Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“I’ll take this one.” Reid takes Coral out of Will’s arms and nods toward me. “You take that one,” he tells Will. He pecks a kiss on Bellamy’s lips.
“Oh, I can lay her down,” I tell Will.
“Let the old man feel useful,” Reid jokes, turning to take Coral upstairs for a nap.
Will chuckles good-naturedly and steps in close, lifting Mia from my arms. He hugs her closely, being gentle with her. “I got her, Momma,” he assures me. “I’ll hold her until you’re ready to go.”
“Thank you. I’ll be quick,” I tell him.
“Take your time.” He smiles, and I feel myself falling a little more.
This man, he’s too sexy, too sweet, too… everything. Bellamy and I pack up all the gifts and get them carried out to my car. I leave all the food, because there are two adults here, and I’m just one. Together, Bellamy and I get the house back in order, taking down decorations, putting away food, and I insist on sweeping and mopping, even though my best friend tells me not to bother. The least I can do is make sure their house is back in order before I go.
“Thank you again.” I hug Bellamy tightly.
“Stop thanking me. I’m glad we could do it.”
Stepping out of her embrace, I move toward Will. “Thank you for watching her while we cleaned up.” I reach for her, but he turns.
“I’ll carry her out for you. The less that we move her, the better.”
“Thank you.” I turn toward Bellamy and wave before grabbing my purse and the diaper bag, the final two things to take out to the car. I hold the door open for Will. He says goodbye to his daughter, then follows me outside to my car. He gets Mia settled, and she barely stirs.
“I’ll open the garage door for you,” he tells me.
“You sure this is a good idea?”
“I can come to you,” he offers. “But I have a bed for Mia to rest safely, and I need you in my arms, Mandy.”
I can’t resist him. I don’t want to. “Okay.”
“Okay.” He nods, leans in, but quickly pulls away and rocks back on his heels before turning and heading to his SUV.
Just in case Bellamy or Reid is watching, I lean into the back seat, as if to check on Mia in her seat, but Will is more than capable. I’m basically trying not to make it look like I’m rushing out of here to go be with him.
Thankfully, I need to turn in the direction of his house to head home, only I won’t be leaving this subdivision—if you call sprawling mansions on five-acre lots a subdivision. Instead, I drive a few roads over to his place. This is risky, but he’s the only one who lives back this far. The others are in the opposite direction. Worst-case scenario, I pass them leaving, but they’ll assume I was sticking around with Bellamy and Reid, unless it’s them that I pass. I push that worry to the back of my mind as I pull into Will’s driveway and drive straight into the garage.
Nineteen
Will
* * *
As soon as her car is parked, I hit the button to close the garage door and rush to collect Mia out of her seat. She’s still sleeping peacefully, and I hate that we have to move her again, but she’ll be more comfortable in a bed than strapped into her car seat.
“Thank you,” Amanda says, grabbing the diaper bag and following me into the house.
“I’m going to take her up to Coral’s room,” I tell her. She nods, setting the diaper bag on the kitchen counter before trailing behind me up the stairs. In Coral’s room, I keep two beds. Her old baby bed and her big-girl bed that sits low to the floor with a little fence around it. It’s not really a fence, even though that’s what it looks like. It’s more like a gate. I figured Bellamy and Reid might end up having more kids, so I kept it. That’s where I lay Mia down. She lets out a soft, contented sigh and thankfully doesn’t wake.
I switch on the baby monitor, then lace my fingers with Amanda’s and guide her across the hall to my room. Once inside, I set the monitor on my nightstand and turn on the feed. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the small tilt of Amanda’s lips.
“Come here,” I say, pulling her into my arms. I wrap her up in a fierce hug. “It’s hell not being able to touch you when we’re all together,” I confess.
“Thank you for coming today, and for Mia’s gifts. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be the one to extend the invitation. I mean, I could have told Bellamy to, but then I worried she’d catch on, and yeah.” Amanda sighs.