Page 101 of One Unexpected Gift

Fresh from the shower and still rosy from the intense love making last night, Sky puttered around the kitchen making pancakes and fruit salad. Nick was especially goofy this morning, which rubbed off on Gabby as well. The two of them played on the living room floor while she finished with breakfast.

After they ate, they went for their morning walk. She couldn’t help noticing how often Nick kept checking the time. He sped up when they neared the house, and she was about to ask him what was up when she saw Gina’s car in the driveway.

Gina spotted them and waved. “Am I too early?”

“Did you know she was coming over?”

“Maybe.” He tossed her a wink before grabbing her hand and practically hauling her the rest of the way. “You’re right on time,” he called out to Gina.

“What’s going on?” Sky asked as they met Gina on the front porch.

“You didn’t tell her I was babysitting?”

“Babysitting?”

“Yup. As soon as Gabriella’s done eating, I’m taking you... somewhere.” He patted Gabby’s butt, still encased in the carrier on his chest.

“I’ll need to be back—”

Nick cut her off with a kiss. “Before one-thirty. Worst case scenario, there’s milk in the freezer.”

She had two more days before she had to start the drive back to Virginia, and one week until Gabby would be in day care for the first time. Yesterday, she had Nick feed her a bottle from defrosted breastmilk. Gabby took to it like a pro and didn’t seem bothered by the new feeding source.

“Where are we going?”

“She doesn’t know?” Gina asked as she stepped inside the house.

“You know?”

“Not a clue. Nick called me yesterday and asked if I could hang out with the little peanut for a few hours. I figured you were in on it.”

They both looked at Nick who stood grinning.

“What are you up to?”

“Just making all your fantasies come true.” With that, he took the stairs two at a time leaving her and Gina alone in the living room.

Sky wasn’t sure if he really meant it or if she was looking too much into the expression. Her Irish skin gave her away and Gina burst out laughing.

“Is dear little Gabby infringing on your sexy time?”

“Not really.”

Instead of the old adage nap when the baby naps, they turned it around to have sex when the baby naps. When Gabby outgrew her sleeping habits they’d have to let their lust simmer a little and tone it down to just at night.

Not that it would be a problem since she was heading home.

No, not home. To Virginia where she resided in military housing. She glanced around Nick’s living room, to the light gray couch that had two folded blankets on it. One with a Dallas Cowboys print that had covered their naked bodies a handful of times, and the other, a small quilt from Gina.

On the floor lay another Gina original and a pile of board books. A stack of diapers and baby wipes were piled on the end table, as well as the true crime book Sky had been reading. By the front door sat Gabby’s car seat, and the handles to her stroller on the front porch could be seen through the front window.

Nick’s house felt more like home in the two weeks she’d been living there than her military housing in Virginia that she’d been residing in for the past eighteen months.

“Someone’s hungry,” Nick came down the stairs in a playful hop. “And so is she.” He handed the fussy baby off to Sky, not before placing a slow, smoldering kiss on her lips.

Gina cleared her throat, which had Nick leaning even deeper into the kiss. When Gabby let out a scream between them, he stepped back with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Don’t let me hold you two up.” He whistled his way into the kitchen where she heard him cleaning up their breakfast dishes.

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