“Wouldn’t work on Liam,” Amy grumbled. “He can’t shut up about wanting babies.”
Natalie chimed in, “Jaxon, either. He’s been begging for one more. Spoiler alert—never gonna happen. Shop’s closed.”
Hannah glared at them. “Jaxon and Liam are exceptions to the rule. But I’m not talking about the idea of babies. I mean real, live ones.”
Intrigued, I prompted, “Okay, I’m listening.”
“Even when a man is fully on board with bringing a baby into the world, newborns terrify them—they’re fragile. Do you know what would be even scarier? Super tiny newborns. . .”
Hannah waited for me to catch on to what she was implying. It took a minute, but then it hit me, and I sat bolt upright. “Hannah! I think you just won!”
Brushing the imaginary dirt off her shoulder, she smirked. “Oh, I know.”
Amy cleared her throat. “Would anyone care to clue the rest of us in?”
Before I could open my mouth, Natalie beat me to it. “You’re going to take him to Jameson’s NICU.”
An uncomfortable silence engulfed us. The last thing I wanted to do was upset Natalie in my quest to send Preston packing. Barely above a whisper, I asked, “Is that okay?”
Nodding slowly, I could tell she was mulling over the idea in her head. “Make sure you give them my regards when you go.”
The NICU at Alpine Slope Women’s Hospital in Remhorn held a special significance to our family, particularly Natalie. Jameson, her second-born and eldest son, was born nearly two months premature, requiring their life-saving medical care.While my brother blamed his heir’s early arrival on his wife and left her to deal with the aftermath, I came and sat with her and teeny tiny baby Jameson every day after school.
Every day, I witnessed the emotional rollercoaster contained within its pale pink walls. Watching how the mood shifted from sorrow to triumph so quickly was overwhelming—it was enough to give anyone watching whiplash. The nurses and doctors were the real heroes, working tirelessly, even when the unimaginable happened.
Jameson was one of the lucky ones who made it out, growing into the perfectly happy and healthy ten-year-old we all knew and loved. But even over a decade later, I could see the haunted look in Natalie’s eyes just thinking about it. She’d put her professional focus behind serving those whose babies were in the fight of their lives, and when she left the country, I took over championing that worthy cause.
Hannah’s suggestion couldn’t have come at a better time. I was due for a holiday visit. It would seem that Preston and I were about to spread some Christmas cheer when we returned home.
Chapter 14
Preston
A month away fromBelleston with Lucy. I wasn’t sure how I was still standing, especially after she forced me to stand while her entire team watched as she created a dress around my body.
A dress!
Talk about keeping my balls in a jar on her shelf as a trophy. I’d never been more humiliated in my entire life.
As much as I hated to admit it, she was winning, and she knew it.
Just when I thought we were going home and I could do some damage control at work, getting back on track, she carted me to America without even telling me. At this rate, I’d be lucky to have a job when I returned. Lucy was demolishing my life brick by brick.
Then, there’s me.
Clearly, I blew my load by moving in because I hadn’t been able to strike back since. Could you blame me? I figured I’d go big or go home, but when it didn’t work, I wasn’t left with manyoptions. What could I do to top that? I was drawing a blank, and time wasn’t on my side.
I had no intention of backing down. The only uncertainty remaining was finding out if holding my ground meant being forced into seeing this arrangement through, meaning I wound up married to Lucy.
When we landed Stateside, Lucy disappeared to Natalie’s house while I remained in a guest room at Amy and Liam’s. After the last month, I welcomed the breathing room but was very conscious that I was residing with newlyweds—I felt like a third wheel.
Having grown up with wealthy parents, I was well-traveled, and this wasn’t my first trip to the United States. However, Central Connecticut wasn’t a popular tourist destination, and I hadn’t crossed the Atlantic in nearly a decade. Add in a holiday exclusive to America and their northern neighbor—hosted by a couple I mainly knew by reputation—and I was at a disadvantage.
Well played, Lucy.
I wasn’t a coward, but I dragged my feet going next door, allowing Amy and Liam to leave before me. When an hour passed and I hadn’t made an appearance, Liam walked through the front door to find me sitting on the couch, scrolling my phone.
Chuckling to himself, he stopped at the edge of the couch. “You planning on hiding out here all day?”
