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The older man grunted, attempting to sound grouchy, but Xander knew the man may be crusty on the outside but inside he had a heart of gold. Joseph reminded him a bit of his own grandfather. Neither wanted to let on that they were both big softies when it mattered.
Xander had been working on the cradle for days—cutting, gluing and sanding. He turned his attention back to rounding out a corner. Maintaining steady pressure, he worked with the grain. He wanted this cradle to be as smooth as he could make it. No mistakes or blemishes were acceptable. He wanted everything to be perfect for the baby.
Xander paused to give the piece a quick once-over. Just a bit more sanding and it would be time to secure the rockers to the bottom of the cradle. The thought of his baby sleeping in it drove him to work harder—striving for perfection. And when his phone buzzed with yet another message from the office, he put off answering it until later.
Nothing less than his best effort would do for his child. And his gut told him that it would come in handy because Lea wouldn’t want the newborn to be far from her side.
Once the cradle was fully assembled, Xander pressed down on the foot, making sure it rocked smoothly. There couldn’t be any jolts that would jar the baby from its nap.
He stifled a sigh. He was tired of referring to the baby as it. Anxiousness consumed him to know if it was going to be a boy or girl. But what should the name be? He knew Lea wouldn’t need his input, but that didn’t stop him from going through names in his head.
Basil? Hercules? Kosmos? But it could be a girl. Hmm... Calla? Nara—
“Xander?” Joseph’s voice drew Xander from his thoughts. The older man sent him a strange look. “Did you fill Miss Lea in on your plans about the cradle?”
Xander shook his head. “I decided to surprise her.”
“You think it’s a good idea?”
He had thought it was, but now he was second-guessing himself. “I take it you don’t.”
Joseph sorted through his collection of tools as though looking for something specific. “Don’t ask me. I’m single for a reason. Can’t figure out women.”
Xander turned away as a smile pulled at his lips. “That makes two of us.”
At last, Joseph grasped a tool and turned around. Xander couldn’t help but wonder if the man truly had trouble locating a specific tool or if he’d used it as an excuse to linger...and chat.
“Hey, Joseph, you’ve been on this island for a while, haven’t you?”
The man nodded. “Sure have. I was born here. Never saw any reason to leave.”
“Do you believe what they say? You know, about the magic of the island bringing hearts together for infinity?”
Joseph glanced down at the long-handled screwdriver. “Don’t have any firsthand experience, but I’ve never seen or heard of any marriage that didn’t last. And it’s been a lot of years.”
Xander guessed the man’s age was somewhere in his seventies, by the deep lines etched upon his face and his snow-white hair. But Joseph moved with the agility of someone half his age.
Joseph arched a bushy white brow. “You thinking of testing the island’s magic?”
Xander took a step back. “Me? Get married?” He shook his head vehemently. “Not going to happen.”
“Uh-huh.” The man’s eyes said that he didn’t believe him. Without another word, he turned and headed out the door.
Xander stared after him, refraining from shouting that he was never getting married. It was true. He wasn’t going to marry Lea, or anyone else, for that matter. He was not marriage material.
However, he and Lea were coexisting peacefully. In fact, they were doing better than peacefully. He looked forward to dinner these days. It was no longer a hurried take-out sandwich or Chinese in a paper box.
These meals with Lea weren’t rushed. He actually sat down and noticed what he was eating. And best of all was the beautiful company. Perhaps he shouldn’t dismiss the thought of marriage too quickly. There were possibilities.
But...if he did marry Lea, it would solve a lot of problems for both of them. And who said that marriage had to be based on love? Friendship, preferably with benefits, and the shared goal of raising their child would be a strong foundation. But was he dreaming of the impossible?
