Page 9 of Scarlett's Mountain Man
I blink several times, not knowing how to respond to him.
“Aiden didn’t have the equipment to put a catheter in. He doesn’t want to if he doesn’t have to,” Thorin informs me as he walks back over to the crib. “While he wants you to rest, he saysmoving a little might help you some, but he wants you to take it easy.”
I nod, trying to process everything he is saying to me. Thorin picks up Juniper, cradling her in his arms as he makes his way toward me. He looks natural, holding her so gently, like he’s done it a thousand times before. Like he’s already a dad.
It looks good on him.
“My sister has several kids and I’ve helped her take care of them from when they were babies,” he tells me, walking over to my side of the bed. “I have something to tell you before I hand Juniper over. I want you to keep an open mind. Can you do that?”
Worry bubbles inside my stomach as I stare at him. What could he possibly want to talk to me about? It has to be something important for him not to hand over Juniper to me. What does he think I’m going to do? I would never harm my baby.
“You’ve been out for several hours. We called my sister to come and help out. Don’t worry, she lives on the lodge property, so she walked over here,” he says, getting closer to me. “It was my idea, and my sister was the only one in here. But you can imagine that you being unconscious for several hours and Juniper?—”
“Just spit it out, please,” I beg, interrupting him. “Sorry, but just tell me. I need to know.”
“My sister helped you breastfeed Juniper while you were out. We don’t have formula here, and my sister doesn’t either. Her children are over two years old. So the only logical solution was feeding from you, so she held Juniper as she fed. Or well, I don’t know exactly what she did since I wasn’t in the room. But I wanted to let you know.”
I open and close my mouth, trying to come up with something to say.
“I know that’d a lot to take in, but I don’t want any secrets between us, not in the beginning, or any time, really. I want to be honest with you,” he calmly says.
“Um, thank you?” I don’t know how to respond.
I love that Thorin is being honest; it’s something thathedidn’t do with me before I left. The constant lies and manipulation to get me to do what he wanted.
“Here’s sweet, precious Juniper.” He hands me my baby.
I look down at Juniper, a smile forming on my face. She is so precious, sleeping in my arms.
“What time is—?” I ask, looking up at Thorin, but I stop when I see how he is gazing at us.
Love.
I want to chuckle but refrain. There is no way he is looking at Juniper and me with love. He doesn’t know us. Sure, we talked a couple of times on the phone when I made the reservation, told him I was going to be late, and when he called, but that was it. He knows nothing about me. I don’t even know if he was aware I was pregnant when I first called him.
Love isn’t an option.
But then what else could it be? I don’t know, but the look in his eyes says differently.
“What?” he asks. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I blink several times. He’s asking me why I was looking at him when he was literally looking at me with love in his eyes?
“How was I looking at you?” I ask.
“Like you were trying to figure something out.”
Does he know?
“Wha-what time is it?” I softly ask, my mind still trying to process with what I just saw.
“It’s midnight.”
My mouth falls open. He says midnight like it’s two in the afternoon, not a big deal. I’ve always had a hard time stayingup late. Maybe it’s becausehealways wanted to be up early and serve him breakfast, so staying up wasn’t an option.
“Oh, I’m sorry for keeping you up. If you could just place the crib closer, I’ll be fine.” I point to the end of the bed.
“It’s okay, you aren’t keeping me up.” He smiles.
