Page 50 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

“It’s okay. Look, if this is too much for you, we can wait,” she offered, her smile sympathetic, which only served to anger him.

He didn’t deserve her sympathy.

“I’m fine,” he snapped, harsher than he’d intended.

She flinched and folded her arms over her chest, red rising to her cheeks. “Okay, well, you don’t have to be an asshole about it.”

He was so used to people backing down from his gruffness, but Bella stood her ground. It was just one more thing that made her so different than Ana.

He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Her eyes widened as if she were surprised he’d been so quick to apologize. He might be a burly son of a bitch, but he could admit when he was wrong.

He waved at the blanket at his feet. “Care to sit?”

She approached, eyeing the material on the ground. Her lips curled up at the edges before she situated herself on one side, her bare legs crossed in front of her, hands resting on her knees.

He took the spot next to her and opened the cooler. “Water or lemonade?”

“You brought a picnic?” The surprise in her voice was evident.

He shrugged, his stomach somersaulting with nerves. “No. It’s a blanket so you don’t sit on the grass and get a bunch of ticks. And you need to stay hydrated and fed for the baby.”

Bella blinked, her golden-brown eyes getting glassy as an emotion he didn’t recognize flashed in them. “Thank you.” She turned her head away, wiping her eyes and sniffling.

Fuck. She was crying. The world shifted with her tears as if they cracked open the earth as they fell, knocking him off his axis. He was tumbling into the dark with nothing to hold on to, and he had no clue what he’d done to cause this. “What did I do wrong?”

She shook her head, turning her watery gaze towards him as she smiled. “I haven’t had anyone take care of me in a really long time. I’m usually the one making sure everyone else has what they need.” She sniffed. “It’s probably just the pregnancy hormones making me extra emotional.”

“Well, now you have me.”

She froze, her lips parting.

“You’re not in this alone. I never intended to let you deal with this by yourself. I just needed a minute to wrap my head around everything. This baby is my responsibility just as much as yours. I should have done better that night—at least checked for a break.” He turned towards the view, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

“Did you ever want kids?” she asked.

Ana smiled, her blue gaze narrowing on the blueprint he’d laid out in front of her. “Why are there five rooms? That seems a little big for just us.”

Nash smirked. “For the four kids we’re gonna have of course.”

Ana’s eyes widened with a flash of fear. “Four kids?”

“I’m open to negotiations. You know I’ve always wanted to adopt, it’s not like I’m expecting you to give birth to that many. Unless you want to. Maybe we could even start now?” He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck.

She giggled and pushed against his chest. “Nash, I’m serious. That’s too many.”

“How about three? Or we can space them out?”

“I just never saw myself as a mother,” she admitted on a whisper.

“That can change. We can wait until you’re ready.”

She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it, like she was holding back. She did that a lot. Ana gave him a flirty smile. “How about we do a lot of practicing instead?”

Bella reached into the cooler, grabbing a lemonade out and twisting off the cap before taking a drink. Worry lines appeared on her forehead. “I’ll take your silence as a no.”

What? Oh, right, did he want kids? “I did once.”

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