Page 42 of 40 and Flirting (with Disaster)
“Absolutely.” Iris tucked back the blanket with gentle fingers, revealing the baby’s sleeping face. A flush of dark fuzz coated her head, dark lashes lying long against rounded baby cheeks. Her pink rosebud mouth moved gently as if suckling in her sleep.
Jamie leaned forward, getting a good look but being careful not to hover too close. “Hey there, little one,” he said, his voice gruff.
“What’s her name?” Iris asked.
“Rayne.” Carter shared a loving glance with his wife. “We wanted to connect her name to Thad somehow. His middle name is Ryan, so…”
Iris cooed down at the sleeping baby, and Jamie caught a glimpse of the young mother she must have been when Adam and Krista were born. “I love it.”
“Carter,” Erin asked, “could you hand me my water?” She reached for a tumbler sitting on the tray on the opposite side of her hospital bed.
“Sure, love.” Without warning, he moved his hand to behind the baby’s head and passed her over to Jamie. “Hold her, will you?”
Jamie gladly accepted the bundle. There was nothing like holding a baby in your arms—the sweetness, the trust from such a tiny creature to sleep so calmly in your arms. He cuddled Rayne close.
A throaty sound escaped Iris, almost a whisper, and Jamie glanced up to find an enigmatic expression on her face. “What?”
Her eyes took on a mischievous sparkle. “Good thing my uterus is no longer present.”
A surprised laugh escaped him. “What does that mean?”
Iris winked. “There’s nothing like watching a silver fox hold a baby to make your baby-making parts sit up and pay attention.”
He had no doubt his smile took on a hungry edge. “Is that so?”
“It is,” she whispered as Carter came back around the side of the bed to retrieve his child.
They stayed for a few minutes and left soon after, not wanting to tire the new parents out. Their fingers stayed securely wrapped around each other all the way to the car. Jamie opened the passenger-side door and settled Iris in, then rounded the back to the driver’s side.
“Do you mind if we make a quick stop at the restaurant?” he asked, turning the key to crank the car.
“Of course not.” Iris situated her seat belt, then turned slightly in her seat so that she could keep her eyes on him, something he’d noticed she did frequently in the car. “I don’t have any plans tonight but to be with you.”
“Sounds like my ideal plans.” He reached for her hand again and brought their combined clasp to his mouth, brushed his lips lightly along the back of her hand. “I just need to check on a couple of things, and then the rest of the night is yours.”
“Perfect.”
They drove in an easy silence across town to the Carousel. Jamie still felt a surge of pride when he pulled into the parking lot, even fifteen years after building. His first restaurant had been a standard upscale steakhouse in a traditional brick building, but the Carousel had been his dream, and when he’d been able to make it a reality, he’d known he was exactly where he was meant to be. Now, with expansion plans in the works, that dream was growing larger, but this original location would never fail to have his heart.
He pulled the car around the back, parked near the rear entrance, and rounded the car to hand Iris out. The back portion of the restaurant was quiet this early in the day, only the kitchens buzzing with prep for their evening service. He unlocked the door to his office and ushered Iris inside. “I need to check with Francisco about an order, but I’ll be right back.”
She nodded. “I’ll be here.”
He gave her a fast, hungry kiss, then left, determined to return quickly.
His business with Francisco only took a few minutes, but when he came back to the office, it was to find Iris staring out the window, a pensive look on her face. He closed the door behind him. “Everything okay?”
She turned abruptly as if startled. “Sorry.” A frown curved her mouth downward. “Just thinking.”
He crossed the room slowly, studying her face. “Thinking about what?”
A wry twist took over her lips. “The last time I was in this room.” A sigh left her. “I’m sorry. I don’t really want to think about that night, but sometimes it sneaks up on me, you know?”
He eased up behind her, closed his arms around her waist, and pulled her back to nestle against his chest. Exactly where she belonged. “Memories do that.” He knew from past experience. He settled his chin into the curve of her neck. “And hurt takes time to heal, even when good things have come into your life alongside it. Never apologize for that.”
She leaned back, giving him her weight. “I’m afraid this stuff with Krista keeps bringing it back. I just want things to be normal. I want to be able to enjoy this”—she nudged him with her shoulder—“and not worry about anything else.”
“Well…” He turned Iris to face him, tipped her chin up until her lips were barely a brush away from his. “I can’t do anything about your daughter.” He rubbed his lips over hers, savoring the softness, enjoying the scent of her as it filled his nose, the feel of her against his body. “But maybe there is something I could do about those pesky memories.”
