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Even when a couple women exchanged knowing smiles, and Rhae outright grinned at Whitley, she didn’t feel a bit self-conscious about holding hands with Wyatt.
“Pull up a log.” Willow was nestled against her husband, and she patted his arm. “Babe, this is Whitley. And you know Wyatt. Whitley, this is my husband Decker.”
She nodded in greeting. “Nice to meet you.” The pair couldn’t look cuter tucked close with his hand resting lightly over the bump of his unborn child.
Whitley hadn’t experienced any of those nesting feelings in a long time. When she started dating Lance, she questioned if he was the one. But all that flew out the window the minute she saw him aim his gun at a man.
Her small shiver wasn’t from the chill in the air, but Wyatt tugged on her hand and seated her on the end of a log bench closest to the fire. Always watching out for her.
Looking at the group, she was a bit surprised that she recognized so many people. Most of the Malone family was here with their significant others and children. Three of the women were visibly pregnant, which had Whitley’s own biological clock spinning faster.
Wyatt struck up a conversation with one of the veterans, and she listened to them discuss packing horses into the mountains on hunting trips.
Soon another body joined her on the bench, and she looked over with a smile at Navy claiming the spot beside her.
Navy wiggled closer to Whitley and held up a sticky charred marshmallow. “Want a taste?”
She sent Rhae a private smile and thanked Navy for offering. “Maybe I’ll have a taste of your next marshmallow.”
“Okay.” The word was muffled around the entire thing she stuffed in her mouth.
A baby was being passed around the fire from lap to lap. His eyes were wide under the little knit hat with a pompom. When he eventually made it to Whitley’s arms, she immediately wrinkled her nose.
She tucked the baby close to her chest as she leaned close to Navy. “He pooped his pants,” she whispered.
Navy nodded with grave satisfaction. “Told you.”
Carson appeared out of the firelight a moment later and plucked the baby, CJ, out of her arms with the ease of a man who’d done this a thousand times. “Sorry about that. Give me a minute.”
He disappeared toward the main house, and when he returned several minutes later, CJ sported a tiny Carhartt onesie, absurdly miniature and the most adorable thing Whitley had seen in longer than she could remember.
She laughed with delight at the child flapping his arms, realizing he was the center of attention. From the corner of her eye, she caught Wyatt watching her instead, with a soft, unguarded expression that made it difficult to breathe.
He leaned close to her ear. “You ready to head back?” The rumble of his voice was low, meant only for her.
She met his eyes and her stomach fluttered at the intensity she saw there. “Yes.”
They said their goodnights and Navy demanded a hug before they left, which Whitley gave without hesitation.
They walked back to the lodge with less space between them than they’d kept on the way out.
When they reached the small span of hallway between their doors, he turned her to face him. The look in his eyes left no misconception about what he was asking her.
She nodded wordlessly, and he led her into his room.
The second his door closed behind them, they faced each other again. Neither spoke for a long heart-throbbing moment.
Then he brought his hand up to cup her jaw, and she melted at the feel of his callused skin. He traced his thumb along the line of her cheek and she leaned into the touch.
He searched her face. “I’ve been wanting to do this all night.”
“Then do it.” Her voice was a rasp.
He bent his head in slow increments—far too slow—and kissed her.
Really kissed her.
Not the gentle kisses on the temple he’d given her weeks ago in the infirmary. It was deeper. He slipped his other hand into her shorter hair and curled his fingers against her neck, letting out a sigh as though he’d been waiting weeks for the chance.
