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

an end. I

he says with finality, letting Sinclair know he’s free from my interrogation. “We’ll look forward to seeing

the room,

admonishing. I look into his

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

eyes go up in surprise as he processes this information. “And what’s Cora’s page about kids?” he asks. “Does she

Roger?” I ask, still bristling that he didn’t let me get information

brings his eyes back to me, though. “Either way, that’s a conversation between Cora and

they’re all too stupid enough to not

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

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

doesn’t bother to

has fallen by the time we finally get home, all three of us exhausted by the activities of the day. But Cora finally gave us the go–ahead when Rafe’s final set of tests came back clean and we

home, I gasp a little when I see the variety of gift baskets and flowers waiting for us. “Oh,” I say, fascinated, moving forward to look at them all. Then I look

he says, 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 teddy bear.

bite my lip against the sudden rush of feelings, overwhelmed by all the love in the room when I’ve

I towards the stairs. “We’re way too tired for

teddy bear!” I cry, looking over my shoulder at it as Sinclair guides me up the stairs, a steady hand on my back. “Rafe’s

in the morning,” Sinclair says, steady, yawning.

be shepherded upstairs. When we reach the door to our bedroom, though, my eyes fill

chin between his fingers, exhausted but wanting to be

between him and the baby. “Just…we’re bringing him home for the first time, Dominic. Putting him to sleep in his own little bed. It’s just…” I shrug, not really

as much as mind as he 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

understands, really, that this is all a dream to me. And that every moment of it – even one as