Page 65 of One Unexpected Gift

Not just any newborn. His baby. His daughter. Skylar had sacrificed her life for her country and her independence for their daughter. Meanwhile, Nick had given up his extreme sports because of a medical condition. There was nothing worthy or noble about him.

Taking a seat on the couch across from her, he rested his elbows on his thighs and stared. This time it wasn’t in hopes of seeing her boobs, but it was to watch his daughter feed. The little moans and coos Gabby made were precious.

Precious. Not a word he often used in his vocabulary. But she was. Her little arm poked up and her fingers itched at Skylar’s breast. It was the most amazing, beautiful thing he’d ever witnessed.

A few moments went by before he broke the silence. “How often does she eat?”

“It used to be every hour from ten at night until eight in the morning. After a few weeks, she finally flipped to a better schedule and can now go up to four hours between feedings. She’s definitely a late afternoon and evening grazer. I don’t mind though because it means she’ll sleep longer at night.”

“And that explains why Cinderella runs off at the stroke of midnight.”

“I’m surprised you know Disney princess stories, but you’ve got it mixed up. She ran off because the magic would wear off at the stroke of midnight and she’d be back to her servant’s attire.”

“I’m familiar. My sister didn’t outgrow the princess stuff until, well, never. I still catch her and my mom watching those fairy tale movies. I was referring to you.”

“The stroke of midnight was replaced by my milk coming in.”

“And up until that point, you momentarily forgot about your responsibilities and got lost in the fabulous time you were having with me.”

A slight smile lifted her lip before it went flat again. “Except I don’t ever forget about my responsibilities.” She looked down at Gabriella. “She’s so much more than that.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Since I learned about her, Gabriella has been on my mind twenty-four seven, and I haven’t had the responsibility of caring for her. Yet. I want to, Skylar. I want to be a part of her life.” Of your life, he wanted to add.

The past few days had given him clarity into his future and what he wanted. Never before had he looked too far ahead. Living in the present was his motto, and while he still believed in it, he also learned the value in planning ahead.

Having a CAD was the wake-up call he needed. Building and investing in The Zone was the most long-term thing he’d ever committed to. His marriage to Trish should have been, but he’d never looked at it that way.

He’d wanted to marry Trish because she was fun to hang out with. Until she wasn’t fun anymore. He’d never pictured them ten, twenty years down the road. Never imagined kids or a house. Multiple houses, maybe. One by the beach, a lodge close to a ski town.

That was the appeal of Angel Springs. His parents weren’t too far away in Acadia Falls for when he needed the ocean, and Sugarloaf was right around the corner. His house may not be bunkered on the slopes, but it was nestled in the woods far enough away from neighbors where he could ride his dirt bike, four wheeler, and snowmobile from his garage to the trails without worrying about disturbing anyone else. The ten minute drive to the base of the mountain was doable as well.

Only now he had to take it easy. Leisurely rides along the trails. Leisurely rides with Skylar and their daughter sounded even better.

The house had been his idea of growing up, maturing. Settling down in his own way.

“I owe you another apology.” Skylar’s words surprised the hell out of him.

“Why? We’ve already talked about your reasons for not telling me about Gabriella.”

“I made assumptions about you.” She shifted back and re-hooked her bra, then lifted Gabriella to her shoulder. “About the type of person you were.”

“Your assumptions about me are probably spot on.” A few weeks ago, while cleaning up at Camp Illumination, she’d mentioned those same assumptions.

“I pegged you as being frivolous. Of not planning for your future. For only living one day at a time, which isn’t the way to raise a family.”

“You’re correct in all three accounts.”

“Maybe. But you also have a big heart. You’re selfless. You care about your family and your community. You’re a hard worker and put your pain aside to help others.”

“You keep talking like that and I’m gonna think you actually like me.”

“I do like you, Nick. I’m afraid—” She squeezed her eyes shut and molded into the chair.

He waited quietly for her to continue. When she didn’t and a lone tear escaped from the corner of her eye, he got up and knelt on the floor next to her. “Skylar, what’s wrong. Whatever you’re afraid of, I’ll fix it. I promise.”

Instead of consoling her, his words seemed to make her cry more. Crying women weren’t his specialty. He knew how to crack a few jokes and flirt with a woman when she was mad at him. That usually made her forget whatever screw up he’d done.

Gabriella’s eyes were closed in blissful sleep, so he took her from Skylar’s arms and then set her down on the quilt where she’d had her tummy time earlier. He moved back to Skylar and crouched next to the chair.

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