Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
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I twine my fingers with Aubrey’s and smile. “Relax, sweetheart. I stopped by the fire station and had them check the car seat base to make sure it’s installed the right way, and while I was there, they showed me how to strap her in. I won’t let anything happen to her,” I say, and she twists back around to face forward in her seat. For the last two days, I’ve barely left her and Jenna’s sides except to run home a few times to make sure everything was being set up correctly.
“I’m just so nervous. Is it normal to be this nervous?”
“I think so.” I glance at the speedometer to make sure I’m not going over the limit, something I usually don’t pay much attention to.
She squeezes my hand. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Everything. We’re so lucky to have you in our lives. I don’t know what I would have done without you. It’s going to be weird not waking up and seeing you next to my bed,” she says, giving me the perfect opening.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about.” I stop at a red light and turn to look at her. “I was hoping you and Jenna would move in with me instead of staying with Shelly. My place is quieter than hers, and it’ll make it easier for me to help. Plus, you shouldn’t be on your own so soon after having a baby.”
She tilts her head to the side, causing a lock of blonde hair to slide over her shoulder. “Those all sound like good reasons for me to want to move in with you, but it doesn’t explain why you’d want that. Having Jenna at your place will probably mess up your schedule. She’s going to be up all hours of the night and crying during the day. You probably won’t be able to get much sleep or concentrate on work.”
“You’re leaving out the fact that I’ll have you both with me, which is what I want.”
She leans back against the headrest and sighs. “How is it you always know the perfect thing to say?”
“Because I’m perfect.” I wink, and her lips tilt up in a smile, while her blue eyes light up.
I pull into the parking lot in front of our apartment building and snag the spot right in front of the doors, cutting off the engine. I turn to face her, wanting her to see how serious I am about this. “The only thing I want to hear you say right now is that you’ll move in with me.”
She looks back at Jenna. “I’m tempted to say yes, because I’m already worried about how things will go with Shelly. She gave me a place to stay, and I’ll always owe her for that, but I’m not sure how she’ll feel when I have to ask her and her friends to keep it down because the baby is sleeping.” She looks at me and nibbles her bottom lip. “I just don’t want us to be an inconvenience to you.”
“Neither of you could ever be an inconvenience.” I take her hand in mine. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” She surprises me by answering immediately.
“Then come inside with me.” I lift her hand to my lips and kiss her fingertips.
“Okay,” she agrees.
I climb out and round the hood to help her out of the passenger side then grab her bag. I swing it over my shoulder before removing Jenna’s carrier from the base. I close the door with my hip and follow Aubrey into the building. When she stops at my door, I yank my keys out of my pocket to unlock it and wave her inside. Heading down the hall straight for the bedroom, where most of the stuff is set up, I nudge the door open.
“Oh my God.” She gasps, seeing the bassinet from her room at Shelly’s inside, along with the stuff I asked my mom to pick up for her and Jenna. “So Shelly knew about this?”
“She did.” Honestly, she didn’t seem surprised when I asked her to help me bring all the baby stuff to my place. Something I was glad I did before they were discharged from the hospital, since she only had the bare necessities. A long phone call to my mom, in which I explained about Aubrey and Jenna, fixed that.
“This is beautiful.” She runs her hand over the soft pink blanket hanging over the side of the bassinet.
“My mom picked that,” I tell her as she picks it up, rubbing it against her cheek.
“Your mom?” Her eyes widen slightly. “You told your mom about me?”
“Baby, I plan on you and Jenna being a part of my life. Of course I told my mom about you. She was mad I hadn’t mentioned you sooner, but she’s excited to meet you and Jenna, and is planning on coming to visit when you’re ready for company.”