Page 104 of Derecho

“That’s what love is, Lainey. And I love you. I’m in love with you.”

Her chin quivered before more sobs erupted around us.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to say it again,” I whispered, pushing her hair away from her face. “I know tonight—the last few days—have been a lot. If you changed your mind–”

“Of course I l-love you! H-how could I not?”

I smiled, but my own throat felt raw with the weight of emotions in the room. “Because I’m broken. Because there are better men out there that could provide more to you and Reid.”

Lainey turned into me, her wide, tear-filled eyes looking up from where she was snuggled into my chest.

“I love you. I meant it the very first time I said it, and I mean it now. When I say that, I mean all of you. I love the scars on your leg that are a beautiful reminder of just how much you’ve survived. Of how much you’ve overcome. Of how incredibly strong you are. I love your arms, and how safe they make me feel every time you touch me, or wrap them around me. I love your lips. How they press gently against my forehead when you’re trying to reassure me, and how they fit so perfectly against my own.” Her hand reached up and ran through my hair. “But I especially love your mind. I wish it was nicer to you, but I’m here now, and I’ll work every day to show your brain that it doesn’t have to always be on high alert. We’re a team now, right?”

I nodded.

“Good.” She smiled. “You can remind my mind and my body that I’m safe here in your arms, and I’ll always do the same for you.”

Lainey

“You’re not running away from me, are you?”

Lachlan’s arms slipped around my waist as he pressed a kiss just under my ear. The stubble on his face was prickly and tickled against my skin, making me laugh.

“Why would you think that?”

“Didn’t like waking up and not having you there with me. Is this little guy to blame?”

“Yeah. He woke up and didn’t want to go back to sleep. So we came downstairs and started on breakfast.”

Lachlan leaned over and kissed the top of Reid’s head. He was happy as a clam snuggled against my chest as I moved around the kitchen. I finally got a look at Lachlan as he stepped back, and every thought I had of finishing breakfast went out the window.

“Do I have something on my face?” he had the audacity to ask as he stood in front of me, black joggers slung low across his hips, with nothing on his chest except for the little gold chain around his neck.

“I…” I stepped toward him, my hand coming up to trace along the tattoo on his shoulder. “God, I think I need to rain check the plans with my sister this morning. How am I ever supposed to leave when you’re walking around the house looking like…this.”

“Now you know how I’ve felt all this time,” Lachlan teased. But I knew that wasn’t true. I’d been hugely pregnant, and then all these weeks of postpartum life…

“Not all this time,” I scoffed.

Lachlan put his hand on Reid’s back before sliding it down to my belly. “I meant what I said. All this time, Lain. You were fucking gorgeous when he was in your belly, and you’re fucking gorgeous now.”

My body tingled, a hot wave of emotion rolled through me, from my head to my toes, healing another part of me that I thought would be broken forever.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“You don’t have to thank me for telling the truth.”

I stood on my tiptoes, turning so I wouldn’t crush the baby between us, and kissed him.

“Well, this is turning out to be a fantastic morning.” He laughed. “What are you and Birdie doing today?”

“We’re going over some of the details for the safe house. To get it ready for moving in.”

“What?” Lachlan’s face fell.

“No! No,” I said, understanding immediately what he thought. “Not for me. Not for us. For whoever applies. Birdie has some big donor lined up today for a tour, and she wanted my opinion on some of the finishing touches. She also wants me to speak to how important of a project I think it is…because of my…history.”

“Do you want me to be there?”