Chapter 25
Lainey stepped off the bus and froze. Amelia loved the look on both of their faces as Lainey realized Avery was home. At first, it was shock, then happiness, and by the time Avery scooped her up into his arms, she was crying.
Amelia understood. The emotions of having Avery home were overwhelming.
Heck, she’d been so emotional she’d had sex with him.
She’d honestly thought it would be months before she could have sex again, but seeing Avery changed everything.
She’d known from the second he stepped in the front door she needed to have him.
All the messed up shit from being abducted hadn’t meant anything. Only Avery mattered.
Avery was so sweet with Lainey. Instead of shaming her for crying, he told her he understood her emotions and was excited to see her, too.
She loved the way he was with Lainey. Her daughter clung to Avery, acting like she wasn’t going to let go any time soon.
“Do you want me to make pancakes?” Amelia asked.
“Yes!” Lainey cheered.
She started gathering everything to make pancakes as Avery listened to Lainey talk about school and her new friends. He didn’t seem annoyed at all, and she appreciated how good he was with her.
Once the pancakes were made, they sat around the table eating the fluffy pancakes, Avery telling Lainey how good they were.
She liked how they were bonding over food.
It was very endearing how attentive Avery was.
She hadn’t really dated after Lainey had been born, but she’d watched men with their families and saw a few who were this good with their kids.
His actions and attitude made her care about him even more.
Lainey didn't allow Avery out of her sight except for bathroom time.
They played together until it was bedtime.
She let Lainey skip her bath, and Avery read to her.
At bedtime, she didn't want Avery to leave her side.
There were a few tears, but Lainey calmed fairly quickly, and her exhaustion won, dropping her into sleep.
When they left the bedroom, Avery stayed in the doorway, watching Lainey for a few minutes. She put her hand on his shoulder, and he turned to face her. After a second, he pulled the door closed quietly then pulled her to him, brushing his lips over hers.
“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear.
“For what?” she asked.
“Lainey, you, this, our relationship.”
She cupped his cheek as emotions clogged her throat. “I’m glad we’re here.”
The kiss he delivered made her knees weak. She wondered if he wanted to have sex again, but he stepped back and indicated she should follow him downstairs.
Once in the kitchen, he fixed himself a sandwich and asked her if she wanted anything.
“No, thank you. I'm still full from the pancakes.”
“Those were great.”
“Thank you. I think I do a decent job of making pancakes.”
“You do.”
“Lainey was very happy to have you home.”
“I’m glad she’s a part of my life now.”
“So you’re not mad that I didn’t track you down?”
He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed for a moment before answering. “No. I could have tracked you down, but I didn't. I knew we had sex and that the condom broke. I should have followed up. The responsibility shouldn't lie on your shoulders alone. I'm glad I get to know her now.”
“I am, too.” A shiver snaked through her, and Apple stepped closer.
“You okay?”
She nodded, unsure how to voice exactly what she felt. “I really thought I would never see Lainey again. That bugged me more than anything those jerks did.”
His arms came around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry you went through that.”
She let go of a heavy sigh and snuggled closer. “I don't know what I would have done. I probably would have threatened someone and made it worse.”
“I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”
Apple stroked her hair, worry filling him. He hated what had happened to her. Being angry about it wouldn’t help her get past the problems. He blew out a breath and kissed the top of her head, hoping his neutral reaction would help her stay calm.
“I never should have had a job like that.”
“The job wasn’t the problem.”
“I don’t know how to forgive myself for working there.”
“One day at a time. You can't force yourself to accept something that happened without doing a hard mental load of working through it.
I admit it's easier to pretend to be tough about the guys we lose every year.
I could macho out and say some tough bullshit about how we're going to take them down.
But that doesn't help me work on my actions and emotions. You have to do the hard work of learning to accept bad things that happen.”
“I guess that’s something I’ll talk about in therapy next week.”
He pulled her close for a kiss. Just having her close was good. He couldn’t believe they’d missed so much time together. But now they could make this right. He could be the man Amelia needed. “Do you think Lainey would be afraid if she woke up in her bed alone?”
Amelia pulled back and stared into his eyes. “Are you asking me to sleep with you?”
He didn’t look away as he nodded. “I want you in my bed. We don’t have to have sex again, but I want to sleep in the same bed as you. I want to wake up with you beside me.”
“She might come looking for me. We shared a room when we lived with Dena. It might take her some getting used to.”
He nodded. “That sounds reasonable. I get that it might take her time to get used to the new situation.”
Excitement slid through Apple as he checked the door locks, making sure everything was secure before they headed to bed. Tonight, he would hold Amelia in his arms. He wouldn't push for more sex. Having her close would be enough. He wanted her to heal more than he needed to feel her body.