Protecting His Cameron Baby by Beth Cornelison
Author:Beth Cornelison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-04-26T12:26:53+00:00
* * *
Isla lost no time getting to the doughnut bakery in town. The sooner she said her piece, laying out her terms of visitation with the baby, refusing any financial lures, providing Evan a guilt-free out should he choose it, the sooner she could be done with the unpleasant task and focus her energy on the baby. On savoring the pregnancy. On feeding the growing life in her a steady diet of love and music and peacefulness. The flood of stress hormones currently keeping her on edge had to be bad for the fetus.
She stood on the sidewalk outside the bakery, surrounded by the scent of vanilla and yeast that hung in the air, even outside the shop, and her heart raced as if on a sugar high. She put a hand on her belly and rubbed with small, soothing circles. âItâs going to be okay, sweetie. Iâve got this.â
But was she saying so for the babyâs benefit or her own?
She spied Evan at the counter immediately, her eye drawn to his tall, masculine form like a homing beacon. He either heard her come in or sensed her presence, because he turned and met her gaze within a couple seconds of her arrival. A bright grin lit his face, and she had to fight back the instinctive leap of joy in her core, the answering smile that quivered on her lips and the painful tug of yearning in her heart.
His dark hair was wind rumpled, and his cheeks had a glow that hinted heâd been in the sun recently. Damn his handsome hide! Did he have to be so alluring? His smile so charming? His dimple so endearing?
Would her baby inherit his dimple? She hoped so. Or not. Seeing that captivating reminder of the babyâs father every time she saw her childâs face would be agony.
She tore her gaze from his and jerked her head toward an empty table, showing him where sheâd be waiting. He gave a nod of understanding, then faced the older man behind the counter again.
At the table, Isla closed her eyes and took a few slow, centering breaths.
Calm. Still. Quiet, she told her spirit.
Ha! her jangling thoughts replied.
The table jostled beneath her hands, and she opened her eyes to find Evan sliding an insulated cup toward herâand a greenish bruise darkening his right eye.
âWhat happened to you?â she asked, pointing toward his eye.
He shrugged it off as if unimportant. âIâm fine.â Nodding toward the drink heâd put in front of her he asked, âChai with a splash of oat milk, right?â
She glanced at the cup and squashed the sentimental twinge over his remembering her hot drink of choice. She started to reach for the tea but stopped herself. âI... No. Chai has caffeine.â
âWell, yeah. I guess. But I thought you saidââ
âI did. But...â She waved away her plan to explain. Better to get to the root of the matter instead of performing a word ballet. She pushed the tea aside and folded her hands on the tabletop.
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