Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
He comes back with his own plate and sits down beside me. “I thought we could afford to be a little informal on your first night home. Do you mind eating on the couch?”
“How could I mind? I can’t sit this close to you in the dining room,” I reply. “It might have only been two nights, but I hated being in the hospital. I’m so glad we’re home.’
“Yeah, that little leather sofa wasn’t made for a guy my size to sleep on.”
“You could have come home to sleep. You didn’t need to stay with us. I would have understood.”
“Are you kidding me? Do you think I could have gotten a wink of sleep if I did that? I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
He takes my plate, cuts my steak into bite-sized pieces, and hands me my fork. “Eat up little girl. You’re going to need your strength.”
“For what?”
“Well, first, to take care of that little bundle. And when you’re ready, I plan to make up for all this lost time in the bedroom.”
“That’s going to be a few weeks, Daddy.”
“I know. That’s why you better start getting ready now.” He puts his arm around me and kisses me. “The more the merrier, baby.”
It’s getting late, and we bring the baby up to our room with us. With nighttime feedings, it’s too soon to put him in the nursery by himself. I'm terrified I won’t hear him wake up in the night.
Luke watches me undress in the mirror and steps up behind me. He puts his arms around my waist and stares at our reflection. The look on his face kills any insecurities I might have had about my weight.
“You’re like a doll,” he says and bites my earlobe lightly.
I put on my nightshirt and climb into bed while he undresses and joins me. I rest my head on his bare chest and listen to the sound of his heartbeat. He strokes my hair and says, “Good night, sweetheart. I love you.”
“Good night, Daddy. I love you too.”
No one could have convinced me that my life would turn out this way.
It’s crazy how something as terrible as the situation with Michael DiMiglio could lead me to the man of my dreams and a better life than I could have imagined.
This house, our kids, everything feels like a gift to me, but especially this man. My strong, handsome Daddy made all of those other things possible for me.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
LUKE
Lori and the kids are dressed in their Sunday best.
I stay back by the car as she leads the little ones into the cemetery behind the little white church. It’s been one year since Lori’s grandmother passed, and she wants to put some flowers on her grave.
The kids don’t really understand why they’re here, but it makes my girl feel better to bring them and I can’t argue with her on that. I’d still move mountains for her if they were blocking her view.
Nana was laid to rest in the churchyard of her family church, and the pastor included her in his sermon today. Lori was so strong and kept a brave face for the kids, but I could see the sorrow behind her eyes and I wished there was something I could do to fix it for her.
They return to the car, and I help her get the kids situated inside. We have three now. Lucas is five, Lorraine is three, and Liam just turned two. If you ask me, it’s time for another and I’ve been trying every night to make that happen.
I close Lori’s door for her and start the car.
“I can’t believe it’s been a year already,” she says.
“She lived a long, full life. Remember when you first got here? You didn’t think she had a year left, but she bounced back and got to meet all of these children before she left this world.”
“You’re right. Remember how excited she was every time we brought a baby home?”
“I do, baby girl. She was very proud of you. You put a smile on her face every day.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” She lays her head on my arm for the long drive home. “You always know the right things to say.”
As we pull up the long, gravel driveway, the kids begin to stir.
“We’re home!” Lucas shouts and the others strain to look out the windows as the white picket fence comes into view.
“You’re going inside to change before you start playing in the dirt, son.”
“Yes, Dad,” he grumbles.
Our border collie, Max, runs beside the car as we park under the carport of our three-story farmhouse. You can’t have kids and land without having a dog, right?
Between my desire for a big family and Lori’s dream when Lucas was born, buying this place was a no-brainer once Nana left us. We have seven acres for the kids to roam and a fishing pond stocked with plenty of frogs and turtles to keep Lucas happy. The best part is that we’re still within county limits so I can keep my job as sheriff.