Page 18 of Sudden Summer

I shook my head, smiling as I looked into the shopping cart. “Not yet. But I see you went all out on a wardrobe.”

“Too many cute things; I just grabbed one of everything in those two sizes. I’ll show you them all when we get home.”

Mae turned, slowly making her way to me and threading her arm through mine.

“Michaela, where are you going?” Stone asked.

“Oh, you know, I’m just going to steal Birdie away for one second to show her the cutest little dress I think would be perfect for Juniper,” Mae replied as she slipped her arm through mine. “Maybe you can help Beau get the bassinet he needs? We’ll be right back.”

I could almost feel her vibrating with the strain of attempting to keep quiet until we were far enough away from the guys that they wouldn’t hear whatever she wanted to say to me. Finally surrounded by baby pajamas, she let loose.

“Oh my God! Are you okay? What the hell is going on?”

“I’m fine, I promise.” I hoped I sounded reassuring, because I really was fine.

“Okay, because…correct me if I’m wrong—but it just seems like the man you’ve loved forever and ever just appeared in this store wearing a brand new, itty bitty baby, and said it’s his baby. And since I know you weren’t pregnant, that means he had a whole ass baby with someone else!”

“He did. He had a one night stand in Austin last year when he went to a rodeo with Hayes. Beau left his name and number, but Rosa never told him she got pregnant.”

“Rosa…I hate her. I’m Team Birdie for life.”

I gave a sad smile. “The only reason we know about Juniper is because Rosa died a few days ago. She never told him about the baby, but she did put him down on the birth certificate.”

“Holy shit. I really do think I’m going to need to sit down to hear the rest of the story. How are you still standing? Hearing this is making me light headed.”

I grabbed onto her arm. “Do you want to head back?”

“No! God, no. I need more details. All the details. I mean, you’re here shopping with him for things his secret baby needs. And he was holding your hand,” she hissed.

I shrugged, looking past her at a man shopping at the edge of the same section we were standing in. It was one thing to talk to my friend about the situation, but nosey strangers around us didn’t need to hear what I had to say. “It’s not what it looks like. I agreed to help him out for a few weeks as he figures out how being a dad works. He’s actually doing amazing with her, I just think he’s really heartbroken over not knowing about her before now.”

“So what? He asked you to be like a postpartum doula? Without him having to actually be postpartum? Wait, am I about to hate Beau?”

“No,” I laughed, “although I am really loving the ‘protect Birdie’ vibes you’re giving off today.”

“Always.”

I sighed. “He asked me to stay with him at the ranch. He has his family, and said he’d hire a nanny if he needed to, but that I’m the only one he really trusts to keep her safe right now.”

Mae’s eyebrow quirked, and she smiled. “So you’re staying out there? Please tell me this is a situation where he only has one bed…”

“Mae!”

“Well?”

I felt heat creep up into my face. “I mean, yeah. But we’ve slept in the same bed a million times together. He actually loves cuddles—don’t tell him I told you—and I always feel…well, it’s dumb.”

“It’s not dumb. However it makes you feel to be there with him, it’s not dumb.”

I nodded. “It’s just that when I’m with him, I’m not the only one carrying the burden of everything that’s on my shoulders. Lainey, my mom, stuff at work. Beau hears it all, and he’s always on my side. Even if he’ll tease me about being too much of a worrywart. Or carrying too much and not asking people to help themselves before they turn to me. And there’s something programmed inside me now that no matter what, whenever I’m with him, I know I’m just…”

“Safe?”

“Yeah, exactly. I’m safe. It doesn’t feel like that anywhere else in the world.”

“And if you fall in love with that little girl…”

I blew out my breath. “I already have. I’m not guarding my heart when it comes to either of them, Mae. Maybe I’m not family material. Maybe wife and mother aren’t titles I’ll ever hold. But I’ll still love those two just as fiercely as I can.”