fibbed, “Then that’s what it is.”
And before she could argue further, he made love to her again.
* * *
H OPE NEVER MEANT to fall asleep. She meant to get up out of the bed after they’d made sweet, wonderful love the second time. But the next thing she knew late afternoon sunlight was streaming in through the windows and she heard her son gurgling happily.
She glanced at her watch. Realizing it had been a good seven hours since she had fed Max last, she threw back the covers, wrapped a sheet around herself and headed for her bedroom.
The port-a-crib was empty.
The laughter, however, continued. This time with Garrett joining in.
Hope exchanged the sheet for her robe and followed the sound.
Garrett was slouched on the big U-shaped bunkhouse sofa, his back to her, Max held upright against his chest. Plump little arms out in front of him, as if he were doing push-ups, Max was staring up at Garrett, enthralled.
“See here’s the thing about women,” Garrett was telling Max. “You always got to treat ’em right. I know, I know,” he replied, after another spurt of baby talk from Max, “you think you’re too young to be thinking about all this, but trust me, there will come a day, and that’s all you’ll be thinking about...”
Max gurgled again, then let out an astonishingly loud burp.
Hope couldn’t help it, she laughed, right along with Garrett.
He turned in surprise. “Did we wake you?”
“I think the bigger question is,” she murmured, joining him on the sofa, “why didn’t you get me?” She nodded at the empty bottle of formula on the coffee table. “I would have fed him.”
“I know. I thought it might be better for you to get some sleep.”
Garrett was probably right, given the fact that her breasts still only felt half full. It would be at least another hour, if not more, before she was ready to nurse her son again.
She kissed the tuft of blond hair on the top of Max’s head. Though normally he reached for Hope, insisting that his mommy hold him, this time her son seemed remarkably content just where he was. “How long has he been up?”
Garrett grinned as Max continued to do vertical baby push-ups against his chest. “A couple of hours.”
Hope did a double take.
Garrett slanted her a glance. “He hasn’t seemed to want to go back to sleep.”
She wouldn’t either, if Garrett were holding her like that in his big, strong arms and turning on the charm.
Hope snuggled closer, wanting to join in the fun. “What have you two been doing?”
“Well, first he had a bottle of formula, then a clean diaper change, then we went out back and sat on the glider for a while. But it got kind of hot, so we came in to the air conditioning. And we lay on a blanket on the floor for a while, and he showed me all his toys and rattles. And then we sat in a chair...and then you came in...”
“Wow.”
“I know,” Garrett acknowledged solemnly. “Max and I have had a very busy afternoon.”
She peered at him facetiously. “You sure you don’t want a job filling in for a British nanny on an emergency basis?”
Rubbing a hand across his freshly shaven jaw, he pretended to consider it. Finally he asked, with a teasing leer, “Does it come with fringe benefits?”
Hope groaned facetiously. She slapped a hand across her heart as if the mere idea were an insult. “Captain Lockhart!”
“Uh-oh, buddy.” Garrett winked at Max. “She’s using my rank and surname. Guess we better rein in the loose talk.”
No kidding , Hope thought. Otherwise he’d have her back in bed with him before she knew what had happened.
Garrett turned to her, his mood as lively as her son’s.
Hope could see Garrett had already had a shower and dressed in clean clothes. Suddenly, she yearned for the same. “I hate to ask...”
He read her mind. “Take your time.”
Hope tried not to wonder what would happen if Garrett continued being this good with Max, and this sexy and appealing, and ultraprotective.
And before she could argue further, he made love to her again.
* * *
H OPE NEVER MEANT to fall asleep. She meant to get up out of the bed after they’d made sweet, wonderful love the second time. But the next thing she knew late afternoon sunlight was streaming in through the windows and she heard her son gurgling happily.
She glanced at her watch. Realizing it had been a good seven hours since she had fed Max last, she threw back the covers, wrapped a sheet around herself and headed for her bedroom.
The port-a-crib was empty.
The laughter, however, continued. This time with Garrett joining in.
Hope exchanged the sheet for her robe and followed the sound.
Garrett was slouched on the big U-shaped bunkhouse sofa, his back to her, Max held upright against his chest. Plump little arms out in front of him, as if he were doing push-ups, Max was staring up at Garrett, enthralled.
“See here’s the thing about women,” Garrett was telling Max. “You always got to treat ’em right. I know, I know,” he replied, after another spurt of baby talk from Max, “you think you’re too young to be thinking about all this, but trust me, there will come a day, and that’s all you’ll be thinking about...”
Max gurgled again, then let out an astonishingly loud burp.
Hope couldn’t help it, she laughed, right along with Garrett.
He turned in surprise. “Did we wake you?”
“I think the bigger question is,” she murmured, joining him on the sofa, “why didn’t you get me?” She nodded at the empty bottle of formula on the coffee table. “I would have fed him.”
“I know. I thought it might be better for you to get some sleep.”
Garrett was probably right, given the fact that her breasts still only felt half full. It would be at least another hour, if not more, before she was ready to nurse her son again.
She kissed the tuft of blond hair on the top of Max’s head. Though normally he reached for Hope, insisting that his mommy hold him, this time her son seemed remarkably content just where he was. “How long has he been up?”
Garrett grinned as Max continued to do vertical baby push-ups against his chest. “A couple of hours.”
Hope did a double take.
Garrett slanted her a glance. “He hasn’t seemed to want to go back to sleep.”
She wouldn’t either, if Garrett were holding her like that in his big, strong arms and turning on the charm.
Hope snuggled closer, wanting to join in the fun. “What have you two been doing?”
“Well, first he had a bottle of formula, then a clean diaper change, then we went out back and sat on the glider for a while. But it got kind of hot, so we came in to the air conditioning. And we lay on a blanket on the floor for a while, and he showed me all his toys and rattles. And then we sat in a chair...and then you came in...”
“Wow.”
“I know,” Garrett acknowledged solemnly. “Max and I have had a very busy afternoon.”
She peered at him facetiously. “You sure you don’t want a job filling in for a British nanny on an emergency basis?”
Rubbing a hand across his freshly shaven jaw, he pretended to consider it. Finally he asked, with a teasing leer, “Does it come with fringe benefits?”
Hope groaned facetiously. She slapped a hand across her heart as if the mere idea were an insult. “Captain Lockhart!”
“Uh-oh, buddy.” Garrett winked at Max. “She’s using my rank and surname. Guess we better rein in the loose talk.”
No kidding , Hope thought. Otherwise he’d have her back in bed with him before she knew what had happened.
Garrett turned to her, his mood as lively as her son’s.
Hope could see Garrett had already had a shower and dressed in clean clothes. Suddenly, she yearned for the same. “I hate to ask...”
He read her mind. “Take your time.”
Hope tried not to wonder what would happen if Garrett continued being this good with Max, and this sexy and appealing, and ultraprotective.
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