Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
When Atlas pulls back, Boyd is there, one of his strong arms wrapping around my middle. “You look gorgeous now, and you looked especially gorgeous during the last few months of pregnancy.” His eyes briefly dip to my chest, reminding me how much he’s been enjoying my enlarged breasts.
Silas’s hand clamps on my shoulder, turning me to him as soon as Boyd releases me. “When will you be ready to be pregnant again?”
There’ve been vague mentions of us having a bigger family someday, but we’ve all been entirely focused on little Felicity ever since she was born.
“You want more kids?” I ask, looking around at all three of them.
No one answers immediately. They all look thoughtful as we stand there among the trees, birds singing and squirrels chattering around us. Silas slides his hand down to the middle of my back and caresses me there, as Boyd reaches for my hand.
“We have a lot of chairs to fill at the dining table,” Boyd says with a big grin.
“Oh my gosh—” I cup my belly automatically, the gesture stirring up happy memories of when Lissy was in my womb. “I don’t know if my uterus is up for that kind of production.”
“Maybe you could have twins,” Atlas says with a grin. “Or triplets.”
“You always have efficiency in mind, don’t you?” I tease.
“But seriously, Kira,” Atlas says, “it’s all up to you. After falling in love with Felicity, I think we’d all like to fill the house with as many children as you’d like to have, but only if that’s what you want.”
“Lissy would probably enjoy having a sibling when she gets older,” Silas says.
I glance at Boyd, but there’s a faraway look in his eyes that keeps me from asking for his input. We’ve had quiet talks about what it will be like to raise Lissy, and he told me how important it will be to him to help give her a very different childhood than the one he had. A sibling, something neither he nor I ever had, would be a good thing.
“I’m not ready quite yet,” I tell them, “but I’d like that a lot. You’re all wonderful fathers.”
Boyd strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. “Can’t imagine a better compliment.”
After more hugs, we continue on. When we reach a fork in the trail, I expect us to take the path on the right, which leads deeper into the woods on the way to a large clearing. Instead, Silas takes my hand and leads me to the left.
“Are we stopping at the cabin?”
“The cabin is actually our destination today,” Atlas says as the small, rustic building comes into sight.
“Our destination? That was a short hike,” I say. “We could have easily brought Lissy along.”
The path to the cabin’s door is clear. One of them, probably Silas, must have been out here recently to rake the fallen leaves.
“We thought you could use some quiet time away from the baby,” Boyd says.
Silas unlocks the cabin door and opens it to reveal a very different interior than I’m expecting. The last time I was out here, the cabin held a military-style camping cot with a green wool blanket, two mismatched chairs, and a lot of survival supplies.
It wasn’t that long ago that I was here, and Silas and I actually shared a very memorable hour on the old cot, but today, there’s an actual bed covered with a pale blue duvet that’s folded back to reveal clean white sheets.
When we go inside, a fire’s already burning in the stove. There are several extra blankets and pillows, a thick white bathrobe hanging on a hook, about a dozen flameless candles flickering, and soft music playing. It’s a bit like stepping into a Twilight Zone spa.
“When did you do all this?”
The more I look around, the more I see. There’s a big tray with food and drinks on it: packets of cocoa, tea bags, fresh fruit, and mini sandwiches. A couple of bottles of essential oils sit beside an eye mask, my tablet, and the book I’m currently reading. A new pair of slippers is carefully aligned on the floor.
“You make it sound like it’s a big deal,” Boyd says with a grin.
“This is so sweet, but you didn’t need to do all this. You all help me get plenty of rest time at the house. That long bath yesterday was lovely.”
“Being a mom is hard work,” Atlas says. “You need time alone to recharge.”
“Time alone?”
“Yeah, we’ll get out of your way,” Boyd says. “There’s hot water here, for tea or hot chocolate. Your favorite soup’s in here.” He points to a thermos. “You can eat in peace while you read or listen to an audiobook, then take a nap…”
“You’re leaving me here alone?”
“You’ll be safe,” Silas says. “We’ll make sure of that. I checked for spiders, too.”