Accidental Surrogate

Home with Baby Ella

I hear Sinclair sigh heavily next to me, murmuring “Ella…”

But I ignore him, my eyes fasted on Hank, who blushes a deep red at the door and looks down at his shoes. I don’t say a word, though, or make this any easier on him. Instead, I wait patiently for an answer.

“Cora is,” he murmurs, awkward, “very special to me…

“I would imagine so,” I reply, my voice harder than I think I expected it to be. “She’s a very special person.”

Hank sighs and raises his eyes seriously to mine. I hold his gaze steadily.

“I’m very serious about Cora,” he says evenly. “I want to build a life with her. But we are moving…slowly. We both want to make sure that this is right.”

My heart warms when I hear him say that he wants to build a life with her, but still – what does that mean? I hold my baby closer to me and shift in my seat.

“And do you want to have childre-”

“Ella!” Sinclair bursts in, his voice angry, a hand on my arm.

“What!” I cry, turning to him with a frown. “It’s a legitimate question!”

“It’s none of your business!” He hisses back to me, his eyes wide and appalled.

–

my sister’s business is

My frown deepens as I open my mouth to object to my mate business, after all – but Hank clears his throat, bringing my attention back to him.

else,” he says, his eyes

questioning is at an end. I

Sinclair know he’s free from

as Hank leaves the room, my eyes on

slowly, admonishing. I look

not with Roger because she thinks he wants children they can’t have. If Hank also isn’t on the same page with

in surprise as he processes this information. “And

let me get

know…” He brings his eyes back to me, though. “Either way, that’s a conversation between Cora and Roger. Or Cora and

murmur, settling back onto the pillows. “If they’re all too stupid enough to not talk to each other about it, then I am going to talk

trouble does,” Sinclair sighs, leaning back on the chair.

my baby. Then, I kiss him on his little head. “Don’t worry, baby,” I whisper to him. “I’ll teach you my troublesome

little laugh in his chair, but doesn’t bother to counter me. He knows it would be a waste of breath.

But Cora finally gave us the go–ahead when

and flowers waiting for us. “Oh,” I say, fascinated, moving forward to look

his eyebrows also raised in interest as he checks some tags on a few of them. “ They look to be presents from friends and well–wishers. See?” He points to one filled with hand–drawn cards set neatly around a fluffy

overwhelmed by all the love in the

“We’re way too tired for

at it as Sinclair guides me up the stairs, a steady hand on my

be there in the morning,” Sinclair says, steady, yawning. “Now?

reach the door to our bedroom, though, my eyes fill

between his fingers, exhausted but wanting to be there for me. “What is

say, my voice trembling a little, looking between him and the baby. “Just…we’re bringing him home for the first time, Dominic. Putting him to sleep in his own little

confirms this. I know, he says, simply. And so I rest my body against him – against the warm, steady bulk of him, grateful – again – to have a mate who understands me so completely. Who doesn’t think I’m crazy or

me. And that every moment of it – even one as simple as