Page 73 of Riding the Waves

“No.” She dragged her attention from Alice for a moment. “Why, are you trying to get rid of me?”

He gave a small shake of the head. “I just thought you might like to escape if possible, because there’s a vicious rumour that this little angel likes to howl through the night. Though I find it very hard to believe. Look at her gorgeous chubby cheeks.”

Amy ran the back of her finger over Alice’s cheek. “It is very hard to believe. Leo’s probably making it all up.”

“That’s my theory too,” Damian said, then looked towards the ceiling when a dramatic thump sounded overhead.

Marty and Billy were jumping on his bed, and apparently one of them had fallen off. They waited a beat but there was no crying so it seemed all was well.

“I guess I should go up and put them to bed,” Amy said, handing Alice over.

Damian got Alice into her pyjamas and made her a bottle. She was halfway down it and her eyes were drooping when Amy wandered back into the living room.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay sleeping down here?” she asked quietly.

He nodded and smiled at her. They’d already had this conversation, and he’d told her it would be easier for him to sleep downstairs with Alice in case she needed a bottle in the night. Also, if she screamed the place down there’d be less chance of her waking the boys.

“I feel bad taking your bed when you’re on the couch,” Amy remarked.

“It’s fine,” he said, not letting his mind linger on thoughts of her sleeping in his bed. Spending the previous night curled up on the couch had been bliss, but it didn’t exactly leave his mind clear to figure out what was going to happen between them.

Slowly, Amy lowered herself to sit beside him, leaning close to peer down at Alice. “She’s so cute,” she whispered.

Damian kept his eyes on Alice as she sucked at the bottle. “I’m surprised you didn’t have another baby,” he said before he could stop himself.

The comment drew a surprised laugh from Amy but otherwise she didn’t respond.

“I think I was always on edge waiting for that announcement,” Damian went on. Since he’d raised the subject, there seemed little point in holding back now. “You being married to someone else was ...” He inhaled deeply, trying to figure out a way to describe his feelings succinctly and politely. “It was pretty shit actually, but I lived in fear of you and Anthony having a baby. I don’t know how I’d have coped with that.”

Still she didn’t say anything but gazed at him intently. Then she lowered her head to rest it on his shoulder. Her lack of response only increased his curiosity.

“Did you ever think about it?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I think Anthony joked about it once and I shot the idea down. Now that I think about it, that was probably his way of testing the waters. I didn’t want another baby.” She twisted her lips. “Not with Anthony,” she whispered.

Damian’s blood pulsed harder in his veins. What was that supposed to mean? That she’d have another with him? Was that how she saw their future? Could he imagine that?

The answer was an instant yes. He could absolutely imagine it, and the thought gave him a warm glow.

“You’re really great with Alice,” she said, switching her attention to the baby, whose eyes closed as she finished her milk.

Damian set the empty bottle aside and reached for Amy’s hand, twisting his fingers together with hers. “Having Alice here reminds me of when the boys were little. The good moments, when we weren’t at each other’s throats.”

Amy’s smile came quickly and lit up her face. It was a relief to Damian that she remembered the good times too. It hadn’t been all bad when the boys were babies. He had photos to prove it – him holding two tiny babies and grinning into the camera like the proudest man in the world. And his favourite photo of him and Amy slumped against each other on the couch, each with a sleeping baby on their chest. It had been one of those rare exhausted but happy days, and they’d sat whispering away to each other, making each other laugh but trying to stifle it so they didn’t wake the boys.

Alice jolted awake, looking slightly startled as she stared up at Damian. Easing his fingers from Amy’s, he lifted her up, rubbing his nose against hers and drawing a smile, before he sat her upright on his lap and rubbed circles on her back.

“I love looking after her,” he told Amy. “But I guess that’s mostly because I’m not sleep deprived, and I get to give her back after a while.”

“I’d say that makes quite a difference.” Amy kissed Alice’s cheek. “I’ll leave you to get her settled.”

“Wish me luck!” Damian said, then caught her hand and gently pulled her back to him.

“Good luck,” she murmured before he pressed a sweet and swift kiss to her lips.

CHAPTER 37

Sleeping in Damian’s bed surrounded by his things felt more than a little surreal. It would definitely have been better if Damian were there with her, but it felt as though things were moving in the right direction, and Amy woke up with a smile on her face the following morning. Sunlight sliced through a gap in the curtains, and as she sat up she admired the way the dust motes floated and glistened in the slab of light.

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