Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 482 – New Baby Cousin

Ella

I see a yawn stretch over Cora’s face and immediately start to get to my feet. “You’re exhausted,” I say, “we’ll let you get some rest – ”

“No,” Roger says, suddenly a little frantic again. “You guy can’t leave what if – what if the baby cries and Cora sleeps through it – I have no idea what to do ”

I laugh at my brother-in-law and shake my head at him. “We’re not going far, Roger,” I say, pressing myself to Sinclair’s side as he, too, stands up. “We’re going to sleep across the hall after we make sure Henry gets home safe. You’ll be able to shout if you need anything.”

“Oh, thank god,” Roger murmurs, slumping back against the pillows and putting a weary hand over his face.

“So dramatic,” Cora says, rolling her eyes but laughing anyway. I grin at my sister and then move to her side, pressing a kiss to her cheek and blowing one to the sleeping Jesse, my new perfect nephew.

“You guys sleep tight, all right?” I say. “And really – we’re here if you need us. Or even if you want us to take the baby in the rolling bassinet – he can sleep in our room – ”

“We’ll be fine, Ella,” Cora says, rolling her eyes at me now.

“They do this all the time in hospitals, take the baby to the nursery so the mom can get some sleep! I could

“Stop trying to steal my baby,” she laughs, flapping a hand at me, “just because you miss having a newborn.”

“I do,” I sigh, again clutching my hands beneath my chin. “They’re so cute and tiny then…”

“Come and take your meatball, Ella,” Sinclair says on a laugh, holding out my perfect little Rafe to me. And I laugh too, taking Rafe in my arms and holding him tight against my chest.

“You’re perfect too, Rafe,” I say, kissing his head, “no matter how big you get.”

goodnights over our shoulder and close the door behind us as we pass out of the room, letting my sister and her mate have

we’re alone in the hall, I fall back against the

Sinclair says, stopping and grinning at

excited,” I say, smiling up at him. “I get to do that again in what, six months!? I love the newborn stage! I love the first night, when you can’t sleep because you can’t bear to close your eyes and stop looking at them! I’m so excited. I’m not going to be able

really were born to be a mom, trouble,” my sweetheart mate says, stepping forward and running his hand over my hair. I grin up at him, nodding fervently. “Luckily,” he says, raising an eyebrow at me. “I do not at all

him a little and covering one of Rafe’s ear with my spare

says, laughing at me as I start down the hall. “We have sex in

that’s natural,” I say, laughing and throwing a haughty look at my mate over my shoulder, pretending to be more bothered than I am as I open the

room and pulling me to him, a little more roughly than he needs to, just the way

mind your manners,” I murmur, my voice low and throaty. ” Because we have competition now for best Sinclair parents. And I

chance,” my mate says, laughing his dark little laugh. “We’ve

my mate kisses me swiftly

the baby ready for bed, I’ll make sure dad gets home?” He asks, heading

giving him a quick thumbs up and a wink. Sinclair nods to me, smiling, and heads out the door, leaving me in the dark

as I swing the baby up over my head, making him give a a new cousin

carry him over to

as I change his diaper and start to put his pajamas on. “But if you like your new cousin more than your new little sister, just because you have some weird kind of bond?” I look at him

as I pull up

say, smiling as I pull him up into my arms. “And I’m

room about half an hour later, Rafe and I are cozily settled on the bed, each of us warmly wrapped up as he plays with some of his soft blocks and I lay quietly by his side, talking

he says, starting to pull off his

I say, sitting up a little.

he can be with his little family sooner. I smile when I see his eagerness, knowing he feels precisely the way that I feel: that this is our happy place, when we’re all cozy together with no great pressures or

you sleepy?”