Page 102 of Comeback
When a big storm with lightning and ominous music happens on screen, Greer climbs farther onto his lap. She’sbasically sitting on him at this point. And she stays there until the movie is over.
Her eyes are barely open until the credits roll and then she snaps to attention.
“Can we watch it again?!” she pleads.
“Not tonight.” I stop the movie. “Go brush your teeth and get changed for bed, munchkin.”
“Do I have to?” Her bright green eyes get all big and sweet. I have no idea how her mother stays strong all the time.
I bop her on the nose. “Yep. Princesses need sleep.”
She lets out a sigh and heads toward the bathroom with her shoulders slumped and her long gown trailing behind her like a train.
“Cute kid,” Archer says when the water starts in the bathroom.
“Yeah. The cutest.” And speaking of the cutest, damn he looks good. Even dressed up in Greer’s princess accessories. No, especially dressed up. I can’t believe he was so chill about it all. My heart is officially a puddle for this man.
“You’re good with her.” I tug at the beaded necklaces wrapped around his wrist and he uses the opportunity to capture my hand and thread our fingers together.
“She’s fun.”
“Do you want kids someday?” I ask, then realize that might be a weird question to ask someone you just started dating. If he’s freaked out though, he doesn’t show it.
His brows pinch together. “I’m not sure. I think so.”
“You haven’t thought about it?”
“I guess I haven’t really.” He brings our joined hands up and then tugs me closer, brushing his lips over mine before asking, “What about you?”
“Yeah. I do. Not soon or anything, but someday. I think I want to adopt like my parents did.”
One side of his smile quirks higher. “Really?”
I nod.
“You’re a good human, Sabrina Whitlock.”
His words warm my insides. “Because I want to adopt?”
“One of the many reasons.”
“Is that something you’d be okay with?” I ask. I guess we’ve moved past this being an awkward conversation, so I might as well know if we’re compatible in that area.
“Absolutely,” he says with so little thought that I’m not sure I believe him. Adopting is a big deal and lots of people decide against it or maybe never consider it at all.
Archer reaches up and brushes my hair away from my face, then straightens my tiara.
“You haven’t thought about having kids, but you know how you feel about adoption?” I ask, trying to make sense of his certainty on the subject. “Sorry, I’m just trying to understand. It’s such a big thing to be so sure.”
“It isn’t that I’ve never thought about kids, but it always felt like this thing that could happen in the future. You know, find the perfect girl, get married, have some babies.”
I chuckle softly. “Just like that, huh?”
He wears a wolfish grin that makes my stomach flip. “I checked off the first one, so I guess the others aren’t so far-fetched anymore.”
If I were perfect, I’d know what to say to that. God, he’s just so…unbelievable.
“As for adoption, my mom didn’t officially adopt Brogan or anything, but she might as well have. And it was the best thing that ever happened to me. To our whole family.”
