Page 23 of Saving Soul

Liam smiled as he closed his eyes. “I believe so, too.”

6

Grayson, Josie, and baby Harrison arrived late Friday afternoon and I was immediately struck by how similar Grayson was to his brother. They were both textbook attractive with their muscular builds and chiseled jawlines, but Grayson’s dark hair was a complete contrast to Adam’s blond locks, and his eyes were an undefined hazel-green as opposed to Adam’s crystal blues. I imagined their main differences laid within their personalities.

From what my sister had told me, Grayson was a sweetheart, totally smitten with his wife and now a doting dad. He cared about the people in his life and moved away from the family business to follow his heart. She never mentioned his brother.

Josie, Amy’s best friend, was just as striking and completely different to what I had envisaged. I expected her to be a snooty rich girl, but she surprised me with her down-to-earth, quirky sense of humor with a refreshing Australian accent. I quickly understood why Liam thought we’d get along. We were outsiders—or at least, Josie used to be.

Although Liam wanted me to stay and chat with his family, I remembered Caroline’s instructions and returned to my room to give them privacy.

While they caught up, I lay on my bed and continued reading the steamy romance novel that had been keeping my libido in check all week. But when pacing footsteps and the unforgettable sounds of a grizzly baby sounded from the hall, I slipped in my bookmark and placed the book back on the nightstand.

When the crying increased, I opened my door and peeked out to find Josie rocking her son.

Her tired eyes lifted to mine. “I’m so sorry for disturbing you.” She tapped Harrison’s back as she swayed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him today.”

“It’s perfectly okay.” I offered her a warm smile, remembering those early days. “Would you like me to try and settle him?”

“I’ll try anything right now. He really needs to go to sleep.”

“He may be picking up on your stress.” I reached out as Josie placed the baby into my arms. “This must be a very overwhelming time for you both.”

She glanced back toward Liam’s room. “Yeah…it is.”

“Why don’t you go and sit with him, and I’ll stay out here with Harrison.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think babysitting is in your job description.”

“But caring for Liam’s family is. You go. I’ll be here with a sleeping baby when you get back.”

Josie’s eyes welled. “Thank you so much, Cassidy.”

Within minutes of Josie returning to Liam’s room, Harrison had fallen asleep in my arms. He was a beautiful baby with dark-brown hair, long lashes, ten tiny fingers and toes, and the cutest little dimple in his cheek. How I longed for those days again, when everything was simple and the biggest decisions I had were working out if Finn needed sleep, food, or a diaper change. Now, I had a whole slew of worries. How quickly things can change.

“You’re so natural with him,” Josie whispered, breaking me out of my baby daze.

I smiled down at his sweet little face. “What can I say, babies love me.”

“If that’s the case, I love you, too. Maybe even more than Grayson at this point.”

I laughed. “Don’t worry. It gets easier…” I cleared my throat. “So I hear…”

Josie’s hand grazed my forearm. “Cassidy…it’s okay, I know about Finn.”

My eyes widened in fear.

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything,” she quickly added. “Amy has already sworn me to secrecy. Not even Grayson knows.”

My stomach knotted. “Do you think I’m a terrible mother?”

“The opposite, actually. You’ve been dealt a terrible hand, and you’re trying your best to move on with your life. I know all about that.”

I breathed a shaky sigh. “I miss my boy so much, and it’s only been two weeks.”

“Of course you do.” She rubbed my arm. “He’s your world.”

I held back tears and smiled. I could feel her empathy. She understood.