Chapter 5
Five
Aaric
Hannah has been asleep for six hours. I’m not surprised. She needs rest. I check on her every half hour or so. Every time, I find her breathing deeply.
I need to wake her up, though. She needs to eat and drink more. She’ll be dehydrated if she doesn’t.
I’m grateful for my brothers. They have really come through for me today.
Adrian returned with a truckload of supplies.
He went above and beyond. He didn’t just pull up to the stores and collect what I ordered.
He went inside and found more things. The living room is filled with boxes.
It looks like Christmas morning, minus the wrapping paper.
Hannah is going to throw a fit when she finds out what I’ve bought. She’s so humble that she doesn’t think she needs anything. But she’s going to have a baby any day. How does she think she’s going to care for it? She needs supplies.
I’ve also contacted a midwife in town. I’m not sure where Hannah was planning to have her baby, but if it happens fast, there might not be time to make it to the city. I want to be prepared for the eventuality that she either labors quickly or refuses to let me take her to the hospital.
It’s ridiculous how attached I am to her. I’m enamored. It happened so fast. The only person who understands and finds it hilarious is Adam. This is exactly what happened to him two months ago. He married Rebekah on the same day Asher found her sneaking around the property.
The. Same. Day.
I hate what Hannah has been through, but I’m eternally grateful that the father of her child is not in the picture. I’m not sure what I would do if she was in love with him or even afraid of him coming after her.
I’m still not sure what the situation is with Presley. That part confounds me. Why did she run away from him? Did he not approve of the baby? It’s his own grandchild. Surely, he knows that.
I have concerns. Dozens of them. But I’m also falling for the precious human being who’s been sleeping in my bed all afternoon. I don’t care that it’s not rational. It just happened. She’s a ray of sunshine. I feel like she was sent to give my life purpose.
My world is about to have meaning. That’s for sure. Any day now, this boring, quiet cabin is going to be filled with the sounds of a baby crying, cooing, and ten other sounds that babies make.
I’ve never thought much about kids. Sure, I assumed I would have them someday. I’ve always hoped the perfect woman would appear in my life, and I would be so enamored that I would want to have ten kids with her.
Perhaps that’s exactly what happened. The perfect woman showed up today. And she’s already nine months pregnant. A bit unconventional, but who cares? No one is going to judge me. Certainly not Adam or any of our brothers.
It’s a bit comical that the two of us would be among the first to fall for a woman. After all, we’re the youngest. Identical twins, twenty-eight years old, and the babies of the family. Asher has also met his soul mate. He’s thirty-two, but Adrian, Aaron, and Andrew are still single.
I need to rein in my thoughts. There’s no guarantee Hannah will even be interested in me romantically. I can’t be sure she even likes me. She’s so overwhelmed right now, it would be selfish to presume anything or suggest it.
I need to let her get through the next few weeks, help her through the birth, get her settled into a routine, and slowly woo her. If I’m lucky, she’ll let me take care of her and eventually see me as a romantic partner.
Fuck, but I’d love to fast forward to the day in the future where she looks up and smiles at me with love in her eyes. I’m a dreamer, apparently.
“Aaric?”
At the sound of her voice, I rush into the bedroom and over to her side. She’s pushing to sitting, looking around the room, dazed.
It’s dark out, but I put a nightlight on the wall so she wouldn’t wake up scared.
“Hey, sunshine…”
She winces. “I need to pee so badly I’m not sure I’m going to make it to the bathroom.”
“Right. Of course.” I quickly pull the covers back, tuck one hand under her knees, and settle the other between her shoulder blades. “Hold on.”
She gasps as I rush into the bathroom.
“Can you stand?” I ask, lowering her to her feet.
“I think so.” She’s trembling as she holds on to me. “Shit…” she mutters. A moment later, she jerks her gaze up, her face red. “Sorry.”
I chuckle. “For what? Cussing? Honey, you’ve earned the right to shout bad words. I’m certain a lot more of them will come out of your mouth when you’re in labor. You should probably practice doing so. Can you stand on your own? Or do you want me to help you?”
“I can do it. I think.”
I slowly back up, keeping an eye on her. “I’ll be right outside.”
After rushing the rest of the way out of the bathroom, I pull the door almost closed and wait impatiently with my hands on my hips. I’m worried she might fall. She’s still weak and groggy. Plus, she’s definitely off balance.
