as not to let him see how he could wound her. He already had enough power over her.
The pilot’s voice came over the intercom, shattering their stony silence.
“Hey, Will, we’re five minutes from wheels down, so make sure everything is secure back there, will ya?”
Will was quiet for a moment before switching on the intercom and answering. “Thanks, Ron.”
The ocean stretched out beneath the wing of the plane, and Julianne’s stomach did a flip-flop. She knew Chances Inlet was a small town located at the junction of the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, but she hoped Will’s house was at least a few blocks inland. She didn’t do well near the sea, not since it had taken her mother from her.
“He’s still strapped in?” Will asked.
She forced herself not to roll her eyes again as she peeked over at Owen, still sleeping peacefully, a bubble of spit dancing on his pursed lips. Her heart melted as she looked at her beautiful son. Gratitude for Will’s contribution to Owen’s creation and saving his life dulled a little of the animosity she currently felt for him. She pulled the blanket up over the blue onesie decorated with Clifford the Big Red Dog, and suddenly a vision of a lace christening gown danced before her eyes. She blinked, but the gown remained fixed on her brain. Relief flickered through her limbs.
Perhaps her gift wasn’t gone, after all.
It was the first time in months she’d conjured up a design, and her fingers itched to sketch it. But just then, the plane’s wheels hit the runway with a bump and Owen woke up howling.
Will took care of unloading their luggage while Julianne fed and changed the baby. When she emerged on the tarmac twenty minutes later, it was to find Will leaning against a gleaming SUV, chatting up a leggy blonde dressed in jean shorts and a white tank top. She was perched barefoot on the hood like a life-sized hood ornament. The girl—she couldn’t have been more than twenty—looked like she was posing for a new-car ad, the wind blowing back her hair as her perfect pink mouth smiled seductively at Will.
“Oooh!” she squealed as she slid off the car and made a beeline toward Owen. “Is this your baby?”
Julianne just barely resisted the urge to pull the carrier holding her son up to shoulder height just to watch the girl fall flat on her face.
“He’s sooo cute,” she cooed as she looked up at Julianne. “Hi! I’m Brandi. With an
i
.”
“Of course you are,” Julianne couldn’t resist saying. Brandi-with-an-
i
probably dotted her
i
with a heart. Julianne hated the stab of self-doubt that coursed through her stomach. She’d taken care with how she’d dressed today, but next to the athletic, tan Brandi-doll, Julianne looked like the doughy, pasty white mom she’d become.
Brandi turned to Will, who stood on the tarmac, hands on hips, coolly observing the exchange. “Will, you naughty boy! Did you tell your wife about us?” She winked at Julianne. “His mama used to babysit me. Will would let me sit on his lap on the school bus every day. He never lets me sit on his lap anymore.” Brandi’s pout was impressive.
Julianne had difficulty feeling sorry for her, figuring there weren’t many laps she was denied. “That’s because he’s married.” It felt good coming out of her mouth, if for only this one time.
“Oh my gosh, I know, a baby
and
a wife! I was shocked when I saw it on Twitter the other day. You’re very sneaky, Will, keeping us all in the dark about your secret love life.”
The wind ruffled Will’s hair, but that did nothing to diminish his Norse god–like good looks standing there, a stern expression on his face as if he owned the airfield. “There were quite a few people in the dark, Brandi.”
Julianne felt the rest of his sentence in the heat of his stare.
Including me
hung in the air between them despite the fact that he didn’t utter another word.
Owen grunted in the carrier, his face scrunched up and red as his
The pilot’s voice came over the intercom, shattering their stony silence.
“Hey, Will, we’re five minutes from wheels down, so make sure everything is secure back there, will ya?”
Will was quiet for a moment before switching on the intercom and answering. “Thanks, Ron.”
The ocean stretched out beneath the wing of the plane, and Julianne’s stomach did a flip-flop. She knew Chances Inlet was a small town located at the junction of the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, but she hoped Will’s house was at least a few blocks inland. She didn’t do well near the sea, not since it had taken her mother from her.
“He’s still strapped in?” Will asked.
She forced herself not to roll her eyes again as she peeked over at Owen, still sleeping peacefully, a bubble of spit dancing on his pursed lips. Her heart melted as she looked at her beautiful son. Gratitude for Will’s contribution to Owen’s creation and saving his life dulled a little of the animosity she currently felt for him. She pulled the blanket up over the blue onesie decorated with Clifford the Big Red Dog, and suddenly a vision of a lace christening gown danced before her eyes. She blinked, but the gown remained fixed on her brain. Relief flickered through her limbs.
Perhaps her gift wasn’t gone, after all.
It was the first time in months she’d conjured up a design, and her fingers itched to sketch it. But just then, the plane’s wheels hit the runway with a bump and Owen woke up howling.
Will took care of unloading their luggage while Julianne fed and changed the baby. When she emerged on the tarmac twenty minutes later, it was to find Will leaning against a gleaming SUV, chatting up a leggy blonde dressed in jean shorts and a white tank top. She was perched barefoot on the hood like a life-sized hood ornament. The girl—she couldn’t have been more than twenty—looked like she was posing for a new-car ad, the wind blowing back her hair as her perfect pink mouth smiled seductively at Will.
“Oooh!” she squealed as she slid off the car and made a beeline toward Owen. “Is this your baby?”
Julianne just barely resisted the urge to pull the carrier holding her son up to shoulder height just to watch the girl fall flat on her face.
“He’s sooo cute,” she cooed as she looked up at Julianne. “Hi! I’m Brandi. With an
i
.”
“Of course you are,” Julianne couldn’t resist saying. Brandi-with-an-
i
probably dotted her
i
with a heart. Julianne hated the stab of self-doubt that coursed through her stomach. She’d taken care with how she’d dressed today, but next to the athletic, tan Brandi-doll, Julianne looked like the doughy, pasty white mom she’d become.
Brandi turned to Will, who stood on the tarmac, hands on hips, coolly observing the exchange. “Will, you naughty boy! Did you tell your wife about us?” She winked at Julianne. “His mama used to babysit me. Will would let me sit on his lap on the school bus every day. He never lets me sit on his lap anymore.” Brandi’s pout was impressive.
Julianne had difficulty feeling sorry for her, figuring there weren’t many laps she was denied. “That’s because he’s married.” It felt good coming out of her mouth, if for only this one time.
“Oh my gosh, I know, a baby
and
a wife! I was shocked when I saw it on Twitter the other day. You’re very sneaky, Will, keeping us all in the dark about your secret love life.”
The wind ruffled Will’s hair, but that did nothing to diminish his Norse god–like good looks standing there, a stern expression on his face as if he owned the airfield. “There were quite a few people in the dark, Brandi.”
Julianne felt the rest of his sentence in the heat of his stare.
Including me
hung in the air between them despite the fact that he didn’t utter another word.
Owen grunted in the carrier, his face scrunched up and red as his
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