Page 105 of Denim & Diamonds

“That’s…a thing? Why not just feed it formula?”

Nina smiled sadly. “Breastmilk is rich in antibodies that can help protect a baby from infection.” She reached into her purse and pulled outWhat to Expect When You’re Expecting. There were dozens of colorful tabs sticking out from the side. “I also marked some pages I thought you might want to read. The section about wet nurses is one of them.”

I started to feel dizzy, but powered through as best I could. Mostly I seemed to repeat things Nina said, and I was mentally kicking myself in the ass for not bringing a notebook and pen to write shit down. At least I didn’t have to do much talking. Nina yapped all through lunch and then through the tiramisu she ordered, too. By the time the waiter came over with the check, I felt desperate to go outside and get some fresh air. I started to get up, but Nina put both hands on her stomach.

“He’s awake.”

“Awake?”

She nodded. “Apparently the baby’s size isn’t the only thing he got from his father. He’s a very active little boy. I’m surprised he stopped rolling around and kicking while I ate lunch.” Nina looked down and rubbed her belly before looking up. “Would you like to feel him?”

The thought scared the shit out of me, yet I found myself nodding. Nina took my hand and positioned iton the lower left side of her swollen belly. A few seconds later, I felt a flutter, followed by a very distinct tap. Then another and another. It almost felt like the little guy was knocking from the inside, asking if he could come out. It was the most surreal moment of my life.

“That’s him?”

Nina smiled and nodded.

My eyes filled with tears. I was terrified and confused and a million other emotions, but in that moment, something ignited within me.That’s my baby boy.

CHAPTER 26

February

My phone chimed in the middle of a meeting at work. I looked down to find a text.

Brock: There are way too many nipples to choose from.

My mouth went agape.What?

February: I thought men liked nipples.

Brock: The kind that go on bottles, Red. How am I supposed to choose? There are too many different kinds.

February: Ah. You’re baby shopping. All alone?

Brock: Yep.

February: Someone send help! LOL

Brock: You’re not kidding. I wrote out a list of stuff I needed. But I’m not clear on which brands are best. This shit is confusing as hell.

I grinned as I imagined big Brock standing clueless in the baby aisle. Some hungry woman would spot himand offer to rescue him any minute now. I figured I’d beat her to the punch.

February: Do you want me to FaceTime you? We can shop together.

Brock: I’d never refuse a chance to see your face. That would be awesome. But aren’t you in the middle of your workday?

February: One of the perks of being the boss is that I can take a break whenever the hell I want to. I’ll call you in a few.

After telling my coworkers I had an important phone call—technically the truth—I excused myself from the meeting and headed to my office, closing the door behind me.

While Brock and I hadn’t made any formal declarations about the status of our relationship, we’d talked each day since I’d come home from Meadowbrook three days ago, and I lived for these little surprise moments of contact. Even if our future was unclear, I still wanted to be there to support him in any way I could from afar. Since neither of us knew how we were going to feel once his son arrived, it seemed best to just take it day by day for now.

I placed the call, and when his handsome face popped up on the screen, the butterflies in my stomach came alive.

“Hey, Brock.”

“Hey, beautiful. How are you?”