Chapter Twenty-Seven
Adam
“Any problems last night?” Brian asked as he adjusted the ladder against the back of the bakery’s building.
“No. Things were quiet.”
He looked over at me with a grin. “Did you end up sleeping in her bed?”
“What? No, I told you, I wouldn’t let her take the air mattress.”
“So, you slept on it?”
Fuck.
I hated lying. Partly because it went against every moral fiber in my body, and partly because I was really, really bad at it.
I decided to try to skirt answering directly.
“Well, I slept in the glider chair in the nursery part of the night.”
He turned around to look at me.
“Why?”
“I took over burping Conor after he ate, so Lainey could go back to bed. But I ended up falling asleep with the little guy on my chest. I guess he must like me because he slept through his next feeding time.”
“That happened the first night you stayed, too, didn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
Brian pulled the camera from the box.
“You’re right—it sounds like Conor feels comfortable with you. That’s good. Plus, it means you were able to help Lainey. She needs a break every now and then.”
“I agree.”
“Hopefully Conor takes a bottle easily, and she can let the O’Briens babysit. That way she can take some time for herself. Maybe she could even go on a date.”
I felt my spine stiffen at the idea of her going out with anyone but me.
“A date? With who? She said no one in town would go out with her; people would consider it bad taste to date Shawn’s girlfriend.”
He tucked a drill in his toolbelt, then the camera under his arm, and paused with his foot on the first rung of the ladder.
“She’s probably right. I guess she’ll just have to date someone from out of town.”
Without another word, he climbed to the top to install the camera, leaving me on the ground to mull over what he’d said.
Who would she date? Was he talking about me?
He couldn’t possibly be talking about me.
Could he?
I wasn’t so sure when he came down and, after handing me the directions on how to link the camera to the app, declared, “I think you should stay with her until we catch whoever sent that letter.”
I nodded toward the camera he’d put up. “Isn’t that the whole point of installing that?”
“That camera’s a lot like a restraining order. Worthless if someone’s really determined to cause her harm. I don’t want to take that chance; do you?”
Gee, continue staying with Lainey—with Brian’s blessing? Twist my arm.
Still, I didn’t want to come off too eager.
“Maybe she’ll agree to stay at your place.”
“Maybe. But I doubt it. It’s easier for her to be here, close to the bakery.”
“Yeah, that’s true…”
Aw, darn. We’ll have to stay here together.
He retracted the ladder’s extension, then walked it to his truck and set it in the bed.
“Anyway, talk to her about it. I gotta get to work. I’ll text you later for the verdict.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Oh, hey,” Brian paused before getting in the Silverado’s driver’s seat. “Don’t forget to schedule your follow-up appointment with Brady.”
“In a hurry to get me on the job?” I asked with a grin.
“Uh, yeah. I’d like a fucking day off, man.”
****
Lainey
I’d put Conor in his crib and had finished cleaning the kitchen when Adam came back upstairs.
“The camera’s installed. You need to connect the feed to your phone. But Brian still wants me to stay here until they catch your letter writer.”
“Really?”
I mean, I didn’t hate the idea if it meant more of what we did last night.
“Well, either that, or you and the baby temporarily move into Brian’s place.”
“I think you know my answer to that.”
He took a tentative step closer and put his hand on my waist.
“But you’re okay with me staying here?”
“Are you?”
“Hell, yes!”
I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. Then he dialed it back, “I mean, I want to make sure you and Conor are safe.”
Yeah, I wasn’t letting him get away with that bullshit.
I reached down to stroke his cock over his jeans, while murmuring, “Yes, of course. Keep us safe.”
He lowered his head and stared at my mouth.
“I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
I wrapped my other hand around his neck. “I think you should take care of me right now.”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I aim to please, princess,” then his lips captured mine.