Holiday Wedding (Holiday Romance-Spicy Version #2)

42

Gwen

My lashes flutter open. There’s a second of panic as my wild gaze searches for Carter, but he’s there, pulled up next to my bed. Mary, the nurse, has taped a sign to his see-through bassinet.

It reads, “Welcome to the world, Carter Robert Lawson.” Underneath that, in her neat handwriting, are all of his pertinent statistics—birth weight, length, and APGAR scores.

His numbers are good. Even though he’s a few days early, he’s fully grown. Ready to be out of my belly and into the world.

Out in the world that could hurt him, disappoint him. The thought of him ever being in pain makes my stomach clench. I want to fight anyone who threatens him. I want to lock him away to keep him safe. I want to tuck his blankets tight around him, so he never gets cold or lonely or scared. I love him in a way that’s completely new. In an all-consuming “I would jump in front of a train for you” kind of way. They’re good and frightening, the feelings I have for him.

Carter sleeps on, oblivious to my overprotective mom thoughts. I’m biased, but he really is a gorgeous baby. Rosy-cheeked with fair hair that glints from the overhead lights. His eyes have only opened a couple of times. When they did, I got flashes of aqua blue, the same color as Caleb’s. I love that, knowing my husband’s gorgeous eyes have been passed down to a future generation.

I shift my gaze to Caleb. He’s asleep in a chair next to me. Of all the beautiful things I’ve seen in my life, none of them prepared me to watch Caleb hold our child for the first time. He’d taken Carter into his arms and cradled him against his chest so naturally, like he handled babies every day. As he rocked our baby, he thanked me about a million times. He thanked me until I interrupted and said, “You contributed, too. That child is half yours.”

Caleb had laughed and said, “I got to do the easy part.”

My aching body agreed with that. It was no simple task carrying a baby for nine months and then pushing him out. I feel as weak as a newborn kitten, sapped of my energy.

Caleb must feel the weight of my gaze. He lifts his head, blinking slowly until his eyes land on me.

“You’re awake.” Stretching and yawning, he rises from the chair.

I hold my hands out to him, beckoning. “Come here and hold me.”

He gives me my special smile and responds, “With pleasure.”

The bed creaks when he climbs in. I scoot over to make more room. We’re probably not supposed to do this, lay together in this narrow hospital bed, but I don’t care if we get caught. I need to touch him, to feel him solidly in my arms. Caleb settles against me with a contented sigh. He slings one leg over me and rests his cheek on my temple. Quietly, we stare at our baby.

“He’s perfect,” says Caleb. “He has your hair. I hope he has your strength, too.”

“He’s got your eyes,” I return. “And I bet he’s got your big heart.”

“Wouldn’t it be amazing,” muses Caleb, “if he gets the best of both of us? I wonder what his future holds? What great things will he do for this world?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out.” Shifting, I wiggle in Caleb’s embrace until I’m facing him. “I do know he has the best daddy in the world, the best husband I could ask for.” Caleb kisses me, his lips soft as silk.

“I love you,” I tell him. “And I love this life we’ve created.”

“I love you and Carter, too.” Caleb kisses me again, delicately, like after the trials of the day he’s scared to break me. “I’m going to keep loving you and all of our future children—”

“Future children!?” I sit up. “Let’s get through this next year before we start to think about more babies.”

He’s laughing as I sink back against his firm chest. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about future children…yet. What I was saying is that I’ll love you and any of our children. That I’ll do my best to protect and teach them. I’ll be your equal partner as we raise them. I want you to know that I’m here with you. That we’re doing this together.”

“Good.” I snuggle deeper into him, taking comfort from the familiar warmth of his body, his spicy cinnamon scent. “I wouldn’t want to create a family with anyone else. You’re it for me, Caleb.”

He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Forever and always, my love. You and me.”

I tuck this memory into a room in my heart, along with those of my father, my family, and Jenny.

“Forever,” I whisper to my husband, to my slumbering baby, “and always.”