Page 76 of Mine to Keep

Chapter15

“That was an amazing dinner.” Bryn eased into the lounge chair next to the hot tub and dropped a blanket over Zadie so she could breastfeed.

“It’s my grandmother’s recipe. She used to make Alfredo every Sunday, but now, since we’re all older and we don’t get together every week, it’s more like once a month.”

“You’re a surprising man,” she said. “Oh. I keep forgetting to tell you. I ran into Cheryl at the post office, and she wants you to call her. Said it’s urgent.” Bryn should feel bad that it had taken her about four or so hours to tell him that, but she really didn’t. She doubted Cheryl’s message was all that important.

“I spoke with her, and it was far from important. But thanks for the message.” He stretched out his arms on the sides of the Jacuzzi. “Mind if I ask you a kind of personal question?”

“No. Go ahead,” she said.

“Where were you before you came here?”

Her heart plummeted to the center of her stomach and sloshed around like a fish out of water. “What do you mean?”

“You mentioned that you didn’t tell your mother-in-law about the baby, so I assume you weren’t living in Colorado for the last nine months.” He took a quick sip of his beer. “I was just curious as to where you were.”

“I went to visit a friend. I wasn’t sure where or what I wanted to do. She helped me figure out a lot of things.” That wasn’t a total lie. But close to it. However, the real mystery was why the hell Jamison had asked her that in the first place. Did he suddenly question who she was or her backstory?

Shit. She was insanely paranoid.

“Did your sister know where you were?”

“No,” she said. “We haven’t spoken in years.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry. I was just curious because you seem so alone, and that makes me sad for you.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed that. “That’s sweet,” she said with a weak smile. “I have always kept a small, tight circle. Most of my friends when I was married were my husband’s.”

He chuckled. “I know how that goes. Cheryl was so much more extroverted than me. I preferred to stay at home and watch a movie, stream a series, or go sit by the fire pit with another couple, where she wanted to go out to dinner and bars every weekend. All part of our age difference, I guess.”

“Not necessarily. Because Timothy.” She coughed. She hadn’t meant to say her husband’s name out loud. She’d never given him a name before. Fuck. First major slipup. “He loved going out to listen to live music, and he had to do something at least one night a week. It drove me nuts because he expected me to go, and I’m the kind of person who would rather order in and eat from a paper plate.”

“Now that’s my kind of date night,” he said. “When you’re done feeding, why don’t you join me? I set the bassinet up in the guest room over there. You can leave the door open. I also hooked up the monitor.”

“I guess I’m lucky I remembered to pack my suit,” she said.

“It’s private here, so naked works.” He winked.

She laughed. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She lifted Zadie over her shoulder and stood. “It will be a few minutes before she’s asleep.”

Most nights, she sat and rocked Zadie long after she’d fallen asleep. Not only did she enjoy holding her little girl during the stillness and quiet of the night, but sometimes, Bryn didn’t want to drift off into dreamland. Her nightmares still lurked in the corners of her mind, waiting to torment her during her peaceful rest.

However, she found herself wanting to put Zadie in her bassinet as soon as she finished nursing tonight.

So, that’s exactly what she did.

Luckily, Zadie didn’t seem to mind. She stretched and squirmed a little bit when Bryn set her down, but a few little strokes on her belly, and she settled right back into a deep sleep.

Bryn quickly changed into her suit. It was a modest one-piece. She stared at herself in the mirror. She felt like she was twice the size she used to be when she was married to Timothy. Of course, she’d barely eaten back then and might have been one hundred pounds soaking wet at one point. Now, she had to be closer to one hundred and sixty pounds.

She looked healthy.

Her cheeks heated because, all of a sudden, she wanted to be sexy for herself.

And for Jamison.

She sucked in a deep breath and headed back out to the patio.

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