Page 99 of Be My Wife

“And guess what, Uncle Brogan?”

“What?”

“Doctor Myles says that I’m going to get the surgery soon. He says I have to rest up and eat well because someone’s giving me a new heart. He says to be ready.”

“He did, huh?” Brogan kisses her cheek.

She beams, grinning from ear to ear. “Do you want to come and color with me?”

“I’d love to.”

Steph wiggles to be put down and draws him over to where I’m sitting. When she points at the bench beside me, I get jumpy. Brogan will crush this table if he sits on it.

Thankfully, he sits on the floor beside me. He’s so big, the table only hits him at his chest so he can easily see above it.

Steph hands us a sheet of paper. “You two color together.”

I swallow hard.

Brogan hands me a crayon.

“Thank you,” I choke out.

“We’re drawing hands.” Steph informs us. “So Elizabeth, you can draw Uncle Brogan’s hands.”

He bends his head next to mine and plants his big fingers on the paper, his eyes practically daring me to trace it. With shaking fingers, I press my palm on top of his hand and trace.

Once he’s satisfied, Brogan ignores me, chatting with Steph like they’re two adults catching up on the latest episode of Phineas and Ferb and gossiping about who snuck the love letter under Timmy in Room Three’s hospital bed.

Although I don’t interrupt much, I can’t help but observe them.

Brogan is extremely caring with Steph.

He’s sweet.

Patient.

Kind.

My body tingles every time I see him smile. And when Brogan unashamedly plays with his little niece? I want to tackle him right there in the playroom and kiss him breathless.

It’s a completely different side of him.

Different from the stomping, growling, gruff man he pretends to be.

This man is one I’ve only seen hints of.

One I like a lot.

Maybe a little too much.

By the time we leave, I’m practically tearing myself in half, confused as I am between the Brogan that growls at me and the one who sweetly looks after a kid that’s not his own.

He’s only your husband for seven days, Elizabeth.

That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate him.

Him or his muscles?

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