“The agreement they’d sign would be airtight on those points,” Dan said. “The most important thing right now is to pitch the idea to her and ask about the father. I’ll draft something your guy can give to her to consider.”
“If Jessie is agreeable to this idea, we’d like to get this taken care of sooner rather than later. Every day that the baby spends with us only raises the stakes. For both of us.”
When Jared said that, Lizzie’s heart expanded with love for her husband as she realized she wasn’t the only one who’d fallen for the sweet baby girl.
“I understand. I’ll get right on it for you.”
“Thanks so much, Dan. We appreciate your help.”
“Glad to do it. I’ll call you later.”
Jared ended that call and put through another to Mike, all the while holding Lizzie’s gaze.
Her husband had never been sexier to her than he was since she realized he wanted this every bit as much as she did. “Lizzie and I have spoken to our attorney, and we’d like to offer Jessie a custody arrangement that would keep the baby with us if that’s what she wants and if the child’s father is also amenable. We’ll have something for you to present to her in the morning.” After listening for a minute, Jared nodded. “That sounds good. Thanks again, Mike.”
Jared ended the call and put the phone on the counter. “He said someone from his office can print out the agreement Dan writes up and bring it to him in the morning to present to her.”
“How are you feeling about this?” Lizzie asked him as she swayed back and forth, which helped to keep the baby sleeping.
“I hope we’re not setting ourselves up for disaster.”
“Maybe we are, but I’d rather try than always wonder what might’ve been if only we had.”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—you’re the strongest, gutsiest person I’ve ever known.”
“No, I’m not. I feel like a bowl of Jell-O on the inside. My heart is racing, and I can barely breathe at the thought of us possibly getting to keep her—or possibly having to give her back to Jessie.”
“We’re going to have to find a way to chill until tomorrow, when we’ll know more.”
“How exactly are we supposed to do that?”
Cooper picked that moment to come into the kitchen with Gigi. He stopped short at the sight of Jared and Lizzie standing in what probably appeared to be tense poses. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Jared said. “Yet. We found Jessie.”
“Oh. Isn’t that, like, a good thing?”
“Yes and no.” Jared updated Cooper on the latest development.
“Whoa.” Cooper looked from Jared to Lizzie and then back to Jared. “So, you guys might get to keep her?”
“We’re not letting ourselves go there until Mike speaks to Jessie tomorrow. But we’re making the offer.”
“Holy crap,” Cooper said. “That’s exciting and terrifying.”
“All at the same time,” Lizzie said, keeping her arms wrapped around the baby as if that could somehow stop anything bad from happening. She was never going to survive having to give her up. That much she knew for certain.
“What can we do for you?” Gigi asked.
“Keep us entertained?” Lizzie said. “Help us keep our minds off it for a few hours?”
“That we can do,” Cooper said.
They pitched in to help finish the meal prep and enjoyed a delightful dinner at the table on the patio. Vi slept through everything until they were finishing dinner.
Lizzie handed her to Jared while she went inside to prepare a bottle. A week ago tonight, Lizzie hadn’t known she existed, and now the baby girl was the center of her life. Along with Jared, of course. While the bottle heated, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. By this time tomorrow, they’d know whether Jessie would agree to a permanent arrangement.
Then the child’s father would have to be located.
They were a long way from home free in this situation, but they were closer than they’d been this time yesterday.
Jared came into the kitchen carrying Vi, who was squalling with outrage. “I told her the bottle was coming, but it wasn’t fast enough for her.”
Lizzie tested the temperature of the formula on her inner arm and then handed the bottle to Jared. “Here you go, my sweet girl.”
The baby latched on, sucking greedily while Jared and Lizzie watched over her in stunned amazement that anything could be as beautiful as she was.
“We’re going to get to keep her,” Lizzie whispered. “I know it in my heart.” She looked up at her husband, met his intense gaze and shared the thing she’d kept to herself until then. “You’re going to think I’m even crazier than usual when I tell you the minute I saw her at the clinic, I knew she was meant to be ours.”
“You… You what?”
“I knew, Jared. I knew it here.” She flattened her hand over her heart. “I couldn’t have known that Jessie would leave her with us and take off, but I knew she was our child. I don’t know how I knew that. I just did.”
“Lizzie…”
“I know. I know. It’s insane, but I can only tell you how I felt.” She offered a shy smile. “I was afraid to tell you that before now when you’ve been so upset about this.”
“I’ve only been upset about the potential for you to be hurt. That’s all.”
“What about you?” She reached up to caress his face. “Don’t try to tell me you haven’t lost your heart to her, too.”
“I have. For sure. I mean, look at her. She’s so perfect. But I never want anything to hurt you, and that’s why I’ve urged proceeding with caution.”
“I know, and I love you for always trying to protect me—sometimes from myself.”
“I’ll always protect you from things that can hurt you.” He kissed the top of the baby’s soft head. “Even little bits like her.”
“She’s not going to hurt me. She’s going to make my life—and yours—complete.”
“God, I hope so, Lizzie.”
“It’s going to be okay. Trust me.”
Jared glanced out the window to the table, where Cooper was sitting as close to Gigi as he could get and not be on her lap. “We should get back to our guests.”
“They’re doing a good job of entertaining themselves.”
“I think he really likes her. Like, seriously likes her.”
“He does. For sure.”
“I hope she’s not going to crush him.”
“I have a good feeling about them, too. They might be just what the other one needs.”
Chapter 23
“How much longer until we can go back to bed?” Cooper asked as he placed strategic kisses on Gigi’s neck. Since she’d agreed to give him a real chance, he’d been higher than he’d ever been in his entire life. All he wanted was her, and he wanted her with a ferocity that was all new to him.
His phone, which was lying on the table, lit up with a text he ignored. What did he care about texts when he was breathing in the most intoxicating scent in the entire world?