Chapter 19 #2
“You do this all the time.” He adjusted Bella on his shoulder. The towel slipped and fell on the floor. His gaze flicked between Claire’s bed and Bella’s Pack ’n Play. “Why does Bella sleep in here?”
Claire shuddered. “I can’t bring myself to put her in Albert’s room. It’s just…”
Beneath the dim night-light, his expression softened. “It’s going to get more crowded in here, then.”
Her brow furrowed. “It’s going to? What do you mean?”
“I’m staying the night.” Though a hint of hesitation deepened his tone, he spoke casually as if testing her reaction.
Her heart skipped a beat, her cheeks heating. The room felt too small, too warm. “You’re welcome to the sofa.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Didn’t you say something about not wanting to confuse your dad about our marriage?”
She groaned and covered her face with her hand. Of course, he remembered. She had said that. But sharing her small bed? No way was she prepared for that.
Wasn’t that what you wished for on the honeymoon?
Ugh. God was answering that unintended prayer now, right?
Wade nestled Bella in place, his movements tender, then straightened. “If it’s okay, can I borrow one of my T-shirts? You know, the ones you stole?”
“Finders keepers,” she shot back.
He looked around the room and approached the closet.
She jerked her thumb to redirect him. “Over there. The dresser.” He’d eventually find something.
“Do you stuff your shirts and pants altogether?” He lifted a pair of her tights, and she crossed over to rummage through the opposite drawer and handed him a T-shirt.
“You’re very particular for someone needing help.”
“Kept any sweats of mine here?”
She yanked out the middle drawer. “This one has some of Albert’s clothes that were in the dryer when… Well, I couldn’t… put them away or get rid of them.”
“Thanks. How about a clean towel?”
“No such luck. Other than Dad’s and Bella’s princess cape, I only have one towel. It’s draped over the bedroom door. But, um, I used it this morning.”
“Cool.” He grabbed it, saluted her, and headed off to the bathroom.
She exhaled.
Later, after the house had quieted and Dad had gone to bed, Claire found herself offering Wade tea.
“Don’t tell me you drink tea before bed too?” he teased, raising a brow as he poured water into a mug.
“I bought it when you asked me to marry you.” The truth made her stomach flutter. “Just in case you stayed here.”
He microwaved his tea. “Thoughtful.”
She retreated to the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean up. The bath toys were stacked back as they’d been, the floor, sink, and mirror clean. She returned to the bedroom. He had tucked in the covers at the end of the bed.
“I’d offer you a spare blanket, but I don’t have one.” Her feet remained planted in the doorway.
“We don’t need extra blankets.” He slid under the comforter. “We could use a longer bed, though. How are my feet supposed to fit?”
“Who sleeps with the bed tucked in like that?”
“No wonder your bed is messy.”
Her jaw dropped. She shook a finger at him. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”
The mellow night-light illuminated his relaxed face and determined gaze. “Just like I won’t ask for your pillow. I didn’t bring mine, but I’ll be okay for one night.”
His quirks flashed in her mind. He’d always insisted on bringing his own pillow when he had sleepovers with Albert.
“Come on.” He patted the space beside him.
Bella’s breaths were steady, her tiny chest rising and falling. Claire let her gaze linger on the baby, the soothing sight calming her. Still, the idea of sharing a bed left her tense.
“Coming to bed?” His voice broke through her thoughts. He was propped up on one elbow, his tousled hair calling for her to touch it. That crooked grin of his… What was he doing here staying the night in her house? Her heart skipped. How could he look so comfortable when this was anything but?
“We’re adults, Claire.” The corners of his lips curved. “Nothing’s going to happen.”
“Obviously.” She forced herself to sound indifferent, even as her pulse quickened.
He used her name, which meant he was serious.
This proximity didn’t faze him. Meanwhile, every inch of her was keenly aware of him, of his movements, his steady breathing.
She tugged at her sweater, grateful she’d decided to stay in sweats and layers—anything to create an emotional barrier.
“I don’t want to make you sick.” She slid into the covers, staying as close to the edge as possible.
“I can’t sleep with all the blankets tucked in like this. ”
“Excuses… excuses.” His playful tone didn’t falter as he tugged out the blankets from the edges. “Anything to make my wife happy. And no need to fall off the bed. I won’t bite.”
With her back to him, she rolled enough that she wouldn’t fall off. The mattress creaked under his movements, and she stilled. Where had his boldness come from? Even though they weren’t touching, his presence dominated the space.
