Page 28 of The Hermit on the Hill

I was relieved when Sam turned his glare on his sister.

"I figured it's best to be prepared," I said. "I'd rather have more than I need than have a sick baby at one in the morning and no baby Tylenol or thermometer on hand."

"Let's go." Sam pushed out of the room and took my hand in his, dragging me toward the door. I let him lead me, because I was happier to hear what he had to say about me going overboard with baby stuff when we were out of earshot of my brother and Sam's sister.

"Brittany, you're staying here." Sam paused at the door to let me grab my purse and slip-on shoes.

"Samuel," Brittany said in a sing-song voice. "The polite thing to do is ask Jared if he would mind me staying."

"Of course, I—" Jared started.

"You're collateral." Sam turned to me. "We're going to my house for dinner." He held up a hand when I opened my mouth. "You don't have to worry about me kidnapping you or locking you in my basement because your brother has Brittany." He said it as though it were the most normal of negotiations. He pointed at Jared. "We'll make the exchange at ten PM."

Jared's jaw worked, his cheeks reddening with what I could clearly tell was anger, and turned to Brittany. "You okay with this?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not very good collateral. He'd leave me here in a heartbeat." She leaned in close to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "But I promise I'll get all the baby stuff to you if he kidnaps you."

Jared's eyes widened, and he cleared his throat. "The guys and I will come get you if it comes to that, Jenna. Are you sure you want to go with him?"

I rolled my eyes. What alternate reality had I slipped into? "You know where he lives. If I'm not home by ten, send the police." I turned to Sam. "Or you could just act like a normal human and take me out to a restaurant."

His smile was sarcastic. "Great idea, honey bun. Let's go to the diner and negotiate the terms of raising our child. I'm sure there won't be anyone there who might overhear and report back to your mother or your sisters or one of your brothers. Not to mention, just the fact of the two of us out to dinner together will have the whole town talking and might cause your family to ask some uncomfortable questions."

I got along well with most people. Really well. My superpower was being polite and kind, even cheerful, in the most trying situations. Something about Samuel Oakley, though, made me want to punch him right in his smug nose.

"Fine. We'll have dinner at your house. Jared, Brittany, please call the police if I'm not back by ten. Have a lovely evening."

"Oh, we will." Brittany threw an arm around Jared's shoulders, but she had to pop onto her toes to do it, and she still looked like she was barely hanging on to him. He smiled down at her and moved her arm to his waist, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. I'd never seen my brother so touchy-feely with another person. Were they dating, and he hadn't told me? "He'll tell me grotesque stories of his veterinary exploits, and I'll drink to erase them from my memory."

Jared snorted. "That was one time." Then he sobered. "Seriously, Jenna. Call and I'll round up the troops." He glared at Sam. "You don't want to mess with the Reynolds."

Sam grunted, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out of my apartment. In silence, we walked to his truck. I almost fell over when he opened my door and helped me into the high seat. I might have argued, but my dress was feeling increasingly tight and I might have ripped it if I'd tried to get in without his help. Was my belly growing by the second?

Sam got in and started the truck in broody silence. It wasn't until we were on the road and heading out of town toward his place that he spoke. "I want to be there."

I'd been lost in thought, and his words startled me, so I allowed myself an extra moment to take them in. He didn't rush me or ask if I'd heard him. He didn't explain. He waited to hear what I had to say. "I don't understand."

"You bought all that baby stuff, because you're planning to take care of this baby alone. I'm saying I want to be there. If I'm not in the next bedroom, I want to be the person you call at one AM when the baby's sick and you need someone to run to the drugstore. I want to help you put that ridiculous crib together and I want some say in what books go on those shelves after I help you build those, too."

Relief washed over me before my brain kicked in. I wanted his help more than I could say, but help could be a double-edged sword. "What books would you choose?"

He glanced over at me. "I figure you'd choose a bunch of folktales and folklore, but a kid needs books to guide him through today's world. Books are where a kid learns empathy and about other cultures and people. Books are where a little boy learns women are humans who deserve respect or that men aren't meant to be strong and emotionless drones who are entitled to have whatever they want."

"And which lesson do you want our son to learn?" I asked, my heart in my throat.

Sam huffed. "Seriously? What kind of monster do you think I am?"

"The kind who stomps and throws his weight around like he can overpower whatever problem life throws at him."

The sound that came from him almost sounded, impossibly, like a laugh. "I want our kid to be empathetic and kind, to understand consent, and to make the world a better place. I might be an asshole, but I'm not a sexist, racist, bigoted asshole."

"Well, that's good-"

"Besides, the world's a different place than it was when we were kids. I don't think people with those sorts of views will have a place in it by the time our son's able to join the workforce. I want him to only stand out in the right ways."

"And what about you?" It probably wasn't the right time, but I needed to know.

"What about me?"

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