Eventually, the door opens, and she stands there looking so sleepy and perfect. Her hair is a tousled mess from lying on it while it was damp. It’s gorgeous just the way it is.
My shirt is big on her, even with her huge belly. Her breasts are spectacular, all full. The nipples are pressing against the front of the shirt.
And I should not be paying attention to her tits.
I lick my lips. “Hungry?”
“Starving.” She brushes her hair back. “Do you, by chance, have anything I could use to put my stupid hair up? A rubber band or some kind of tie?”
I grin. “Yes. Your sister brought a few things. I stuck them in a drawer in the bathroom.” I take her hand and lead her toward the sink, where I pull out the vanity chair. “Sit. May I brush it out for you?”
She lowers awkwardly to the seat, staring at me with narrowed eyes in the mirror’s reflection. “You don’t mind? It’s a pain in the butt.”
“I love your hair. It’s the prettiest color I’ve ever seen.” I grab my brush and start at the bottom. It’s going to take a few minutes. It’s very long.
“I hate it. If you have any scissors, please cut it off.”
I hesitate. “Are you serious?”
She rolls her eyes. “Have you ever had to deal with anything like this in your life? No. I mean, I’m assuming you didn’t grow out four feet of hair and then cut it off since I last saw you.”
I chuckle. “Nope. I have not.”
“Well, it’s a pain. It’s been ten times more annoying in the last few months since I’ve been too exhausted to hold my arms up long enough to do anything with it. It’s a chore just to braid it.”
“If you’re not happy with it, why haven’t you cut it off?”
She stares at me in the mirror again. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
I frown. “Yes. I’m confused.”
“My entire life, I’ve been told I may not cut my hair. First, my father, then Presley. They both forbade it. I’m in your home one day, and you act like…” She stops talking.
I lift a brow. “Like you should make your own decisions and not listen to what anyone else thinks?”
She sighs. “Yes.”
“Hannah, I’ll be honest with you. You’re a breath of fresh air.
I’m tripping over myself, hoping I might be able to impress you.
I don’t mean to put any pressure on you, of course.
You’re dealing with a hell of a lot right now.
But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m hoping somewhere along the line you decide to give me a chance to be the sort of man you deserve in life. ”
I can’t believe I’m saying all of this. I didn’t intend to. It just sort of happened.
She’s obviously stunned, too. Her eyes are huge, her mouth open, and no sound is coming out of her.
I rush to continue, “That being said, I want you to know that I will never tell you what you can and can’t do.
You are a grown adult, free to make your own decisions in life.
If you want guidance, I’ll be happy to help, but if you want to cut your hair off, I’ll get you an appointment with a stylist in town tomorrow.
If you want to get a tattoo, I’ll drive you to the shop and hold your hand.
If you want to go sky diving, I’ll…wait on the ground because I’m not jumping out of any planes.
” I tack on that last part, laughing. It’s true, but I think this speech needed a bit of levity.
She doesn’t so much as blink for a long time. Still staring at me while I resume brushing through her hair.
“Would you like a braid down the back, honey?” I ask softly.
She gives me a slow nod. There are tears in her eyes, and she discreetly reaches up to wipe them away. Hopefully, I’ve touched something in her that endears me to her.
I quickly braid the gorgeous blond locks down her back and secure the end with a hair tie. “There. How’d I do?”
She smiles. “Perfect.”
“Let’s get some food in you. Andrew made some stew earlier and brought a pot of it over. It’s been cooking all day.”
Her stomach grumbles. “It smells heavenly. I noticed it before I went to sleep.”
I round to face her and take both her hands to help her get to her feet. I’ve noticed she’s struggling. She’s in a weakened state, and I’m sure she’s totally off balance. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to carry a human inside your body. So weird.
Holding one of her hands, I lead her to the kitchen and pull a chair out for her. I bring the pot to the table and open the lid.
Hannah closes her eyes, inhales deeply, and moans. “That smells divine. And do I also smell fresh bread?”
“Yep.” I return to the counter to grab the cutting board.
She leans over the pot, and then her attention shifts to me. “That’s a lot of food.”
I shrug. “My brothers and I take turns cooking for the entire family most nights. We only know how to go big. You and I will have leftovers tomorrow.”
“And for the next month,” she jokes.
“Ha. Have you seen me eat?” I ladle some into a bowl and set it in front of her. Then I cut a thick slice of bread and pass her the butter.