Page 8 of A Secret Baby for Christmas
She looks surprised, and I don’t blame her. I’ve never been into casual sex, and she knows it.
“Oh,” is all she says, and I’m grateful she changes the subject. But she knows there’s more I’m not telling her. Allie’s as perceptive as her father and as kind.
“I’ll get a crib brought up from reception. Is there anything else you need?”
It’s been a long few days, and now that I’m here with my beastie, I can finally relax. I let out a long sigh and lean heavily into the couch as exhaustion seeps through my body.
My grand-mére passed away a few weeks ago so I delayed coming, and then my flights got cancelled because of the bad storm they had here. It was almost impossible to get another flight with it being so close to Christmas. Papa didn’t want me to come back to the States so I did it all behind his back, which added an extra layer of anxiety as if travelling halfway around the world on your own with a baby wasn’t anxiety inducing enough.
Hugo was cranky on the flight, and neither of us slept much. I picked up a rental car and we headed straight up the mountain, only stopping for nursing and diaper changes.
I let out a long yawn, and Hugo does the same.
“I’ll put him down for a sleep, then take a nap too. If you could sort out the crib, that would be awesome.”
Allie brightens, glad to have something to do.
“Hans,” she calls to the kitchen. “Can you grab Chloe’s luggage from the car? I’ll organize a crib.”
They jump into action and I sit back quietly with my baby, letting them fuss around me.
I’ve taken the first step. I’m back in the States. But does the man I’ve been dreaming about want anything to do with me and my baby? By the way he’s gone off on his own, it seems not.
Maybe my trip was all for nothing.
Tears sting my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. Being a single mom has toughened me up, and I won’t cry now.
Hugo fusses, and I put him over my shoulder and rub his back to get any gas out.
I’ve got a baby to look after, whether the father wants any part of it or not. And at some point, I have to tell Allie. But not yet. For now, I want to get some rest. I’ll tell Allie when the time is right.
3
DAVID
Motherhood suits Chloe. Her skin glows radiant in the light from the chandelier that hangs over the dinner table where we’re all seated for dinner.
Hans cooked tonight, and I’m impressed by his culinary skills. He’s good on the slopes and in the kitchen and he seems to make my daughter happy, which is the main thing.
But it’s Chloe I can’t keep my eyes off as she eats the poached fish with buttery potatoes. The extra weight from motherhood suits her. It fills out her curves and makes her skin glow.
The nursing top she’s wearing hangs loose, and her breasts, swollen with milk, press against the thin cotton fabric. I’m seated opposite her, and my gaze is drawn to those beautiful breasts. They’re more luscious than I remember, and seeing them across from me rather than in my dreams is tantalizing.
I try to follow the conversation, but with this goddess distracting me, it’s hard. I want to crawl over the table and bury myself in those breasts.
The baby sleeps in a crib next to the table, and I can’t help peeking over at him. My son.
I haven’t had a chance to get Chloe alone, and she’s refusing to look at me. I can’t understand why she didn’t come to me when she was pregnant. I’m angry that I didn’t know, but relieved that she’s here now.
The conversation over dinner is led by Chloe and Allie, laughing and catching up on their past year. It’s clear Chloe doesn’t want to tell Allie anything about us, and I have to respect that. For now.
I thought I could put the young temptress behind me, but now that she’s here and she has my son, there’s no way I’m letting her go. I’m just waiting for a chance to get her alone.
After dinner, I retire to my own room. The girls are still chatting, and I don’t think I’m going to get a chance with Chloe this evening. I’m just pleased that they seem to have made up, and any hard feelings Allie had about being left in the dark about Chloe’s pregnancy have disappeared. They’re laughing like old times, and the sound is comforting.
I sit at my desk and open my laptop. Even with Christmas looming, there’s always work to do when you’re a business owner. I spend a few hours going over my accounts, but the figures blur on the page. The more I try to concentrate, the more I think about Chloe.
It's after midnight and the cabin is quiet when I finally shut the laptop and come out of my room looking for a glass of water.
