Page 63 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

She spun around. “What?” Maybe pregnancy brain also came with hallucinations?

“I’ve got the room. We can get to know each other better, figure out this co-parenting thing. There won’t be a rush for you to move out. And I can be there after the baby is born to take turns, you know, feeding and changing diapers and stuff.”

Isabella blinked. Her heart thrummed. The room tilted. This was the last thing she’d expected Nash to offer. He wanted to share midnight feedings with her? A warm sensation filled her chest as if her heart were melting.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because . . .” Because she already cared too much for him. How could she not with the way he treated Eli, and took care of her, even from a distance. His words might be stilted and gruff, but his actions spoke so much louder. Not to mention his starring roles in her pregnancy dreams—who knew you could orgasm in your sleep? She sure didn’t until recently. That was part of the problem too. Her libido had gone into overdrive with the hormones. Living in the same quarters as him? That would turn into torture. It would be one thing if he wanted a relationship, if he was open to love. But he’d made it clear that that wasn’t who he was anymore.

“I have Eli to think of. It’s not fair to keep moving around and changing his routine.”

“I’m fine living at Nash’s,” Eli said.

“Can I talk to you alone?” Isabella asked Nash, nodding towards the back door. “We’ll be right back. Stay here, okay, Eli?”

“Okay.”

She walked outside, Nash following her before he shut the door and then turned to her.

“Look, Eli is still dealing with a lot. And he’s already gotten really attached to you. I don’t want to do anything that could cause him harm.”

“You think I’d hurt him?” he asked evenly.

“Not on purpose.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Bella. You and I share a child now. That means Eli is also a part of my family too. Just think about it. If you guys live with me, I can take care of you.”

His words soothed a place inside her that the light of day never saw. “That’s not your job.”

Nash stepped closer, getting into her space. His salty, masculine scent wrapped around her, intoxicating her. Arousal seeped into her pores, and her body ignited. Fucking hormones. “You became my business the moment I slid my cock into you.”

She gasped. Lust burned her from the inside out at his words.

“And you solidified it when you told me you were carrying my child.” He reached his hand towards her belly but stopped before he actually touched her. “Now, you’re gonna go back into that house and tell the realtor you’re gonna think about it.”

Her brows drew together. She opened her mouth to give a retort, but he interrupted.

“Then I’m taking you and Eli back to Nova’s to make you dinner. You can relax on the back deck, and I’ll bring you some tea while you think over moving in with me—at least until the baby is a year old. I know from Roman how hard that first year can be with adjustments and struggles. Hell, the first few.”

Over a year living with Nash?

His intense midnight eyes dropped to her lips before returning to hers. A beat of silence passed. “Let me help you. We’re partners in this. Let me pick up the slack where I can. It’s my responsibility as the father.”

His responsibility? The word was like a bucket of ice water dropped on her. Right, that was how he saw her and this baby. A responsibility. Maybe he felt like he didn’t have a choice? He was a good man, but not the man she needed, and it was best she remembered that.

29

NASH

Nash really hoped Bella took him up on the offer to move in with him. Was it too complicated? One hundred percent. But the thought of her and the baby and Eli living in town away from him didn’t sit right. What if something happened and he couldn’t get there in time? Sure, town was only a few miles from the farm, but anything could come up. Nash could watch over them at his house—make sure they were safe.

“How was school this week?” Nova asked Eli as he tossed the fish in a flour mixture.

“Fine.” He handed the battered fish to Nash.

“You go ahead. Just like I showed you. Drop it in gently. Not too fast or it will splash,” Nash directed.

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