Page 47 of The Baby Behind Their Marriage Merger

She heard Cole say something unintelligible and heard Thandi’s equally indistinguishable reply.

The girls were safe. Her family was intact. Jude was here.

Addi felt a warm hand on her back and opened her eyes to see Jude on his haunches in front of her and then the world started to shrink. As she looked into his fantastic green eyes, she started to topple sideways...

And then...nothing.

Addi wrapped her head around a plush pillow and slowly opened her eyes. She was in her room at home and she could simply sleep for days.

She was about to slide back into sleep when she noticed there was sunlight on her bed. Sunlight meant that she’d taken a nap and she never took naps...ever.

Addi bolted upright, whipping her head round. The last thing she remembered was sitting down in the courthouse, feeling lightheaded because she and Lex had been granted custody of the girls.

Jude had been there. He’d confirmed the press reports that they were married.

Their secret was no longer a secret.

Addi pushed her fingers through her hair and looked down at the T-shirt she wore. It was one of Jude’s. She’d taken to using it because it was soft and, no matter how many times it was washed, she could still smell his cologne on the fabric.

‘Why are you sniffing that shirt?’

Lex looked up at Nixi’s question and placed her hand on her chest as Nixi carefully, very carefully, carried a cup of tea into the room, followed by Snow carrying a plate of misshapen crumpets.

‘We made you a snack,’ Snow told her, thrusting the plate at her. Addi took the plate and kissed her bright-red head, doing the same to Nixi.

‘Are you sick, Addi?’ Nixi demanded, far too seriously for an eight-year-old. She looked worried but stoic, and Addi realised she was in protective mode. This was how she would’ve looked at eight, she realised.

Addi gripped her chin in her hand and looked into her brown eyes. ‘I’m not sick, baby girl, but if I was it’s not your job to fix me. It’s not your job to look after me, or Lex, or Storm, and it’s definitelynotyour job to look after Snow. It’sourjob to look after you. Your job is to be a kid.’

‘But—’ Nixi said, looking mutinous.

Addi didn’t give her a chance to speak. ‘No buts, Nixi. We’re the adults, you’re the kid. Lex and I get to make the hard decisions, helped by Storm and—’ she tossed a smile at Lex ‘—Cole.Welook afteryou.’

‘But who will look after you?’ Snow asked, picking up on Nixi’s anxiety.

‘Well, that’smyjob.’

Addi looked past Lex and Storm, whose arms were around each other, tears rolling down their faces, to see Jude standing in the doorway to her bedroom, tie gone and sleeves rolled up. He brushed past her sisters and came to stand on the same side of the bed as Snow. He placed his hands on the bed and lowered his face so that it was inches from her own.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. ‘I guess I was a little overwhelmed.’

A small smile kicked up the side of his mouth. ‘I never thought anything could drop you to your knees, Fields.’

You do, she wanted to tell him.

Instead of throwing her arms around him as she desperately wanted to do, begging him to love her, she narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t expect it to happen again, Fisher.’

‘Who...are...you?’

They both turned to look at Nixi, her warrior princess looking as though she was about to defend her kingdom. Right; Addi would have to have a few more conversations about her role in their family. ‘This is Jude and he is...’

She didn’t know how to explain him. What was he? Legally, he was her husband, but he wasn’t, not emotionally.

‘I am the guy who is going to look after Addi so that she can look after you,’ Jude told her, not moving an inch.

Nixi didn’t look as if she was buying what he was selling. Addi, needing to know what he meant by that statement, leaned sideways and sent a pleading look at Lex and Storm who, bless them, immediately sprang into action. In what looked to be a choreographed move, they each wound an arm around a small waist, lifted the girls off their feet and marched them to the door. The door shut behind them and cut off their loud and vociferous complaints.

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