Christ.
No one’s touched me like this in years. Not gently. Not like they actually care.
“You do know what a real family looks like,” she whispers. My eyes open again. She smiles faintly. “Anika. Sebastian. Catherine. Even Dale.” Her thumb strokes lightly against my skin. “You already built one, Ray.” Emotion clogs unexpectedly in my throat. “And now . . .” she says softly, taking my hand in hers.
I let her guide me and she presses my palm carefully against the curve of her stomach. My breath catches sharply. Everything inside me goes completely still. Because this is the first time she’s ever let me touch her like this.
My fingers spread instinctively over the small curve of her bump, and the enormity of it hits me so hard it almost knocks the breath from my lungs.
There’s a baby there. Our baby. A life growing beneath my hand while I stand here completely terrified of fucking all of this up.
Wynter watches my face carefully, like she’s seeing every crack in me for the first time.
“She’s getting bigger,” she murmurs softly.
“She?” I ask distractedly, my thumb brushing gently against her stomach.
A small laugh leaves her. “Or he. I don’t know. I just keep saying she.”
I nod slowly, unable to drag my eyes away from where my hand rests against her. And then we both feel it. A gentle movement. A kick.
Emotion builds painfully in my chest. Heavy and overwhelming and unfamiliar as we both gasp. A small laugh leaves Wynter, her face a light with pure joy.
“That’s her strongest kick yet,” she says.
I can’t describe the feeling that kick brings me. Protectiveness. Love. Fear. Hope. All tangled together so tightly I can barely separate one from the other.
“I missed so much already,” I say quietly before I can stop myself.
Wynter’s brows pull together slightly. “Ray—”
“You’ve been carrying this alone while I’ve been acting like throwing money at things makes me useful.”
“It hasn’t been all bad,” she says gently.
“No,” I admit. “But it hasn’t been good enough either.” I look her in the eyes. “I’m so sorry, Wynter. I’m really sorry.”
Sadness fills her expression as she reaches up, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me closer.
“Fresh start,” she whispers against my shoulder. “For all of us.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
WYNTER
I linger outside Ray’s office for a few seconds after the door closes behind me.
My fingers drift unconsciously to my stomach, my mind still trying to catch up with everything that just happened in there.
I’m already in love with both of you.
The words replay on a loop in my head, making my chest feel tight and strangely warm all at once. I should feel relieved. Happy even.Instead, I feel unsteady. Like one conversation with Ray has shifted the ground beneath my feet, and I’m not entirely sure whether to trust it yet.
Taking a steadying breath, I head towards the kitchen. Voices drift down the hallway before I even reach it. Lucy’s laugh. Catherine’s softer one following after.
The second I step inside, both women look up.
“Well, there she is,” Lucy says, narrowing her eyes immediately. “You were gone for a suspiciously long time.”