Page 23 of The Secrets We Built Together

Yeah, I was totally going with that. Definitely the doctor thing and not the muscles and that annoyingly beautiful face he insisted on having.

It was rude really. He could at least pretend not to be the full package so the rest of us wouldn't feel quite as inadequate. He couldn't even spiral without doing something amazing like stepping up to save Booker's ranch plans, and apparently running to his rescue when Booker had an accident at the ranch.

Part time superhero and full time hottie. The women of this town didn't stand a chance. Except for me of course. I was sworn off men. Making sacrifices for my art, and definitely not lying on the couch and thinking about a certain someone instead of falling asleep. Definitely not thinking about the look in his eyes when they’d locked with mine. Or the tension that hung between us practically screaming for one of us to close the gap. Nope. Definitely not that.

"He’s not the one tormenting me tonight though," I said looking at Amelia. "Someone else has taken on that job."

I gently traced my finger down her cheek, marveling at how soft her skin was. She responded by turning toward my touch, her little mouth opening in a reflex.

"Hungry again?" I asked, smiling as she made a tiny sound that seemed like agreement.

I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway. Not when there was so much that I still needed to figure out, and that wasn’t even counting the immediate problems. Like the fact that Madison had left me with barely a few days worth of formula and diapers for a start.

At least there was one thing I knew for sure, Madison would never change her mind. We'd found a folder in the bag she'd left with Amelia's medical records and all her important documents. She'd thought this through enough to know we'd need those. It wasn't some spur of the moment decision. She’d taken time to think through all the steps of this terrible thing she’d done.

"What are we going to do, hey?" I asked the little girl in my arms. "I guess it's time for me to get a job and figure out this adulting stuff I was supposed to do years ago."

Amelia gurgled in response. Her little arms waved in the air as she made angry little fists.

"Okay, there's no need to be like that you know," I said standing up and heading into the kitchen to start making a bottle for her. "I was going to get around to it eventually. I was just so caught up in pretending that I could actually make it with this art thing. I was going to be famous, you know? In fact, I used to be pretty good at it. I can actually admit that now. Unfortunately everything I do is just crap now. That's an adult word you're not allowed to say until you're eighteen by the way. I'll say it enough for the both of us until then."

I cradled Amelia in one arm as I worked quickly with the bottle. This wasn't exactly my first time and right now I was grateful that I'd had Delaney and Cade to get me ready for this. Still, the warmth of Amelia against my chest was becoming familiar, comforting even. She smelled like baby powder andsomething uniquely her—a scent I was already learning to recognize.

Maybe it would take the sting out of what was going to happen next. I needed a job, money, a house.

Damn, the list was a long one.

I looked around for one of Delaney's many notebooks so I could start a list. Then I caught myself and what I was doing and shook my head as I shook the bottle and shook out a drop of milk onto my wrist to test the temperature.

"I was going to have a show. My very first one at a big fancy gallery. Someone was actually taking notice of me. Well, of my old work. I doubt they would have offered it if they saw what I was making recently." I put the bottle to Amelia's lips and she sucked it into her mouth eagerly. "I wouldn't be the first artist that had to work in their spare time. Maybe Daniel will give me a job at Books and Beans. He'd love to have me around all day long."

Amelia's eyes rolled back in her head as she drank her milk and I laughed softly. Her eyelashes were so long they almost touched her cheeks, and her eyes—when they weren't rolled back in milk-induced ecstasy—were starting to show hints of color, though it was too early to tell what they'd settle into.

At least one of us was having a good time.

I turned around to head back to the couch and froze when I saw Delaney standing quietly in the doorway.

"You didn't tell me," she whispered, a hint of hurt lining her voice.

I could have pretended not to know what she was talking about but what was the point? We both knew she'd heard the whole thing, and I loved her more than to try and pretend that she didn't.

"I know. I guess I just... I don't know. I was nervous about whether I could actually do it, and then there was the whole notpainting a single thing worth showing anyone. And the worse it got, the less I wanted to talk about it," I confessed.

It didn't sound that bad when I said it aloud.

Really, I had no idea why I hadn't gone to Delaney. Out of everyone in the whole world, she was the one who'd stand at my side no matter what.

We would always be that for each other.

Delaney smiled sadly and then we both went to sit down as we watched Amelia fall asleep, still gulping down her milk. Her baby belly was starting to round out, and I made a mental note to burp her carefully when she was done.

"She's beautiful," Delaney said, smiling softly. Her hand moved to her own growing belly. "Blake, I talked to Trace. If you want, we would be happy to take Amelia in. We could..."

"I love you, Delaney, but no," I said, interrupting her. "I want to keep Amelia. I'm going to be her mom, or her fun Aunt, I haven't really decided yet. But I can make this work. I'll find a way."

"I knew you'd say that," Delaney admitted. She reached out and gently ran her hand over the top of Amelia's head. "What can I do to help? Name it and it's yours."

I thought for a second. I knew what Delaney was offering, and honestly I was crazy not to jump at the chance.

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