Page 156 of Forever After All

She rubbed the back of her neck, careful to avoid his gaze. “I’m not sure.”

“We don’t have to. I’m sure they’re tired of visitors anyway.”

Jess sighed, and her bright-green eyes lifted to his. “I’m kinda scared.”

“I don’t think they bite, but maybe keep your fingers away from their mouths, just in case.”

“Not of that. I don’t know a lot about babies, and…”

“And why does that scare you? You don’t have to hold them if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t even know how to explain it. I don’t know why I’m scared. They’re just…a big deal.”

“You’re not being pressured, babe. We don’t have to have kids, and we don’t have to go visit the babies. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

She stepped closer to him and rested a hand against his chest. The small touch warmed everything inside him, and he wrapped his hand around hers.

“I know you’ve never pressured me. I think I’d like to have kids one day. I just feel completely unqualified.”

Linc couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his mouth. “That’s fair. I don’t think I’m qualified to be a dad either.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “That’s a decision we’ll make together, and it doesn’t have to be now. You can relax.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. You’re right.”

Linc lifted his head and brushed his fingers through both sides of her hair. “That might be the future for us, but it might not. The Lord has a plan, so we might as well not worry about it.”

“Now I feel silly,” she whispered.

“You’re not. We’ve talked about it before, but we needed to talk about it again. We’ll keep talking about it every time it comes up, and we’ll always make these decisions together.”

She rested her head against his chest. “Thank you. Have I told you how much I love you today?”

“Yes. You told me this morning,” he reminded her.

“I need to tell you again. Just to make sure you know.”

Linc rubbed a hand in circles over her back. “I don’t forget.” Though, he could see why reassurance was important to her. They’d spent so much of their lives without love, they sometimes needed an extra reminder. “I love you too. Don’t ever question it.”

“I don’t,” she said with a resoluteness that put the matter to rest. “You’d make a good dad,” she whispered.

“Only if you’re beside me.”

She squeezed her arms around him and sighed. “Always.”

Everly

Everly huffed and pushed her hands into her hair. Words were hard.

Which wasn’t always a problem, but it was when it was her job.

This wouldn’t be so difficult if Jess wasn’t on her delayed honeymoon. She and Linc rode horses for a living, and they thought a trail ride in Montana was a good honeymoon destination.

A trail ride with no cell service. Convenient for those two introverts.

The hum of the garage door opening only heightened Everly’s anxiety. She had to get this book finished, but she wanted to spend time with Blake.

A grin spread over her face, and she covered it with her hand. Alone time with her husband was going to be hard to come by soon. Her other hand rested on the swell of her belly. They’d be a family of three in a few months.

The door in the mud room opened, and Blake tossed his keys onto the counter. “Ev?”

---