Page 222 of Small Town Firsts
“Yes, she is.”
“But the fact you love her so completely makes up for the rest.”
The rest.Aka his brief, shitty marriage.
My chest tightened. It really was my fault Marj had left. He’d practically admitted as much.
I wanted to roll into a ball. I was the reason that little girl didn’t have a mother.
He lowered his mouth to mine. “Don’t cry, baby. I know you miss your mom.”
I clung tighter to him, letting him believe the grief living inside me was because of my mother. I missed her desperately, but I also knew she was at peace.
And she hadn’t been for a long, long time.
My tears mixed with his soft, sweet kisses. Because I didn’t have it in me to say no. And because I needed this as much as I needed oxygen, I melted into him.
Soft and gentle as rain. Maybe, just maybe…as healing.
I strained under him as we moved together faster. As the morning light streamed over our bed, with Seth braced over me, I wound my legs and arms around him as if I’d never let go.
When he came inside me, I held nothing back.
He nearly shouted out his release when I lifted my mouth to swallow it down inside me. I held that too. I held every piece of him close. I trailed my fingers up his back until his breathing evened.
I liked the stillness of the morning and my brain was too wired to drift off again no matter how tired I was. I sifted my fingers through his shaggy hair. The dark curls twined and teased my skin. Even in sleep, he was hard to ignore.
A thud from out in the hallway made him jump. “Laurie?”
I kissed his temple and slid out from under him. “I’ll get her. Go back to sleep.”
“Are you sure?” His dark eyes were blurry and unfocused, but the father in him was ready to get up and take care of his little girl. It melted my heart even more.
“Yes. We’ll make some breakfast.”
He curled his arm under the pillow and slid the rest of the way off me with a low groan. “That sounds amazing. I’ll be down in just a few…” He didn’t even finish the sentence.
I laughed and pulled the sheet over his distractible ass. I slipped out of his bed and darted for the bathroom. I’d fallen asleep wearing his T-shirt, but it was hopelessly wrinkled. I tossed it into the hamper and glanced at the huge glass shower. Those jets would probably feel amazing.
A second thump from down the hall and Laurie’s exaggerated shush put an end to that fantasy. I cleaned up as best I could before rummaging in Seth’s drawers for something to wear. I hadn’t packed an overnight bag, so a pair of boxers and T-shirt would have to do.
I darted out the door, closing it quietly behind me. Down the hall, Laurie’s door was open and her dolls and Care Bears were arranged around a white table. A plastic tea set from one of her friends was set up ever so carefully. Except for the teapot that had somehow ended up under Laurie’s bed.
Laurie’s tousled blond hair was a halo of snarls around her head. She was searching around the room, picking up toys and discarding them.
“Under your bed.”
“Ally!” Her huge blue eyes went wide and she slapped her mouth shut. “Shhh,” she said through her fingers.
I tried not to laugh. “Nothing’s going to wake up your dad right now. But if you’re looking for your teapot, it somehow got under your bed.”
“Share Bear was very rude.” It came out more likeberry rood, but she was too adorable to correct.
She was a super smart kid and often spoke in a manner that seemed far beyond her years. But sometimes she was just a four-year-old.
“Well, that’s not good. Why don’t you grab it and we’ll go down and make some breakfast for Daddy?”
Laurie crawled across her rainbow rug to the ruffle of her bed. “There you is.”