They lay in silence, Bella’s soft breaths mingling with his steady breathing. Claire stared at the opposite wall, mentally tracing the faint patterns of her framed verse and another of Mom’s lantern painting.
“I guess we had our first fight as a couple today.” Wade’s words fanned a moist breath over her neck.
“First argument ever.” As adults.
His laugh made her body tingle with goose bumps. “I thought the bakery incident was… an argument of some sort.”
“Sorry about that.” A reluctant smile twitched free. “I was tired. Scared. I don’t even remember half of what our argument was about.”
“All’s forgiven.”
“What made you come back home tonight?”
“My mom.” He fell quiet, but she had all night to let him respond. “She said I couldn’t sleep in my childhood bed while my wife was here. Said it was easier for us to work out our differences under the same roof.”
Claire smiled into her pillow. “Sounds like a real counselor.”
“Eric said the same thing, actually. He thinks arguments should bring couples closer, not push them apart.”
She rolled to her back—and regretted it. Who knew they were so close to each other? His eyes were open, but did his expression match his response? “And what do you think?”
“I’m glad I came back.” He tucked tendrils of her hair behind her ear. His touch lingered, his palm further heating her skin. “I need to make things right with you.”
Her breath caught as his fingers slid to her cheek. His thumb glided along her skin. “Cupcake, you’re burning up.”
If she was, it wasn’t from a fever—it was his closeness and the way his touch sent shivers down her spine. She waved him off. “I’m fine.”
“Are you? You’re shivering.”
“Maybe because you’re crowding me.” She pushed against his arm.
“I’m not crowding you.” He didn’t budge. “Tell me about the court hearing. All I really know is we still have Bella.”
“I’m sure Sophia told you the judge rescheduled. Before you leave, we’ll add the next hearing to your calendar. Maybe you’ll fly in earlier to avoid any mishaps.”
“As long as I’m living, the Weavers won’t take Bella away.” His jaw jutted out. His conviction tugged at something deep inside her. “I believe in family. It’d be great if Bella could have her grandparents in her life but only if they stop turning her into a custody battle.”
Claire nodded. “I think it’d be nice too.” She then told him their reaction. “It seemed they want either full custody or no Bella.”
Arms crossed behind his head, Wade rested back against the headboard, adjusting himself without taking the pillow she offered.
“I might get scared of commitments, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do whatever it takes to make sure Bella is loved and cared for.
I know the difference good parents make.
Kyle and Regina—their faith, love, and hard work shaped me into the man I am.
I don’t always live up to how they raised me.
But God convicts me, and I find my way back on track. ”
She turned onto her side, facing him.
“My birth mom was a teenager hooked on drugs.” He swallowed hard, his voice distant. “She handed me over the moment I was born. That was probably her way of protecting me. But I wasn’t spared the fallout. Her extended family tried to raise me, but…”
She reached for his shoulder. “What happened to your mom?”
“She overdosed when I was still in her sister’s care.
My aunt gave me up for adoption after that.
” He spoke so quietly, almost detached. “I barely remember any of them, but I remember the events I try so hard to forget. By the time I was seven, a nice family almost took me in. But the husband didn’t want more kids. ”
Claire’s heart broke as he shared the pain of rejection and the coping mechanisms he’d developed—like his love for movies, which became an escape during those dark days.
“The last family…” He shuddered, sucking in a breath. “I’m just glad that Regina and Kyle took me in when they did.”
What had happened to him with that last family? His reaction to Bella’s fall in the bathtub earlier… Had Wade almost drowned? He’d always been a good swimmer. She admired his resilience, and the distance between them seemed to shrink, not just physically but emotionally.
She squeezed his hand before letting hers rest between them. “I’m glad you came back.”
“So am I.”
They continued whispering in the dim room, intimate but oddly normal. He shared snippets of his childhood, stories that made her laugh, and in return, he asked about her life—what he’d missed since her high school graduation and the years they’d been apart.
“I got wiser. I never left my drinks unattended again or followed the wrong crowd to a gas station at night.”
He laughed, his teeth white in the dim light.
How natural it felt to lie there talking as old friends. Couples did talk, and they didn’t have to be intimate all the time. Like Wade said, they were adults.
Then Bella stirred, her whimpers escalating into cries.
Claire glanced at the nightstand clock. Midnight.
“I’ll rock her,” he said.