simmered just beneath her skin.
They were on their way to pick Embrie up from school when Nash’s phone rang. He pulled over to the side of the road and parked, the school just a few hundred feet in front of them. Lacy stared at the elementary school sign even as Nash’s hand grabbed hers before he answered the call. And when the “congratulations” came over the line, Lacy burst into tears. They were granted immediate emergency custody of Embrie. It was the first step in sorting things out, and it had gone in their favor. She was floating on cloud nine the rest of the week.
It was easy to walk around smiling when life felt like a dream. Fresh from her shower that Saturday morning, Lacy walked out to the table. Her arms slid over Nash’s shoulders and her hands rested on his chest as he sat with Embrie, eating the most ridiculous stack of pancakes she’d ever seen. Embriehad her own comically high stack that she was really putting a dent in too.
“I missed pancakes while I was taking a shower?” Her bottom lip stuck out and she added a little tremble to it for extra effect.
“No need to pout. Embrie and I made plenty for you.” Nash chuckled.
Lacy wrinkled her nose as she eyed Nash’s stack. It looked suspiciously like blueberries were dotted in the batter of his, not chocolate chips. What an abomination. “What kind are they? I don’t want?—”
“Fruit.” Embrie laughed. “I told you, Nash.”
“You did. It’s half blueberry, because I didn’t believe our daughter, and half chocolate because she was really insistent, and I got scared.”
Lacy tipped her head back and laughed. “Good man.”
She stalked to the kitchen and grabbed the pancakes with chocolate chips in them and padded back to the table.
“What are you working on? More stuff for The Trident?” The words fell out muffled as she stuffed the first sinful bite into her mouth. Oh hell. They were delicious. She was definitely regretting her decision to wear jeans to her brunch with the girls. Maybe she could change into a dress. The second bite confirmed it. Post-pancake Lacy would definitely be wearing a dress.
“No. I should be, but I’m working on something more important.”
“Oh?”
“I’m planning something for us—as a family.” Her breath hitched as she waited for him to continue. “A trip to Florida, to the beach, and the theme parks. And of course, a trip to Montana, for you both to meet my family, see our ranch. Oh, and I want to take you guys out to California, to show you Coronado. And maybe Hawaii. No, definitelyHawaii. Once everything settles, I think we should pull Brie out of school for a year so we can travel as a family.”
Lacy studied his face. Of course he was serious.
“Where is this coming from?”
He sighed, his body moving away from the table to rest on the back of his chair. “I had the best childhood, Lace. The best. My parents might have been gone, but my grandparents loved me so much. What you had to deal with as a child… for your whole life… I just want to take every burden off your shoulders and give you the world.”
She reached out and let her hand settle on his thigh. “You already have. We don’t have to travel anywhere for you to prove that to me.”
“Except to meet Nanny and Pop. Because you promised me.” Embrie waved her fork at them.
“I did promise. And I plan on keeping that promise. Just like you need to keep yours about being ready to go to this birthday party on time.”
“I am.” Embrie rolled her eyes. “I just need to grab the present and we can go.”
“She’s in better shape than me. I’ve got”—Lacy looked over at Nash’s laptop screen—“Shit! Ten minutes before I have to meet the girls.”
“Where are you going again?”
“Some place on a lake.” She shrugged. “I’ll text you the name. Gunner’s driving us, so try not to worry too much.”
“You won’t be with me. I’ll be worrying until you get back.”
Lacy stood, pressing a messy, chocolaty kiss to her husband’s lips. “I promise to behave. Someone’s got to keep Mae in line.”
